We wiggled through Tewin, Bramfield and Stapleford, then climbed out of the Rib valley and over to the Beane valley via Sacombe. James from St Albans had joined us for the first time and had no problems keeping up as he had recently completed LEJOG (or should I say JOGLE as he started in Scotland).
Carol leading through Stonyhills
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Sacombe Green
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Near Barwick Ford it was disappointing that the Llamas had gone from the field, but we made it to the Ash Valley Golf Club for bacon sandwiches and coffees all round. It was a welcome stop after fighting an unusual warm east wind all morning. Judy was a bit late getting there, as her recumbent’s rear wheel tyre developed a nasty bulge (due to scraping off the rubber on a climb) and one of its front tyres punctured.
After coffee we took a new route south of Bishop’s Stortford and Hatfield forest, before turning west again to use a Sustrans route that allowed us to get to Birchanger without using the large roundabout over the M11 near Stansted airport. Using a bridge and two underpasses, the bridle path offered a ‘dry weather’ alternative.
Joining NCR 16 near the Dunmow Road...
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...crossing the Stansted Airport flypath...
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...and under the M11 slip road.
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We emerged at the Three Willows pub, which was friendly and welcoming – great sandwiches with local granary bread. Twenty miles to tea via Burton End, Elsenham, Ugley, Farnham and Little Hadham – some lanes we had never used before. It was remarkable how quiet and pretty it was in Burton End, then moments later a Ryanair jet took off over us, watched by a myriad of plane spotters parked by a hedge next to the runway.
Braughing teas were up to the usual standards in the village hall then it was about twenty miles home, this time with a strong tailwind to help us along the way. We left Jon patching up Judy’s tyre as the bulge had by now caused a puncture, but we all got back OK in the end.
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