22 Feb 2016: Hatfield to Stevenage

Seven of us assembled at Hatfield for a ride to a new pub Carol had found on the edge of Stevenage.  Our elevenses stop was the golf club at Whitehill and I told the group that I had plotted a longish route there, so it would be a late elevenses.

There were no objections so I set off on a route looping south through Wildhill and Little Berkhamsted (pictured), before crossing the A414 and heading through Bramfield and Waterford to Sacombe Road.  At the end of Sacombe Road, the rest of the group decided to follow Carol on the scenic (and flat) route through Sacombe Estate while I took the long way round to avoid the loose gravel.

We all met up at the golf club and, over our elevenses, signed the petition seeking a poll of the whole membership about the decision to rebrand.  While it might be necessary to change the focus of the club now we were a charity, all agreed that CTC HQ had handled the move very badly by not telling members what was going on until it leaked out in social media; HQ should have tried to explain the situation to members and gain their support – or failing that their understanding.

After leaving the golf club we met a group of four horse riders at Dane End.  I'd met them before on the way up the hill and frightened one of the horses, so I paused to let them pass.  It was then a pleasant and gentle ride through the lanes through Haultwick and Ardeley down to the B road near Cromer where we found ourselves cycling into the strong SSW winds until we reached Aston.  From here I had researched the cycle routes of Stevenage and found a direct route to the pub.  This worked well and we arrived at the rather crowded pub at 13.00.

Our return journey followed cycle paths on the edge of Stevenage to Bragbury End.  From there, most of the group made their way back south to Hatfield.

Judy 22/02/2016