11 Feb 2018: St Albans to Rye House

On a cold, bright but windy morning we met at the war memorial and unusually headed south, taking the winding road through Sopwell and Napsbury, skirting London Colney and climbing up Black Lion Hill turning left along Rectory Lane on reaching Shenley village by the new Italian Novita restaurant, formerly the Black Lion pub. We passed the former Pinks Hotel along a very wet and muddy road before coming to what looked like a severe flood in a dip. Surprisingly but fortunately there were four cars waiting to pass through the flood, so we waited to let them through and to assess the depth of the water.

Ronnie then charged through the flood at some speed, while the rest of us, more cautiously, cycled slowly using a see-saw action on the pedals to prevent our feet getting wet. We continued to the old A6 (now B556) to go south a few yards before turning off to head to Ridge  and crossing the A1 on the equestrian bridge with its large volume of deposits.  We then followed Trotters Bottom through Dancers Hill to a cafe new to us, where the tell-tale sign of bikes outside indicated the attendance of Jon & Judy. After some calorific intake we headed east through Cuffley & Goff's Oak, taking a previously unused road through the new estate of Hammond Street and heading north up the strangely named Bread and Cheese Lane.

Taking note of the wooden warning sign alerting us to the steep dip down to Bread and Cheese Bridge we ascended to a junction.

Then turning right along Beaumont Road we passed by Paradise Park to Hoddesdon getting to the Rye House Tavern at about 1 p.m. On entering, it was evident that the pub had had a refurbishment, but where were the customers? It was deserted apart from the staff. We just took advantage of the situation by sitting at a large table by a sunny bay window and ordering lunch, which unsurprisingly did not take long to arrive. Customers were trickling in, presumably for the football match which was due to start at 2:15. By then we were long gone, heading due west with the bright sun in our eyes, through Brickendon, Bayford & Little Berhamstead and turning north along Cucumber Lane. There were only three of us left when we were passing through Colney Heath. I was thinking what a good day it had been when I sensed what felt like pebbles being thrown in my face; we had been caught in a very blustery hailstorm. It wasn't worth stopping to put on rain-jackets so we arrived home a bit wet after about 48 miles.

Steve B