CYHA News

There seems to have been quite a foody theme to the last month or so. I can barely leave the house without being thrust into a tearoom or in front of a barbecue. Luckily the CYHA programme has been my salvation (although admittedly the source of much of my temptation too). A few hundred calories walked on the Centenary Circle, a few pedalled away on my bike – every little helps to keep my spare tyre from swallowing me whole.

Ali

August Cycle Ride

It was a lucky 7 met in Thaxted at the start of our 20 mile cycle ride. The first stop was the picturesque village of Finchingfield and its equally picturesque tea rooms. It was teas all round and Mike partook of fullest full English I’ve ever seen – fuel for the journey ahead. By this time we’d not gone very far, we were loaded with excess calories, and it was already midday.

Pressing on, we sped through the villages of North Essex (hilly!) and nudged up into Cambridgeshire. Lunch was at Castle Camps, dining on the green next door to the pub. As elevensies were at twelve, it was no surprise that we weren’t ready for lunch until three. Luckily for Carol (who’d forgotten her lunch) the pub was still serving and presented a succulent-looking beef sandwich, complete with place setting and knife & fork. Never has a picnic looked so posh.

The last leg of the journey included yet another opportunity for nosh as we passed through the village of Ashdon. Ashdon boasts a very fine local museum, run by volunteers and a team of tea-cosy knitting ladies with a fine line in home baking.

Some of our cyclists also rounded off the day with a pub meal in Thaxted.

I strongly suspect that we ate more calories than we burnt off, but at some point the route stretched from the advertised 20 miles to nearly 40.

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A weekend away... in Chelmsford

Often walking near Chelmsford, we’ve come across waymarks for the Chelmsford Centenary Circle, and I’ve been curious to know where it went.  So when Dave and Helen offered to lead an expedition around the Circle, we had a chance to find out.

The 22-mile Centenary Circle was set up in 1988 to mark 100 years of the Borough of Chelmsford.

Starting in Springfield, the first part of the route along White Hart Lane and past Sainsbury’s didn’t seem very exiting, but we soon dived off down a footpath I’d never noticed before, passed under the A12 and found ourselves on the familiar path beside the River Chelmer. Via Sandford Mill, we came to Sandon for lunch on the village green and a pint at The Crown.  After passing through Great Baddow, we were off across the fields for the most scenic part of the day to Galleywood. We broke the route for curry, beer and a night’s sleep.  Carrying on next day, from Galleywood Common, we crossed the Wid Valley and into Hylands Park (ice cream stop), and then on to Writtle for lunch.  Next, heading north, crossing the river Can, skirting around Melbourne to Broomfield (pub stop), across the Chelmer valley, through the fields around New Hall to Beaulieu Park and back to Dave & Helen’s for more tea and cakes!

Altogether, a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, and fascinating to connect such familiar places with unfamiliar footpaths through some very pleasant countryside.

Dave P

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Dining at The Duck

Thank you Cress for organising a lovely evening with ten of us for dinner at the Duck in Newney Green. It was lovely to have Doug back with us after his accident a few weeks ago, though I’m not sure the other diners would agree. The graphic description of his face-off reconstructive surgery sounded more like the plot from a Tarantino movie than suitable dinner conversation. More raspberry coulis with your sundae?

Ali