Wednesday 5th February 2025

Short Ride

Report by John

The sunshine produce a high turnout, so that even after three groups had departed thirteen riders remained who were opting for a short ride. Howard kindly offered a ride to a new cafe near Sutton Bonnington which left John leading Mick, Chris, Andrew, Myles, Duncan, Helen (a new rider) and Rob to Bradgate Park.

New Rider - Helen

The group set out via Cross Lane and through Shelthorpe and followed the old A6 through Quorn before climbing Wood Lane to Granites, where they encountered the group led by Graham that had taken a more ciruitous route. Both groups headed across the Ridings to Rothley Station where John's group paused to allow the groups to split and avoid any confusion. Here they were joined by Eric.

Mick leading Myles, Eric and Chris in Bradgate Park

The riders continued past Cropston Reservoir to Bradgate Park, where a friendly warden was happy to open the main gates for the group to pass. The sunshine had also brought out many walkers and riders had to proceed with care and found a bell useful.

Mick, Eric, Chris, Andrew, Myles, Duncan, Helen and Rob at the Jade Cafe

After the usual excellent refreshments at the Jade Tea Room, the riders retraced through the park returning to Loughborough via Swithland, Woodhouse and Quorn, arriving back just after noon.

Short Ride to Dolly's

Report by Max

We rode out with a mission - to sample a new cafe. 

Howard as our lead rider was joined by Jeff, Clyde, Max and Dennis. Taking Meadow Lane into Stanford on Soar, we quickly began to experience the dubious delights of Notts road maintenance.

Passing through East Leake we headed West to find West Leake. On arrival, we passed the church, the bus shelter library and excellent pub before striking out towards Dolly's - the new cafe! (well new to us). Dolly's overlooks Sutton Bonington on an industrial estate originally built close to, what was Hathern railway station (mention was made of Dr Beeching!). Trains don't stop anymore but we thought the cafe was well worth a stop.

Besides its extensive menu there are pictures of the old Hathernware tile/brick factory.  Well fortified we  took the Rempstone Road up to Butt Lane and home through Normaton.

Thanks to Jeff for taking the photo.
 

Medium ride to Glenfield

Report by David

It was a mild day with the low sun beaming through. You couldn’t ask for much more, and I am sure that attracted a lot of riders to Holt Drive.

Graham had offered a ride to a café we had not tried before in Glenfield, and he was joined by Nim, Margaret, Rob Smith, Laurence, Vic, Tim and David.

We gathered on the road towards the Beacon pub and proceeded up Beacon Road, turning into Cross Hill Lane, then through Broadway and Manor Drive to cut through to the play area at the end of John Boden Way. From here we left Allendale Road and headed for Quorn, where the crossroads was blocked for roadworks. Graham negotiated a way through and we continued, passed by cars making up for lost time; but then we were led up Church Lane and through the churchyard, emerging onto Nursery Lane. From here we followed the one-way system back onto the Leicester Road. Now that is a route that would not be offered by navigation tools. We went on to Mountsorrel where there was more roadworks. Eventually, we turned right up Crown Lane. We then found ourselves in a network of tracks and onto Bond Lane, which emerged onto Wood Lane, not far from Granite’s, and therefore an alternative route to the ups and downs of Wood Lane, if taken from Quorn.

We got a little separated along here, partly because we collided with John’s ride that had taken the ups and downs route and it was hard to see who was on which ride from a distance. Fortunately, Vic knew where the front riders had gone. They had taken The Ridings, then gathered at the entrance to The Ridgway. This is also the route that John’s ride took. They decided to hang back and were joined by Eric near to Rothley station.

Meanwhile we left Station Road, on Thurcaston Lane and continued straight over to Anstey Lane. We got to the centre of Anstey which was quite busy, then left along Leicester Road. Soon we peeled off along Gorse Hill, and passed under the A46, thereby avoiding a big and dangerous roundabout. Gorse Hill was a climb and it took us to another Anstey Lane, this one a dual carriageway with separate cycle paths. After crossing Bennion Road and Anstey Lane at the roundabout with Glenfrith Way, we continued along there past Glenfield Hospital. At the end of the road, we joined the A50 for a short distance before taking an underpass that picked up Faire Road on the opposite side. This was uphill for a while and from here we went a bit round the houses. We emerged onto Station Road, evidently a main street for Glenfield village. Shortly after this, we turned off left along the Ivanhoe Trail.

The Ivanhoe trail was once a railway track, and through its shaded margins we looked down onto Rothley Brook until we reached a turning for the Mill Lane café. This was on a small industrial estate. Once seated at 2 tables, we might have looked like the losing team on The Apprentice, but even gold mines have a lot of dirt. I hasten to add that this café did not have dirt, but the prodigious stocks of cooking oil were indicative of the main trade. We were served efficiently and the staff were pleased to see us. Most of us had filled cobs and the hot drinks were a welcome relief.

Nim, Graham, Tim, Vic, Laurence, Rob & Margaret at Mill Lane Café in Glenfield.

We got back onto the Ivanhoe Trail which took us under the A46 and very soon afterwards under the M1. We emerged in Ratby. After dodging round the houses, we took the Markfield Road out. We were into open country, and the road went generally uphill, via a tunnel under the M1, until we joined Thornton Lane, which we followed to Field Head. There was some discussion about preferred routes, whether up a big hill or not up a big hill. A majority vote went for the latter. We sailed down Markfield Lane to Newtown Linford. We took Main Street and turned left into Bradgate Park main entrance. There was a lot of parked cars. So, we were expecting a lot of people, with triple buggies and dogs on highly elastic leads. But it was okay, and the deer were out, most of them.

The last I saw of Graham he disappeared into the Deer Barn, but from here we were all headed our separate ways home. Nim left us after we got onto the Cropston Road, then, along Leicester Lane, Vic went right. The five of us continued to Swithland, then Brand Lane to Woodhouse.

Most of the five were still not tired of rough surfaces under the tyres, so four returned to Loughborough through Mucklin Wood. Margaret went the other way.

The ride returning to Holt Drive was 30 miles. Our average moving speed was 10.2 mph, and we climbed 1598 feet. An exemplary home time was 1:30 pm.