Littleworth

Todays ride should have stopped for lunch at The Windmill in Littleworth but as we were running a bit early we carried on and visited the cafe at the Camelia Botnar garden centre again.

It was bitterly cold at Three Bridges for the start and Norman, having ridden over from Horsham, was so cold that he decided to head for the warmth of a train back home - I don't blame him!
The remaining four of us (Richard, Michael, Gordon and Bob), headed off through Furnace Green and Tilgate to warm up on the climb of Pease Pottage Hill. From here an interesting route took us via Handcross, Staplefield, over the Warninglid flyover and across the A272 just west of Bolney before turning into Bob Lane at Twineham Green. We headed south through Wineham then west on the B2116 before heading north to Shermanbury. Here we first headed towards Partridge Green and then north through Littleworth (passing the Windmill well before opening time) to arrive at the cafe.

Lunch was very good and all too soon we re-emerged into what seemed to have become an even colder day! The route home took us north over the A272 and up to Maplehurst where we headed east along the ridge before turning north once more along Newells Lane. Next we headed to Lower Beeding then took Church Lane up to Hammerpond Road. Turning left we crossed the Hammerpond and then turned right for the long drag up Grouse Road. Soon enough however, Grouse Road took us to Pease Pottage and then the usual route back home retracing our steps past K2 and through Tilgate and Furnace Green.

Here's a slide show of most of the route: