Had an opportunity to leave work early, so I did. Substantial rain and drizzle overnight and this morning but by 3:30pm or so when I set off, the roads were mostly dry. I took the Boardman nonetheless.
I planned to do a Twycross of roughly 30 miles distance. But I decided to take the longer detour through Norton and Orton that (strictly speaking) avoids Twycross. I was a bit confused near Orton as it seemed from memory to be a fairly straightforward route to Sheepy, yet on following the road signs I seemed to be taking more turns than I expected. Turns out I did this:
.. instead of this:
Anyway I pressed on through Sheepy, Sibson and along Fenn Lanes where I took the left to Shenton that goes along a very quiet lane with a pleasant bench, although I only got off the bike there long enough for a wee. I continued on to Bosworth and up toward home along Barton Road as usual.
After Carlton though I decided I couldn’t face coming home along Heather Lane yet again, so I decided to take a right toward Ibstock and come home that way instead.
There are a number of right turns on the road north of Bosworth that take you to the A447, then up to Ibstock. I don’t use any of them often so I can never remember which is which. Inevitably I took the one I hadn’t intended, but I wasn’t too bothered. Made a nice change and there was plenty of daylight left. Not only that, but the Sun came out and the temperature increased slightly. It had been a bit cold up to that point and I’d regretted not putting on tights.
Took a pic after the sun came out. The spire on the skyline just above the handlebars is at Ibstock.
I smiled wistfully when I passed a little delapitated bench near Nailstone, where I remember taking refuge from the Sun toward the end of my first 100 miler in 2016. Don’t think I’d been that way since then. I’d love to think I can do another one by next summer. Slightly troubled though to pass a rabbit on a grass verge that stayed put when I cycled past rather than scurrying off. I suppose the poor thing might have been ill or injured.
Home through Ellistown and Bosworth, and I ended up doing a few more miles than I’d intended, 36.60.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2714510186
I must do the longer detour that bypasses Twycross more often. North of Orton looking west you can see for miles, right across Warwickshire and into Staffordshire.
More on Wednesday, hopefully.