A lovely sunny day in May saw half a dozen riders take a gentle ride to Bosham for morning coffee.
We started from the Spring in central Havant and rode out along the converted railway line, the 'Billy Track' to emerge by the level crossing with the real railway and turned right along School Lane to the level crossing at Southleigh Road. After a short while we were able to cross onto a shared pedestrian and cycle track beside the road all the way to the Horndean road and then rejoin Southleigh all the way through to Westbourne. This road is fairly light traffic and so Westbourne village itself needs a bit of care because the parked cars on one side mean that most days traffic reduces to single file. Not really a problem but it enables us to admire the architecture if we have to stop. Passing through Westbourne we turned into White Chimney Row with its half timbered houses and thatched roofs which make a lovely contrast from the more modern buildings around and made us feel we were really in the country, as indeed we were as soon as we turned the corner into Old Farm Lane.
Where this wooded lane runs parallel to the A27 riders could hear traffic seeming to come up behind us but our lane was empty. The road flows on to Woodmancote with the Woodmancote Arms, itself a popular destination for cyclists, opposite the unusual church constructed of corrugated iron and one of a series known as 'Tin Tabernacles'. We rode on past some undulations in the road known as 'Switchback' after the nearby farm until at Hambrook the South Coast Cycle route has a left and right junction. Here, at the beginning of May there is often the smell of wild Garlic growing in the verge, and a little further on Wisteria hanging over a wall. Then just after the string of Edith Cottages we turned right to see one of my favourite vistas of the open fields looking out towards West Ashling, but carried on to cross the stream and join Clay Lane until we saw the sign for Bosham.
A right turn into Ratham Lane leads down over the busy A27 to the railway crossing at Bosham Station and the village of Broadbridge. The crossing of the A259 is by a roundabout, and just the other side is our destination, the turning to the Crate at Broadbridge Farm.
The Crate is a cafe formed from a couple of shipping containers cleverly converted. On this sunny Sunday it was very busy with motorists, motorcyclists as well as cyclists, but we had our refreshments at a couple of tables together.
We took a direct route back along the A259 which may sound horrendous but there is a cycle track alongside much of the way back through Nutbourne and Southbourne where one of our riders peeled off to go home directly and another stopped at the farm shop for some watercress, then it was Emsworth and the cycle underpass at Warblington and back to School lane where we had started about two hours earlier, and all parted to go our separate ways.
A pleasant ride in good company at an easy pace and wonderful sunshine.