CTC Thursday ride West Wellow to Stockbridge

Carlo's

We're on holiday so no work and we can join the Thursday group for a ride starting at Carlo's in West Wellow. So we load the bikes onto the car and drive out to the meet where there are just 7 of us out today. A quick word about Carlo's, the ice cream business started in West Wellow in 1945 but the Italian family run business can trace its roots back to London in the early 1900's. However, today is not a day for ice creams so we quick start it with coffee and toasted tea cakes before heading off along the lanes of Hampshire.

We head off up the Test Valley skirting the western edge of Romsey and it is about 12 miles into the ride I remember to switch on Strava so hence the gap on the accompanying map! We head out via Braishfield, the villages main claim being this is where the TV series Worzel Gummage was filmed.

Richard Cromwell

From here through Pucknall and Standon bypassing the more historically interesting village of Hursley. In the 12th Century Hursley was  home to the Bishop of Winchester until 1552 when it was surrendered to Edward VI. In 1643 the manor became the home of Oliver Cromwell's son Richard and after Oliver Cromwell's death in 1658 Richard became Lord protector so it could be claimed that Hursley was once the country seat of the ruler of England.

Onwards to the Cat 4 climb at Farley Mount and lunch on the hill top. Here there is a memorial to a horse (see photo) famous for surviving a fall into a chalk pit before going on to win at one of the local races. The view from the top today is shrouded in mist but on a fine day there are views across three counties.

Memorial at Farley Mount

View through the mist

Inscription

Lillies tea rooms

After a quick lunch, it's too cold to hang around we ride on to Stockbridge for a coffee at Lillies Tea Rooms. Stockbridge has a long history and the town was given the right to hold a market before 1190 in the reign of Richard I, reviewed and confirmed in 1200 and extended to an annual three day fair by Henry VIII.

As in the 12th century, the town consists almost wholly of one long wide street and it is to this characteristic that it owed its early name of Le Street. Stockbridge grew and prospered as an unincorporated mesne borough before the coming of the plague which left Stockbridge almost deserted and the poverty of the remaining inhabitants was so great that the market which had been confirmed to the town by  was discontinued.

Back now to Lillies Tea Rooms which of course are named after one of the towns most famous residents the mistress of Edward VII Miss Lillie Langtry.

Ready for tea

Stockbridges wide street

Mottisfont Abbey

From Stockbridge we follow the Test Valley back towards West Wellow but on the opposite side of the river from our journey out. We pass through Houghton and onto Mottisfont and past the entrance to the Abbey. Mottisfont is now owned by the National Trust and has been in existence since 1201 when the first Abbey was built by the Augustinian Canons.



From Mottisfont it is a gentle ride back via Awbridge to West Wellow where we load bikes back onto cars and head for home just as the rain starts to fall.

Kevin in 'new' retro jersey!

The group

Kathy