Ride and Stride 2024 – Report
Ride report
After some iffy weather in the previous few days, the morning of Saturday 14th September dawned bright and clear and pleasantly warm. I packed my bike in the back of the car, drove out to Chilwell and parked up at at St Barnabas Church, Inham Nook. From there, I cycled north and west, via Stapleford and Trowell to Eastwood. If you think the potholes in our parish are bad, you obviously have never cycled round there! Onwood via Jacksdale and Underwood to Annesley, where like Colston Bassett, they have an abandoned Mediaeval church and a ‘new’ Victorian church. Then, up the steep hill into Kirkby in Ashfield where I arrived at St Wilfred’s just as a wedding was finishing. I was their first Ride and Strider of the day and the welcomer was overjoyed to see me and show me round the church.
Click on the map to see a larger version.
Needing to press on, it seemed a long way without any churches between Kirkby and Blidworth. I then tracked back through Ravenshead to Newstead Abbey and down a long drive towards Papplewick. At one point, the drive turned into a path and at the end of the path was a tall fence with a swing gate clearly designed to prevent the passage of bicycles! Dismissing the idea of cycling all the way back to Newstead Abbey, I elected to climb the fence and lower my bike to the other side, which was no mean feat! Beyond the pretty village of Linby, the route became a dreary trek through the suburbs of Nottingham, just arriving back at Chilwell for the 6pm deadline.
Overall, I cycled about 60 miles and clocked up 54 churches. I’m not sure I would choose the same route again – the rural lanes of the south and east of the county make for much more pleasant cycling, even if the churches are further apart! Nevertheless, I got to visit several new places, meet many enthusiastic people, and hopefully raise a fair amount for NHCT.
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Many thanks
Nick