The freeze is back but this time it's cold and clear without that awful fog we had a couple of weeks ago. After a slight peppering of snow yesterday, the temperature has plummeted and everything seems locked under a frozen crust again. Very cold on the feet today. Quite a bit of black ice to be avoided on the roads!
As I had no work or other agenda, I took the opportunity to do a ride I had been planning for some months. The route was one I had done before to the edge of Alice Holt Forest but with a 3 mile extension to Frensham in Surrey with it's popular beauty spot, Frensham Pond.
Riding out to Crondall via Dogmersfield and Crookham Village I dropped south up over the higher ground towards Well. From there I continued down hill into Bentley.
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| Sun far beyond Bentley - it eventually came my way! |
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| Winter Landscape - Bentley |
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| Pagoda Bridge - Bentley |
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| Yew-lined entrance - St Mary's, Bentley |
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On to Blacknest. Our Friday Riders group have stopped at the Jolly Farmer here on summer evenings but I kept going down to the A325 crossing and riding on to Dockenfield and then Frensham.
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| Parish Church - Frensham |
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| Half-frozen Frensham Pond |
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| Snow and Sand |
The return journey took me up through Rowledge and around the Alice Holt Forestry Research Station to Holt Pound.
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| Alice Holt Forest |
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| Holt Pound |
From Holt Pound I faced a climb back towards Crondall and a very chilly ride into the Northerly wind. Back to Winchfield via Dogmersfield with a half hour stop and a welcome chance to warm up at the Winchfield Inn.
A cold but picturesque round trip of 34.5 miles.
The Route
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