This Autumn Meet began a little like last years....
It was raining, indeed pouring for most of my journey, this time South to Wiltshire.
But I had set off on the Thursday, a day early, to allow me to visit the British Motor Museum at Gaydon in Warwickshire. Well worth a visit, so much so that I went again on my way back up North. An annual ticket that I had bought in October 2023 was still good, and made it a no cost comfort break stop plus, in both directions.
Back to....... a De Lorian
Fab1- but not as we knew it
Arriving at the hostel at about 6.30 PM, I was shown the facilities, OK-ish and to my own dormitory, sole ocupant for tonight, at least.. A pleasant and quiet night for me after a meal of Pasta and a can of cider. My 'still sealed' tin of Pasta sauce had Best Before date on it, in 2019 ! it was fine, perhaps not Best but fine and tasty, as was the cider.
With Friday then to fill, waiting for the others to arrive. I visited the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection. This is not at Boscombe Down. ‘Joe or indeed Josephine Public’ are not usually let in to MOD sites. It is instead at Old Sarum Airfield about 10 miles from Cholderton. It is also well worth a visit, if you like this sort of thing. You can get up close and personal and even touch the aircraft with your buttocks ! You are allowed to sit in many of the aircraft and pretend to be a pilot, if you can fit ! I did fit in some but it was sometimes tight and a few acrobatics and even aerobatics were involved climbing in. I couldn’t though sit down at my late father’s Navigator's position, in an Avro Lancaster but then I guess Dad would have also struggled in his later years.
My knees in a Dakota C47
The first Hawk built, 50 yrs old in 2024.
However to the Meet etc, people began arriving during the Friday afternoon. Henk arrived efficiently as usual, panniered and well traveled. John & Irene arrived from their hotel in Andover and Geoff cycled over from his hotel in Amesbury. He’d had a couple of slips on the chalky marl, which can be so deceptively slippy in almost any conditions. Roger and Hilary Thorpe, Jim Swan & Eddie Asbury all arrived safely. Eddie sort of shared my dormitory, there was a little room off the main room. Did 'we' snore, I have no idea.
Henk, Nick Johnson from Kent, Jeff Burton and Garry Brunton, a KiWi at present from West London were the honest cyclists having come by, wheel, train and/or ferry. Garry and I discovered we had met earlier in the year when Garry had cycled by Tyn Cornel hostel piloting a Tandem, small world, Kia-ora mate and 'respect'. That track past Tyn Cornel is not ridable, as you found out for yourselves.
Those staying at the hostel settled in, sort of OK I think. Dry and warmish in places with mostly OK facilities, mine were anyway. I think certain areas need some TLC. It is not just a YHA or I believe even owned by them. It’s a hostel, a rare breeds farm, a cafe (10-4) and I think a winery as well. Oh and I think there was a Wedding nearby on the Saturday. It’s also about 10 miles by bike to Stonehenge ! A little closer if you want to ‘play’ on A303 but I don’t recommend it. Here abouts the A303 is more like a motorway in all but name and therefore can, is always, ‘interesting’ to cross.
For the Friday night we stayed in at the hostel and sent out for Pizza’s and salad with a few custard tarts with tiramisu to follow. This was from Aldi in Amesbury, less than a 10 minute drive away. Norman also drove over from Wilton where he was staying for the weekend.
Saturday morning was dry, bright, colourful and pleasantly crisp, wonderful Autumn weather. Jeff had agreed (thankfully) to lead the ride, Thanks Jeff. And we were on to a lovely quiet bridleway passing trees and brambly bushes, within a few 100 yds of the hostel. Mostly rideable, slippery in lots of places, wasn’t it Eddie. After a mile or so we came out with a view over Boscombe Down Airfield. Not much visible going on there but then I couldn't tell you if it was !
Setting off (Irene Hitchen)
Bridleway near the hostel
Dropping from Porton Down
We were doing a clockwise circuit via lanes, tracks and bridleways through Allington, Idmiston, Porton to Winterbourne Gunner, then way across to Great Durnford and down the river Avon to Middle Woodford. Lots of beautiful thatched and old style villages etc in lovely surroundings and in beautiful sunshine. From here we cut across, mind those busy crossroads, to Stappleford Down then North to Druids Head Farm (No non were sighted) and up York Road. At Druids Lodge we ‘carefully’ crossed the A360 and onto the Byway crossing Wilford and Normanton Downs towards a large group of stones ! surrounded by a much much larger number of ‘Druids’ ?
My first, and last visit to Stonehenge had been in the mid 1970’s. When you could walk in amongst the stones. It was no doubt busy back then, so I don’t know how to describe it now. Very very very busy.
Old(ish) Guy and some stones
We took the Byway carefully on across that A303, thankfully only one direction of traffic was moving and slowly due to some incident. We came on up the Byway closer to the henge on our right. Then we turned left and took the 2 kilometre private road West to the Visitor Centre for a well deserved lunch stop. 20 miles cycled, no coffee, and as I say a well deserved lunch break. Most of us I think could sit outside in the very warm sunshine. Although the staff did want us to park our bikes several hundred yards away. "You can't lock them near the buildings and seats, take them way over there" Guess what some of us did ? ................
Afterwards we cycled back up the private road toward the Stones and the byway. Here staff were a little more friendly and pointed out that we could use the footpath pushing our bikes and for free get almost as close to the stones as those who had paid ?? £20+
After our closer encounter, it was back to the byway and then North into Larkhill Camp where we took a right down the road to Bulford and then South to cross that A303 via a bridge (yippee) near to Folly Bottom (other bottoms are no doubt …..) Through the Hotel Area, passing Solitice Services and various business units we got onto the bridleway, of the Old Amesbury Road and to the North side of Boscombe Down MOD. Lots and lots of coils of Razor wire and no photography signs, so no pictures sorry. We eventually came back to our first bridleway of the day, and retraced it back to the hostel. Just in time for the Committee Meeting. A great ride of about 32 miles and 2000 ft of accent ! Who said this is flattish countryside. The committee meeting started prompt! at about 5.25 PM. The Minutes may already be available on the site.
For the evening we drove to The Malet Arms in Newton Tony, about 2.5 miles away, for a very pleasant meal in the old world country inn, convivial surroundings,which we 13 added to.
On the Sunday, I understand that Geoff got up early to join, well at least listen to the ‘Druids’ celebrate sunrise at Stonehenge. This at about 7.00 AM. A little later, Jim led a ride of another 30 ish miles, this up to Pewsey where I believe they had some Sunday lunch. I did hear a vote of 'antipodean' thanks to Jim for organising the ride but with a complaint that he needs to slow down a little for the younger riders !
Bridleway leaving Newton (Photo by Tony)
I had gone for a morning cuppa and cake to some people I know in Newton Tony. When riding away, I spotted a neighbour with a Berkley 3 wheeler, two wheels at the front etc, circa 1960. "Wish me luck" he said as he went for a drive. I rode off through more pleasant byeways and across some busy roads, North toward Salisbury Plain. Those tanks do make a mess, some very muddy tracks in places and pools to be negotiated or avoided. I did a lone 20 miles and was back
early for a hot shower and soup in the hostel, where I found Henk. He'd been left behind and so had done his own thing. The other riders returned around 4.00PM, and some then headed for home. Just in time as the weather, which had been cooler but dry all day, changed with very strong gusts and heavy rain. This left Jeff, Henk, Garry and myself for our last night. We went to 'Tandoori Nights' in Amesbury for you guessed it. Thankfully we parked right outside and had a very good meal with some appropriate liquids ! Back to the hostel soon after 9.00 PM where some of us sat and chatted, drinking Chardonnay for a while and then to bed with wild, wet weather outside.
We all, I think had another good weekend, aren’t they always! And we were lucky with two days of good cycling weather.
Thanks to all those who made the journey and I do hope you all enjoyed it, I know I did.
Allan Henson Oct 2024
Pictures by the author unless otherwise credited.
PS, PLEASE READ ON ..............
Finally a begging request.
When I was a lot younger, it was suggested that my english composition was not much good.
Some may think it has not improved much ? I do though think my spelling has been improved, with smell check but there may still be some way to go !
And like many, I can be a little embarased to see my work in print and the number of articles that I have put on the Website, may have embarased me a lot. I sometimes feel that others might think I suffer from verbal ... wotsit !
Whatever, get over it.
My request, please do have a bash yourself, put fingers to the keyboard and have a go at an article.
I am told that it is even easier now to write an article and offer it on to the RSF site, we'll see.
Do it all yourself when logged on, with your membership logon. The same logon you use to put rides on the 'rides calendar'.
It's all under the Members Area drop down tab on the site.
Write your articles in .txt, .wrd, .doc, .docx or I use .odt format. I put notes/titles, in the article where particular photographs should go and in the same folder I have a pictures file where I put the appropriate pictures with the same title and in the best resolution, in JPEG format.
Before sending you need to change your article into .txt format, that is what the Web Admin accept
If it doesn't work for you, then email your article and pics to Gary (
Before you attempt any of this, have your article written and proof read it several times and ask someone else to read it as well.
Allan Henson
Admins note: We love it when you send us articles but as Allan says write your article in whatever softwear you use but save it as a text file, this strips out all the extra and unwanted code that word processors add and saves us time 😎👍