Crickley Hill; 25 June 2010

Today's ride could have been a very dull 3 Km very flat from Brockworth to Hucclecote then a reasonably staid 8Km home.  But that's not the way I operate.  That first 3 Km became a 20Km hilly ride.  You can see the route  here.


Allow me to set the scene.  This afternoon was Vic's sports day at school in which she came 3rd in her races with her house group winning overall so congratulations to the yellow team.  I was a spectator (and ran (poorly) in the dad's race).  Afterwards, I was to meet Tina at work for a joint bimble home.  However, I now have an hour or two spare so best not let this go to waste, this calls for a trip up to Crickley Hill - a one stop ride today.


Leaving Brockworth, I could easily ride straight up Shurdington Road but today is about avoiding the obvious so a lap of Bentham is in order before eventually heading up Shurdington Road and turning onto Leckhampton Lane.  Past St Peter's church and uphill through Leckhampton.  So far so good.  Almost a carbon copy (without stops) of this ride here.  Towards the top of Leckhampton Hill though, I turn off to Crickley Hill Country Park.  If the climb thus far hasn't killed you, the little access road into the country park probably will.  First, cross a wide spaced cattle grid, then up the 45 degree (or so it feels) slope and you will realise why the cattle grid as you ride through herds of cows before cresting where you are greeted with another cattle grid (sorry fillings) and one of the most stunning views across Gloucester.  If you live anywhere near Gloucestershire and haven't been to Crickley Hill, shame on you.  Apart from offering stunning views and good walking countryside, the country park is a site of nature conservation, geological & archaeological interest.  There is a well equipped visitor centre on site manned by keen and knowledgeable staff.  The site has been occupied since approx 3500 BC and excavations from 1969 onwards exposed an Iron age hill fort, wooden posts have been used to identify the location of the buildings and the embankment that would have circled the site is still very much in evidence.  I shan't write any more about this, rather here are a couple of pictures that don't do justice.

You don't have to go further than the car park to get this view.

 Looking across the valley with Chosen Hill in the middle distance

 You may just be able to make out the markers in the ground that show the location of post holes from the iron age settlement.  At the rear of the picture is the defensive bank.  Far left would have been the entrance.

 This is my bike parked at the entrance where the gatehouse would have been.

Before we leave the country park, I must regale you with a quick story from the recent history.  One winter when my daughter, Victoria, was very young and just started talking, I took her to Crickley Hill as it had been snowing and I hoped there may be proper snow at the top of the hill.  I was a little disappointed to find nothing more than a reasonably hard frost.  Undeterred, Vic ran around the site of the settlement like a loony in her spotty wellies.  Coincidentally, my brother and his wife were also on the hill so I had stopped and was chatting to them.  Excited to see Uncle Daz and Aunty Shaz Vic came running back in that slightly awkward way 18 month old kids do and put her arms up to me and said 'Daddy, carry, knackered'.  I really don't know where kids get these things from sometimes.

Leaving the country park, that access road is as scary going down as it is hard work going up.  Right at the end to the Air Balloon pub and in to Birdlip.  It's all downhill now through Witcombe, into Brockworth and on to Barnwood where a meet Tina from work and we take a jolly civilised bimble home.

Total distance - 34 KM

Average Speed - 25 KM/h

Weather - about 26C, Dry and sunny, wind from SW, about 10 KM/h