Ride and Stride 2024 – The Report
This year, despite striving for others to come, it was the only Four of us who set off on a cold but sunny Saturday morning. I was well layered up with a total a total of four, but happily had striped down to a single layer by lunchtime as the sun warmed me up and we had a perfect Autumn day.
The journey was mostly on back roads, and some were VERY back roads! When the potholes have grass growing in them, you know it’s a back road.
The great fun of the “ride and and stride” is visiting all the open churches and stopping and talking to all the people. We met people just out walking from church to church…well, it IS Ride and STRIDE!
The first Church was of course one that every one in Stinchcombe should know and in the morning light looked glorious!
Then it was off downtown to collect St Georges and a few others then out across the A38 to Slimbridge.
Having that one we took off down the flat CycleHighway that runs along the backroads to Halmore and Purton and through Berkeley. By the time we left St Mary the Virgin in Berkeley we were already half an hour behind schedule. I just couldn’t stop the others from talking! Mind you in Berkeley we met a lady cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End and taking in the churches…now THATS a lot of churches.!
Pressing on to Ham and Hill we turned right to be down by the river and to visit another St Mary the Virgin. Except this one was a tin shed in the field..
Whisper it, but I prefer THIS St Mary the Virgin… a much more honest type of church and WELL worth a visit
Then onto Thornbury and yet another St Mary’s. However for some reason, this St Mary’s doesn’t seem to be a Virgin! She was however having a lot of work done to her. I also notice that her Ride and Stride was a walking tour with lots of stops.
Our last stop before Lunch was climbing out the back way from Thornbury on the Avon Cycleway at St Pauls.
No that isn’t St Paul but just someone very happy to see us. They had had a very quiet morning and took one look at the four cyclists and dived into the church to prepare tea and biscuits! It was all that we could do to explain that we were having lunch just over the Hill at Tytherington! It was a beautiful church inside and immaculately kept.
So that ended the morning 50.07km and 390m of climbing at an average of 19.8km/h. Lunchtime at the Swan where Russ and Jill joined us and our partners.
After a sandwich and a glass of energy, three of us set off for the second half of our pilgrimage. Our first stop was another new church to me at Rangeworthy and the Holy Trinity.
Following that, we cut across to Horton and the steep ascent to St James the Elder which was adjacent to Horton Court, part of the National Trust and just by chance having an Open Day.
Horton Court has been used for many BBC films including “Poldark” and “Wolf Hall”. Having just climbed to the church we were treated to a royal feast by the church of Tea and Scones for Free for Ride and Striders! So we just HAD to stop….
Next was a further climb up to Hawkesbury and the lovely church of St Mary the Virgin. This St Mary, stuck in the middle of no-where was in absolutely beautiful condition with a brand new peel of bells and ringing chamber. We were invited in and up to try our hand bell ringing.
Then with time steadily marching, on we set a pace towards home but first called in at The Holy Trinity at Wickwar, St John’s at Charfield then, after a discussion and a vote, which I lost, the climb up to North Nibley to St Martin’s.
Finally down Frog Lane from North Nibley and back to Stinchcombe to St Cyrs.
Only 38km 503m in the afternoon. Phew! Probably the most enjoyable and varied of all our Ride and Strides so far, and a perfect day to do it. Just a pity that no-one else could enjoy it with us. Maybe next year, the second Saturday in September…
Lastly, and certainly not leastly, what it all been for. Our Sponsors (YOU) have raised a massive £1,220 SO FAR for the Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust
It’s still not tooo late to give just follow this link
Thank You to all those who donated, Andy, Roger, Paul and Richard