Mt. Biking - Alresford to Brightlingsea

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Owner: squiz
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Member#: 6644
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Registered: 27-05-2007
Diary Entries: 2881

11th August 2018
Mt. Biking: Alresford to Brightlingsea
Wind Direction:
Wind Stength:
Surf / Sea State:
Air Temperature:
Sea Temperature:
Weather: sunny
Max Speed: 26.72 (knots - unless stated otherwise)
Distance Covered: 13 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)

Saturday 11th August – Bike ***** Alresford to Brightlingsea – sunny :)

After a poor windsurfing session at one of my favourite places Point Clear yesterday, we certainly made up for it today:) It was good to have a night in our beloved VW fresh from the body shop and looking mega again! We had a nice quiet night in the little carpark along Quarry lane at Alresford and woke to a sunny day. After a nice lay-in, and breakfast, we headed off on our bikes just before ten. No picnic this time as we thought we would be back for dinner. We started off along the Quarry Road and then down to Alresford Creek. It is hard to believe that there was a ford here once, only accessible at low water for a short while, but now covered in mud and it would be a brave driver to try to cross now! We then follow the sea wall path along the creek with the tide coming in but still plenty of mud with only a few gulls and boat wrecks. The sky was amazing, lovely blue with the odd cloud and aircraft trails. Thorrington Church looks impressive as we pass a vineyard and near the beautiful tide mill similar to the one at Woodbridge. We were then on the busy Thorrington/Brightlingsea road where lots of motorists are doing their utmost to kill you! Luckily, we came to a wide cycle track which took you to the church and on to Brightlingsea. It’s like the town that time forgot, and I say that in a good way, it was lovely:) We haven’t been here for over 30 years when I windsurf raced here from the sailing club and Mag helped to run the UKBSA events. We have some great pics here sitting on the sea wall with much-missed Mag’s mum and Dad. I remember it clearly as I actually won a race beating the very young and well-known Dave White:) We headed for the jetty where the small ferry to East Mersea leaves and with the tide approaching high, the creek was a hive of activity. Dinghies and yachts, canoes and paddle boards with many old sailing barges only just making against the tide! We walked through the nice apartment development on the waterfront before reaching the sailing club where a couple of fishermen were laying a drift net being watched by a large group taking pics. This lead onto a bike free prom lined by pretty brightly coloured beach huts. Again, we walked and met some very friendly people stopping for some chats:) We passed another open-air Lido to a sea wall busy with families crabbing and a shallow but slightly muddy sea water paddling pool and onto Batemans tower where we stopped to watch the world go by and have our snack. Refreshed we continued past the last of the beach huts to the wide sea wall path which leads along the River Colne and takes us back to Alresford creek. It is very quiet and beautiful along here. Back at the ford but from the other side and with the tide high the sea wall path ends and you have to head inland through farmland. The farmer has had to build soil and log barriers across the entrances to his fields, sadly he must have trouble with nar do well :( We come out near Thorrington church and as there are supposed to be no bikes on the mill path we take the road back. On the Colchester Road we turn left and look for a footpath sign which takes us back to the creek. At the Scout Camp we think we find it and follow the footpath sign through some nice woods, the path is very over grown and we have a job to get our bikes through! Sadly, the path turns the wrong way and we come out near the mill again!!! We then bike on the road all the way back to the van, definitely a 5 star ride out for three hours covering 20 km with a top speed of 26.72 knots:) Nice salad and relax in the warm sunshine before I get the call on Felixstowe WhatsApp to return home for a spot of unexpected windsurfing, what a great day :)

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