Escape to the Country
Essex UK Day 1 – Audley End to Castle Hedingham 43 Km (Tue 28 August 2018)
Weather: 13⁰C min – 22⁰C max, overcast but fine
“A day without cycling probably wouldn’t kill me, but why risk it” ~ Unknown
After the madness of the Notting Hill carnival yesterday, it was good to escape to the country for a couple of days of cycling around Essex. It gives me a chance to restore my hearing and give my eyeballs a chance to settle back into their sockets (see Carnival Parade).
So this morning I caught the train from London Liverpool station to Audley End and by 11 am was on my bike heading towards Castle Headingham.
Soon I had reached Saffron Walden, the first of several enchanting Essex towns. Time for a coffee at Starbucks then a stroll around town. There is something about street markets that puts people into a relaxed frame of mind and creates a village atmosphere. As I sat there sipping my first coffee for the day I couldn’t help noticing the slow pace of the town, contemplating what it might be like to live in an idyllic place such as this.
Eventually I remounted Big Bertha and rode off through the undulating Essex countryside. The country roads were virtually traffic free and led me past several tiny hamlets, featuring neat little houses and charming thatched cottages. This is the England I love!
Two towns stood out from the rest: Thaxted with its brightly coloured cottages; and the pretty little town of Finchingfield, where I stopped at The Greedy Duck for the best toasted panini I have had for a long while.
Castle Headingham, where I am staying tonight, is also charming in its own way. What makes it particularly appealing is the delightfully skewed, timber-framed, cottages, with their sagging roofs. How do such structures manage to survive so long?
My plan for tomorrow is to ride south to Witham, where I will catch the train back to London. If the scenery is anywhere near as picturesque as today I am in for another treat!
Wherever next? Time to give up the bike now that you have escape to the country!!
Why not try a ? and ride the Melbourne cup!!!