YACF Camping Weekend (Sep 19th/20th 2009)

[LEE]

September Saturday 19th  &  Sunday 20th,  2009
There's a pub near me  Map that does decent meals Wyke Down and has a campsite  (Nothing more than a small, mowed, field but civilised enough with toilet block/showers)

It's about 95km west of London, 85km east of Bristol, 50km North of Portsmouth, 140km South of Birmingham and is right slap-bang in the centre of many beautiful southern Audax routes. Andover is an hour from London on Waterloo-Exeter line also (Andover station is 5km from camp site but Whitchurch Station makes for a much more pleasant 8km ride.)

We shall be having a ride-to camping weekend and pub ride.  It's tried and tested as somewhere to sleep off a nice meal and a hangover.
HOW TO RESERVE A PLACE

1) SEND ME A YACF PM (Personal Message - Click on "PM" underneath my Avatar)
2) TELL ME "I AM DEFINITELY COMING"
3) TELL ME YOUR EVENING MEAL CHOICE (see Menu link below)
4) TELL ME YOU MOB# (I will not distribute it)
5) TELL ME YOUR REAL NAME
6) TELL ME YOUR ADDRESS (I will not distribute it)
7) TELL ME WHEN YOU EXPECT TO ARRIVE AT CAMPSITE (We really need to be sat down at 7pm on Saturday)
I will be collecting menu information up until Tuesday Evening (14th September).  Please don't send me anything unless you are 100% sure you'll be attending, there's no panic, wait until you are positive[/b]Agenda

Cycle towards Campsite from your respective homes.
Arrive throughout Saturday
Those arriving early can join me on a pleasant afternoon ride for a couple of beers
Those arriving later can choose to follow ride route or stay on campsite (note pub is not open all day)
As soon as pub doors open (6pm) make our way inside for food and drink (see below for info about booking meals)
As soon as pub doors close wobble 50 yards back to our tents
Fall into tents and/or have a few for the road (bring your own)

Sunday morning cooked breakfasts (bring your own food, there should be a few stoves in use I expect)
Finish eating
Say some goodbyes
Start your journey home

Note.  Anyone arriving Friday needs to make their own arrangements with campsite.  If several people are arriving on Friday then I may head up there on Friday as well.

FAQs (Wykepedia ?)
- No Camp Fires
- I'll need to pre-order food the week before so their kitchen stands a chance.  
- Food for large parties is from the BAR FOOD MENU only.  (Let me know by PM if this causes a problem and I can ask for an extra Veggie Option if required).
- You can order Chips as well.  Please specify on PM.
- There is always a much larger selection of food in the Pub/Restaurant but you will need to order that yourself on the day and may face a long wait.
- I'll organise a Saturday lunchtime 'pootle' around the country lanes and country pubs such that we arrive back at opening time at the campsite pub (6pm) for evening nosh
- Pub serves food 12-2pm and 6-9pm (opening 12-2:30pm and 6-11pm)
- Advance meal choice is for evening meal on Saturday.  All other meals are up to you.
- Saturday Lunchtime ride will pass several pubs serving food until 2pm (or later).
- Pub does not serve breakfast.  Camping stoves and own ingredients required.
- Whitchurch Station (8km) & Overton Station (15km) are both regular stops on Waterloo line and offer pleasant rides to the site.  
- Whitchurch is your last opportunity to buy food/snacks if you approach campsite from the east.
- If you are coming from Andover Station you will almost certainly ride past the large Tesco (Very busy, with all the associated bike-theft risks these places afford)

Here is a BIKELY track of the 60km ride we will use.
SATURDAY RIDE STARTS PROMPTLY AT 13:00 at Campsite/Pub gates and should return at 17:30

Many pubs will close between 2:30 & 6pm.  I'll reccy the route nearer the time and get some open/close times of the pubs en-route.

Because of the numbers invloved it makes sense to be back at the Campsite pub when the doors open at 6pm or seats may quickly become limited.
You are never more than an hour away from the campsite so, if you are running late on the ride, just follow signs to Andover.

Despite the large number of pubs en-route there may not be many open during the ride and there is a distinct lack of shopping.  

I'll mark on the route-sheet (nearer the time) where there are village shops and open-all-day pubs.  
Ergo.  Don't arrive at campsite at 2pm absolutely starving
Cost & Payment:
Rather than have 30 or so people turn up at various times, all trying to pay the Publican, I think I'll act as focal-point for 'checking-in' and payment via a class register.  (Hopefully the campsite will go along with this, to be confirmed)

To this end I would appreciate exact money on arrival (or ASAP after arrival) of £6 for single person or £10 for 2 persons sharing a tent.

Please Note.  We are likely to push facilities of pub and campsite to its limits so please understand if Kitchen Staff can't accomodate complex or time-consuming meal requests.  Please cut them some slack, this ain't Gordon Ramsay's (although they may still tell you to "F*** Off !"

Hopefully you understand this is about good company, good cycling, good beer and modest pub food (in more or less, but not necessarily, that order).

Let's hope for decent weather.
Those arriving Friday need to make their own booking and (friday evening) food arrangements.
It appears there will be a nice YACF mini-camping evening on Friday.
Note.  There is a small village shop in nearby St Mary Bourne (Opposite George Inn) should you need provisions  (08:00 - 18:00 Friday, 08:30 - 16:00 Sat)


LEE
Jane
Chillmoister
Francis
Rogerzilla
Andrij - Friday
Timo - Friday
Deano
Clarion
Butterfly
Superstoker
Gillp - Friday
Toekneep - Friday
Andrew_s
John Spooner - Friday
Mercury
Swarm_Catcher
Jaded
Thing1
Thing2
Andrewc
Kim - Friday
Here is a BIKELY track of the 60km ride we will use.
Route Sheet

Note.  It may be wise to use the distance between each route instruction rather than rely on the accumulated distance.
Many Audaxes have taught me that no 2 computers are the same.

OAD = Open All Day

Exit Wyke Down Campsite & Turn Left
500m - Turn Left (sp The Wykes)
1.4km - Left @ T (sp Upper Wyke)
2.1km - Right @ T (sp Upper Wyke)
3.2km - Turn Left @ grass triangle (sp Upper Wyke)
             & Immed straight over X-roads
4.3km - Right @ T
5.1km - PUB (Coronation Arms - OAD)
5.8km - PUB (George Inn - OAD)
6.4km - PUB (Bourne Valley Inn - OAD)
10.4km - Right @ T & Immed Left (sp Longparish)
10.5km - PUB - (Hurstbourne Inn - Open 12-3)
13.2km - PUB - (Cricketers Inn - Open 12:2:30) (village shop)
14.1km - PUB - (Plough Inn - Open 12-4:00)
15.5km - Turn Right (sp Andover A303) over A303
               Note - turn just BEFORE A303
16.0km - Right @T (sp Wherwell)
19.1km - Left @ T (sp Chilbolton)
19.7km - Turn Right (sp Chilbolton)
21.0km - PUB - (Abbots Mitre)
22.1km - Right @ T (sp Andover) (CARE! fast road)
22.3km - PUB - (The Mayfly - OAD but usually V.busy)
23.1km - Turn Left (sp Longstock)
23.2km - Turn Left (sp Longstock)
25.5km - Right @ T @ Grass Triangle (sp The Clatfords)
27.8km - Turn Left @ X-roads (broken sp)
31.5km - Straight On @ X-Roads (with busy A343) (sp Abbots Ann)
32.5km - PUB - (The Eagle)
32.6km - Turn Left (sp Monxton)
34.3km - Straight On @ X-Roads (sp Amport)
34.7km - PUB - (The Amport Inn - OAD, food until 3pm)
   Amport Inn may be "Last Chance Saloon"
35.4km - Turn Right (sp E. Cholderton)
37.1km - PUB - (The White Horse open 12-3pm)
37.5km - PUB - (The George Inn)
38.2km - Turn Right (at Bus Shelter)
38.7km - Right @ T
39.6km - Turn Left (Privet Lane)
40.8km - Straight On @ X-Roads (CARE- Busy)
42.5km - Right @ T (@ grass triangle)
43.2km - PUB - (The Walnut Tree Open 12:2:30)
43.6km - Turn Left & then Immed Left @ T (around field)
45.2km - Left @ T & Immed Turn Right
45.9km - Right @ T (sp Penton Grafton)
               & Immed Turn Left (sp Nutbane)
47.3km - Turn Right @ Unmarked Junction (@ impressive new house)
48.9km -  Right @ T
49.3km - Turn Left (sp Wildhern. very tight U-turn opp. Church)
50.5km - Right @ T
51.9km - Left @ T (PUB - 50m to right - Hare & Hounds open 12-3)
53.3km - Straight On @ X-Roads (A343) (sp Smannell)
               (Note.  Engage low gear before you stop at A343 junction)
55.8km - PUB - (The Oak open 12-3)
               Turn Left at Pub & Immed Turn Right(same tiny junction)
               (Note.This appears straight on as you approach Pub)
               Or turn Left for "Beer Detour" - See below
57.0km - Left @ T (sp St Marybourne)
59.3km - Turn Right (sp Lower Wyke)
60.1km - Turn Right (on left-hand bend) (sp Andover)
61.0km - Right @ T (sp Andover)
61.5km - Finish.  Wyke Down PUB on Right

(38 miles in total) (We pass 17 Country Pubs in all)
Be aware that many of the pubs are only open 12-3pm.  That means the 2nd half of the route could be 'Dry' and the OAD "Amport Inn" (37km) may be the last chance for a beer.
To avoid a dry 2nd half, I will attach a 'wet detour' at 55.8km that takes us back into St Marybourne for a final pint (at the George Inn , on the bridge) before heading back to camp.  The George is a good vantage point and hard to miss.  You should have a thirst at this point.
This route is just about as flat as you can get in mid/north Hampshire.  There are some hills but extremely short and nothing too steep (except a few fairly steep downhills).  Long sections along the Bourne River are dead flat.  Consequently there are no really interesting views, just some quaint villages and quiet country lanes.  I'd be surprised if you were passed by more than 20 cars during the ride.

At 61.5km (38 miles) I'd say it was suitable for almost anyone.


"WET ROUTE" (BEER) Detour

55.8km - PUB - (The Oak open 12-3)
Turn Left around  pub (cycling past Beer Garden/Car Park on your left)
57.9km - Turn R to Upper Wyke
59.9km - Turn Left @ T to St Mary Bourne
60.9km - Turn R @ T
61.2km - PUB - The George Inn (OAD) over small bridge.
Need to leave The George at latest 17:00 to get back to camp in time for shower and so on.
Continue alond road
62.9km - Under Viaduct
63.1km - Turn R @ crossroads
Continue straight ahead until
66.4km - Wyke Down Campsite on right.
Suggestions for your Camping Checklist:

• Tent
• Sleep Mat
• Sleeping Bag
• Toiletries/Wash Bag
• Towel
• Breakfast food
• Stove
• Pan(s)
• Tea/Coffee/Milk
• Change of clothes
• light/headlight
• Cup
• Plate (Paper or plastic plates are best bet)
• Cutlery (grab some plastic knives/forks/spoons from canteen)
• Camping chair/stool (especially those coming by cars)
• Earplugs

A Geograph Tour

start
Swampton
St Mary Bourne
and again
A conspicuous landmark
Hurstbourne Priors
Longparish
and again
up and over the A303
Turn left at 1st picture
and through Chilbolton
The perfectly formed but busy "Mayfly"
Left after the Mayfly to Fullerton
Through the John Lewis (Waitrose) owned "Longstock Park"
You'll want to turn right here
Nice photos, I wonder who took them
Into Abbots Ann (don't miss the sharp left after the "Eagle")
Past 4 Ways cottage in Monxton
Amport (Thatching is still a viable career option around Andover)
Thruxton village
Flowering Wheelbarrows on a council estate? Fyfield
Appleshaw
Hatherden, mind that tight left
Wildhern
The Oak.  Where the drinkers take "The Wet Diversion"
and see this welcome sight

[Charlotte]

Sounds like a fab plan.  Can we light fires there?

[Valiant]

I wanna come!

[Clare]

It might just be me, but that map appears to be of the area around Burton on Trent, which by all rights should have some fine pubs, but is a damn sight further than 50 km from Pompey  .


Anyway we'd be up for a beerancamp event if it were to happen and we were in the country when it did, so provisionally count us in.

 

[Wowbagger]

Sounds like a very good idea. Dates? (Mildenhall is right at the end of August).

Last year's 'Uts weekend was early Aug (8th I think). Would that sort of time be any good?

[Chris S]

If alcohol and men are involved, I may be able to persuade Mrs S onto a bike for this...

I am sooo dead for this post...

[Tim Hall]

I think LEE's googlemap link was borked. It showed a googlemap of my last googlemap page, which would be very handy for me,as it was of my street....

Anyway, try this:http://tinyurl.com/c6lxfm. It's near Andover.

[Hummers]

This sounds a spiffy idea!

Depending on the date, I will be up for this.

H

[Pingu]

Anyway, try this:http://tinyurl.com/c6lxfm.

That's b0rked, too.

[Tim Hall]

Argh!

Sometimes it's qucker to get a map from the shelf, open it, draw a circle on where you want to go, fold it  up, put it in your back pocket and cycle over to whomever wants to see it.

Or paste SP11 6LX into Multimap.

[bikenerd]

I'd be up for that.  It'd be a nice afternoon's ride from Oxford for me! 
I may or may not bring an expensive plastic bag and sleep under a hedge.

[Clare]

Argh!

[Snip]

Or paste SP11 6LX into Multimap.

That worked  .

[LEE]

Map link modified

This should now work

map

No camp fires permitted.  It's a really smallish field really, more of an overnight stop over for Caravans visiting Stonehenge.

It would really be a case of bringing a small stove to cook breakfast on.

So it would be something like:

Ride to Wyke Down on Saturday.  Tents up around 5pm-7pm then retire to pub for plenty food and plenty beer.

Stagger back to tents

Sunday Morning, camping brekky (Pub won't be open for breakfast so bring what you need) then start thinking about pedalling your hangover away (and start remembering that Andover Station is only about 15 minutes ride away).


Pub does a roaring trade on evening meals at the weekend so I'd need to book.

OK, seems like it may fly, so let's start thinking about a date.  I'm thinking mid-late September as a "Thank God my SR/LEL/Season is over now let's just ride for the pleasure of it, meet some friends and get pissed"  event

[Hummers]

When are we talking about then?

End of August is a possibility.

H

[Andrij]

Just under 75 miles from home, taking a rather direct route.  If the date doesn't clash with my Audax schedule then count me as probable.

[Raph]

Superb wiggly 75 mile ride from here to there - across the ridgeway. In principle I'd love to, but as I work most Saturday nights late, esp during the summer, I can only know nearer the time if I can do it. Once you've got a date I'll put it in the diary and if a gig doesn't come in I'll do it...

[LEE]

I'd be up there Saturday morning and, if there are any early arrivals, would be doing a leisurely Saturday "Tour de Andover", a loop around the town via some country lanes and country pubs (another tried and tested formula).

Any Saturday ride would be short (50-60km), easy (avoiding Andover Downs) and rich in pubs.  In short, it may be worth driving to campsite on Friday (or Saturday morning) and bringing a bike & Tent for a Saturday day ride if it's not practical to ride to campsite.

Here's a panorama of Wyke Down site from a previous cycle-camp weekend.  Caravans get hard-standing area and tents are given the grass bits around the edge.  It's all perfectly good enough and 30 yards from the pub.



Here's a photo of the associated (Late September) 2005 Tour de Andover.  It's entirely representative of the area.



Saturday (55km) ride would be:

Campsite - St Marybourne (Pub) - Longparish (Pub) - Wherwell (Pub) - Cottonworth - Fullerton - Abbots Ann (Pub) - Monxton (Pub) - Thruxton (Pub) - Fyfield (Pub) - Appleshaw (Pub) - Clanfield (Pub) - Hatherden (Pub) - Wildhern - Little London (quite significantly smaller than London) - Smannell (Pub) - Campsite.

What I'm tryig to say is "Don't panic if you feel you may need a beer soon"

Note.  Audax minimum speed of 15kmph would be used as a maximum permissible speed on the day, there being no minimum speed.  Cycling past a pub without at least considering going in for a half would be seen as 'poor form', cycling past two would be seen as 'damn poor form' and cycling past three wouldn't be tolerated I'm afraid.

So there you have it.

Option 1 - Get to Wyke Down on Friday or Saturday morning for an easy social ride (i'll be inviting 'non-cycling' work colleagues). 

Option 2 - Cycle your way to Wyke Down all day Saturday for a YACF beer-food-camp-hangover-brekky function then make your way home on Sunday.

Option 3 - Any combination of the above.

[urban_biker]

Sounds good to me. September being easier than August when we are normally deep in the midst of family holiday etc.

Will be very disappointed if you can't arrange weather to be similar to that shown in the photos.

[geraldc]

If we stick a poll in this thread, you can vote to indicate what dates you'd be available for etc, and if votings not private we can see who's available when etc.

[nutkin]

This sounds like a good weekend. Work permitting, I'd be up for this.

[Wascally Weasel]

No fires? 

[LEE]

If we stick a poll in this thread, you can vote to indicate what dates you'd be available for etc, and if votings not private we can see who's available when etc.

How do I do this?

I'd like to keep voting to Sep 12/13 , Sep 19/20 & Sep 26/27

[numbnuts]

I'll come that's just up the road from me

[geraldc]

Just use the post new poll button.

[Regulator]

September is my burfday!  This sounds to me like an excuse I could use to get a pass from Mr R for a weekend of cycling and camping.