Never Far from Maidenhead - 58 km

Starting from Maidenhead Station by the Shoppenhangers Road exit

Leaving Maidenhead station by the Shoppenhangers Road exit, the route crosses the dual carriageway at traffic lights to take the signposted NCN 4 route past the shopping centre to continue along Stafferton Way.

Direction sign for NCN4 on crooked post — Yes, the post is at that angle!

Maidenhead to Foxes’ Den Community Cafe at Binfield (20 km)

After passing Absolute Karting at a mini roundabout, it’s a right turn to Bray Road at a second roundabout. The route continues through Bray village, bearing left into Ferry Road and continuing on the NCN4 to Old Mill Lane which crosses the M4 and becomes Monkey Island Lane. It was along here that I had to negotiate my way around a horsebox. Two men were coaxing two large horses towards the gate while a woman with a nasal cannula sat in a wheelchair watching them. I asked her if the horses were usually to be found in the field. She replied that they were her horses and that they were being moved for her; when I asked somewhat naively what sort of horses they were, she told me that they were “driving horses” and explained that they were used for pulling a coach. I thanked her, wished her well and continued on my way, pleased that I was on a shortish ride and had time to stop and speak with people.

Towards the end of Monkey Island Road, just before it meets the Windsor Road I came upon the Storytelling Bus parked in the grounds of a house.

I had a short wait by temporary traffic lights to turn right on to Windsor Road and then immediately left into Fifield Road; this was the scene of the first of several sets of roadworks for pipe laying.

The route turns right by Old Lodge Farm into Coningsby Lane to wind its way past potholes to a right turn onto Forest Green Road. It’s about 2 km along this B road to a left turn onto the A330. Although it was a weekday morning, there was little traffic on both roads.

The route continues on the A330 for about 900m before the right turn at Touchen-End into Paley Street. It was just before this turn that I met the second set of pipe laying works with 3 way traffic lights.

On the left in Paley Street is the Bridge House pub, described in one post on Tripadvisor as “A Friend to Cyclists indeed” by one cyclist who found himself in need of “an emergency comfort break”. A little further on is the Royal Oak which is no more. The Ukraine war continues to devastate Ukraine but has also been a major factor in reshaping hospitality in this country.

Shortly after the Royal Oak the route turns left into Howe Lane and crosses the Drift Road at a roundabout; it’s soon a left turn to Westley Mill, if only to leave what can be quite a fast road.

As Westley Mill meets Howe Lane, the route turns left along Bottle Lane to a right turn into Ryehurst Lane. After a very quiet and almost traffic free 2km, it’s a right turn into Stubbs Hill to pass Binfield Cemetery. On the day of my ride, the road surface was still wet with some standing water here.

Stubbs Lane soon merges on to Church Lane for a left turn by All Saints Church, Binfield.

It was in the grounds of this church that I waited last year to be rescued after the chain on an older bike became completely jammed between the Ultegra crankset and the frame, necessitating a call to ETA with whom I have had bike rescue insurance for some years. When I first became a member, they used to send someone more accustomed to car repairs; they now send a taxi, which in this case took me to Twyford station for a train back towards London.

Although I had ridden on many roads in this area, I had never turned left at the church to ride along Terrace Road North into Binfield; this was the first of several roads I explored for the first time on this ride. In Binfield the route turns right at a roundabout into Forest Road, then left at another roundabout into Benetfield Road to pass the primary school and turn into Foxley Fields for the Foxes’ Den Community cafe. This cafe is great because it has two Sheffield stands for cycles and scooters that are just outside the entrance and clearly visible from inside.

In my review of the cafe I praised the staff for their kindness towards an elderly woman who needed particular help and care; I also wrote that my coffee - Americano with reduced water - was exactly as I had requested. I “dropped a real clanger” by stating that my muffin was “factory made” but entirely acceptable. I was corrected: the cafe uses two bakers. I also mentioned the community jigsaw shown in the gallery above: anyone can “have a go”.

Binfield to Velolife Cafe at Warren Row at 44 km

Mojnks Alley becomes packed earth — Monks Alley becomes packed earth

From the cafe it was back to the roundabout and straight across into Wick’s Green which is a small lane and then shortly left into Monks Alley. I had never ridden along Wick’s Green or Monks Alley and was relying on maps. If I had used Google Street View I would have found that about two thirds of the way along, the surface becomes packed earth: easy to ride along but a route I would avoid after heavy rain.

Billingbear Farm with CND poster in the window

Monks Alley meets Green Lane for a left turn to Forest Road, where it’s a right turn and a short ride to a roundabout for a right turn onto Maidenhead Road. To continue on Maidenhead road, the route turns right just before a left hand bend: care needed! Maidenhead Road becomes Carters Hill; it’s then a left turn into Billingbear Lane, another road I had not ridden previously. I stopped just after Billingbear Farm to take a photo of the farm sign and a faded CND poster in the window.

The route turns left on to the B3018 which is Church Lane, then Twyford Road and finally Binfield Road, still the B3108, until it makes a right turn (effectively straight ahead) onto The Street. After the former Primitive Methodist Chapel and pond at Shurlock Row the route turns left, then shortly right into Brook Lane. At School Road, the route takes a left turn into Bailey’s Lane, then a right turn along Plough Lane before rejoining School Lane.

These frequent turns are really helpful on a breezy day: as a rider you are not left slogging away into a headwind for long before the route turns.

School Road meets the Waltham Road B3024 to turn right and pass a bench on the left and the Driven Car Collection showroom on the right. Just after a sign warning HGV drivers to ignore their SatNav, the route turns left into Halls Lane to pass Waltham St Lawrence Parish Church (with the Bell pub on the right) into Milley Road. After about 3 km this joins the A4 Bath Road to turn left and almost immediately right along Tag Lane for a left turn into Blakes Road. After about 1.5 km the route turns right along Crazies Hill, turning left in the village on to Hatchgate Lane for a sharp right turn by an Audax hotel (aka bus shelter) to take Culham Lane and Warren Row Road to the second possible refreshment stop at the Velolife Cafe and Workshop at Warren Row.

Personally I was very pleased when they won their battle to continue to cater for groups of cyclists. I can vouch for the quality of the coffee and cake but I have huge reservations about “racking” my bike by its saddle without the facility to use a good quality bike lock. For me, it’s a place to visit when riding with a friend; one of us can look after the bikes while the other gets the coffee and cake. I'm sure that Velolife would say that no one has had their bike stolen; I am only too aware of being on rides where someone has had to call for a lift home or walk.

Velolife Back to Maidenhead

From Velolife it’s a short ride to the A4 to turn left and shortly right along Bottle Lane to Waltham Road. If time is short, a left turn here will cut out the next loop. The route turns right to pass the cricket ground on the right and the Beehive Pub which has a sign welcoming cyclists. Where the Waltham Road meets Broadmoor Lane it’s a left turn into Smewins Road, followed by another left turn into Kiln Hill to meet Broadmoor Lane again for a right turn. As Broadmoor Lane bends to the right, the route takes a left turn into Church Lane. After passing Waltham Place the road drops downhill towards St Mary’s Church. I had intended to take a photo of the church but could not find a safe spot to stop on the hill; I did, however, find the stocks and whipping post by the church.

Stocks and Whipping Post by St Mary's Church — Stocks and Whipping Post by St Mary’s Church, White Waltham

This is described on British Listed Buildings:

“Stocks and whipping post. Originally late C15, rebuilt 1979. Wooden stocks for 2 offenders, with metal arm holders on whipping post with padlock and chain. Covered by C20 wide gable
plank roof on 2 oak posts braced to wall plate. Enclosed by railings with spiked bars
and small padlocked gate in north corner. A complete example. The stocks were rebuilt
in 1979 following vandalism.”

The route now joins Waltham Road to turn right for the last 6 km to Maidenhead station. At a roundabout by shops the route turns right along Woodlands Park Road. Just before a roundabout, it’s a right turn into Ockwells Road. In very wet weather it may be preferable to continue to the roundabout and take the second exit on to Shoppenhangers Road.

Ockwells Road has very little traffic because it ends just after Ockwells Park. On the right, just before the park, I spotted a tank sitting by a path in a field; I had seen this on a recent ride.

In the interests of research for this post I rode into Ockwells Park car park and visited the toilets. One was out of use, the other was grim. The cubicle was large enough to accommodate the bike as well as the rider, so no chance of having the bike stolen while using the facilities.

Back onto Ockwells Road; it ends at a footbridge where a sign requires cyclists to dismount. The bridge spans the A404(M) and leads to Kimbers Lane and a left turn to climb Spring Hill into Manor Lane. Kimbers Lane and Spring Hill can be muddy after rain: hence the advice to continue along Shoppenhangers Road in preference to Ockwells Road.

After passing the Holiday Inn in Manor Lane the route meets Shoppenhangers Lane for the final 1 km, mainly downhill to Maidenhead station.

The Route

Route map for Never Far From Maidenhead on plotaroute.com

Refreshments

Foxes’ Den Community Cafe at Binfield

8am to 5pm weekdays, 10am to 4pm weekends

Two Sheffield stands outside the front door

Velolife Cafe and Workshop at Warren Row

10.00 to 4.00 pm weekdays

9.00 to 4.00 pm weekends

Breakdown Insurance for Cyclists

ETA - eta.co.uk

£24 per annum (as at Feb 23)

– 24-hour recovery service
– Recovery to a repair shop, railway station or home
– Assistance if your bicycle is vandalised and unusable
– Cover in the rest of Europe for 90 days per year