Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004
From: "Roger Stocker"
Subject: Ride Report of Waterlink Way 11/12/07

A bright clear morning saw 3 if us meet in Greenwich last Saturday
morning before setting of down the Waterlink Way to get to Forest Hill
station for the trip to Gatwick. A fourth person joined us joined us at
the station enabling us to get the 4 tickets for the price of two -
£4.05 each return (just in case of any bike problems – only 10p dearer
than the single).  

Gatwick was clouded in fog and once we had found the
lift to the cycle route we were on our way – much colder but hints of
the sun trying to burn of the mist. Signage is quite good but as always
a group of cyclists together always gets attention – especially when one
is on a recumbent. Just after the Salfords saw our first contact with
the locals – a very ‘friendly’ farmer who was shouting at us for being
on private property – despite 3 times asking him where we went wrong he
kept shouting that we ignored the private property sign – eventually he
let us know where we went wrong – we expect he had taken a sign down ,
still we were on our way. Met up with 2 of the local Sustrans Rangers
(prearranged) just before going under the M25, they had just ridden down
the big hill and had to turn around to make their way back up. It’s an
interesting route seemingly linking up as many bridleways and byways as
possible, some of the paths would be difficult when its muddy especially
the sections climbing up over the downs. 

Surrey County Council seem to
think that cyclist need a challenge to see the signage and they make the
bridleway and cycle signs look almost identical unless you are about 6
inches away – the ranger put up the NCN stickers and the council takes
then down. Our lunch stop was the  pub  in Fickleshole , good country
pub with a extensive menu. One last country section before hitting the
streetlights of New Addington and surburbia. The Waterlink Way then
snakes its way through the a sea of detached houses downhill all the way
to the Croydon Arena, before you know it, via footpaths through parks
and beside rivers you are going under the South Circular at Catford, was
it really over seven hours earlier we were here?

Thanks to all that rode, following the signed route can be somewhat of a
challenge in places but the varied countryside and scenic views make it
well worth while. Thanks to Sustrans for making it possible, it should
not be a great surprise that the NCN won the best lottery funded project
having the greatest impact on UK life. And remember most of this is made
possible by the voluntary Sustrans Rangers that look after the many NCN
route throughout the UK – if you want to know more about being a ranger
let me know. We will be repeating this ride in May/June 2005.


Roger