Wheelers Rides
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Darwin's Ride
4 May 2009
 15 riders turned up at the Green Bridge for our ride to Darwin's house at Downe, Kent. Steady progress was made from Mile End down to Island Gardens where a further 6 joined the fun - mostly the IoD based committee members who were too lazy to cycle 3 miles in the wrong direction first. The foot tunnel steps were tackled without too much trouble and we set off following the Waterlink Way (aka NCN route 21) via Deptford, Lewisham, Ladywell, and Catford as far as South Norwood country park.
Although the Waterlink Way is a pleasant way to escape London, it is fairly tortuous and more importantly for Wheelers devoid of any obvious cafe stops. South Norwood Park is the sort of place that surely should have somewhere to get coffee but the building there is always closed up whenever we go through, not even any toilets! So we contented ourselves with cyclist borne snacks and water and carried on, leaving the NCN route somewhere in the Croydon suburbs to emerge near Hayes.
At this point London just stops and then country lanes start. A puncture around here caused a small group to stop, whilst the main party pushed on towards Downe and at last a chance for food and drink. The two groups were reunited before we reached the village, somewhat choked with cars no doubt due to the Darwin bicentennial effect. At the house the English heritage staff were extremely helpful about cycle parking as we rather overflowed their provision of 4 Sheffield stands. In time honoured fashion everyone then went for lunch!
After our visit (highly recommended) several people left the group to return to London either by a direct cycling route or by train leaving 13 to continue on for the more challenging riding of the day. We encountered a vicious 1 in not very much just outside Cudham which I think had everyone walking, and then a few lesser delights as we cycled on through Knockholt and Halstead, finally emerging outside the M25 on a glorious swoop down to the wonderfully named Timberden Bottom. We then joined the Darenth Valley for the leg back towards Dartford, but a tea stop at Lullingstone Park visitor centre just couldn't be missed.
 Suitably refreshed we set off to take a peek at Lullingstone Castle, and then to Eynsford of the ford fame. Although the water level was lower than our previous visit in January, it still looked too high to me, but two brave riders cycled through, suffering nothing worse than wet socks. The moment was of course captured on camera.
From there to Dartford was relatively uneventful. We stopped at the Horton Kirby sign for a special photo - requested by Gerry who has some family/cycling connection with this village. We had considered cycling all the way back to London, but it was quite late by the time we got to Dartford so we all returned by train to the station of our choice - London Bridge, Woolwich or Blackheath. The Blackheath team then couldn't quite resist the temptation to stop at a pub in Greenwich so were probably the latest home.
Thanks to everyone for their company.
Caroline
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