Keir and Joe were not especially fast on the climb from Ashburton to Halshanger cross, so we decided against our original plan of visiting Haytor. Diverting to Cold East Cross we paused at the picturesque stone bridge over the river Ashburn so that the youngsters could amuse themselves with sticks in the water. The journey from Cold East Cross to Pudsham Down proved just as wintry as the name suggests, with bitter winds and a sudden shower that left us relieved to reach the shelter of the track to Buckland.

The remainder of the ride was just perfect, however, with bright sunshine lighting our way past Spitchwick to New Bridge, where refreshments were definitely the order of the day. Michael and Oliver even got a discount on their soup! Another excellent winter ride concluded with the descent of Hembury Woods' Slalom track and an afternoon social at Crofters.