The forecast showers were absent at the start of the ride so we set off up Green Lane with a view to calling in to the Hillside garden centre café if conditions deteriorated. As we neared Landscove Callum was feeling a little ill so we called in to the café first and enjoyed excellent cakes while the sun shone outside!

We were heading in the Staverton direction when Michael noticed an interesting footpath heading off to the left. The others agreed it looked fun so we set off on a bit of an adventure to see where it went. The woodland offered some shelter from our first shower of the morning, then after passing a footpath sign located right in the centre of a field and negotiating some nettles on an overgrown section we finally came out on the lane near Sparkwell.

Everyone had enjoyed that, so when we found another track to explore just around the next corner everyone was up for it. Some large puddles in the lower reaches provided a few challenges, then on the climb while taking shelter from a heavy shower under an ancient tree we noticed the hedgerow was riddled with animal burrows of all sizes.

When we finally emerged near Kingston Callum had a puncture, but now the sun was out so fixing it was no great hardship. We soon found our bearings, descended to Staverton and then returned via Hole Farm and Caddaford.