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Still with us as we enter Tuesday 14th June and Day 04 of the
Tour....
Day #4 - Wells-next-the-Sea to Chelmsford (655m):
We leave the coast behind and head South to the old Saxon town
of Fakenham. Nearly as exciting as the Pencil Museum we ignored
on Day 1 in Keswick is the Gas Museum. There's the nearby Penthorpe
Waterfowl Park which may be more interesting.
Continuing south, on the B1147 and the A1075 ,
Theford is the next place to scoot around, more picture opportunites
are to be found at Weeting on the Western edges of Thetford Forest.
For those into military aircraft both Lakenheath and Mildenhall
can be paused at on the way into Ely which, 85 miles into the
day can provide a lunch time stop.
Exiting Ely we start to make our way toward Chelmsford, via Newmarket
(chest check race days) and Sudbury... heading rather eastward
to take in recomended places such as Clare and Constable's birth
place of East Bergholt. The cottage depicted in 'The Hay Wain'
still stands and after moaning about museums of gas and pencil's
I may as well state that The Hay Wain is
one of the most hated pictures amongst in my limited knowledge
of paintings... too many bad prints I guess!
From here we'll be pretty direct as the day see a higher the
average mileage and look to decamp around Chelmsford... famous
for the TV comedy Chelmsford 123! As we strive to avoid Green
King ale the tour would now have clocked 655 miles - 175 of them
today.
Day #5 - Chelmsford to Haywards Heath (810m):
Once again the early part of today's drive will see motorway miles
- not many but it will see the shelling out of more golden nuggets
in the payment of road tolls - this time its making use of the
QEII bridge... toll was only in place until the bridge was paid
for then? Once we've battled around the Eastern side of Greater
London the M2 will be another M-way to be experienced where the
baton will head to Maidstone or Sittingbourne if the earlier M25
wasn't too bad.
What we're really yearning for is to get back to some touring
roads - and these we
find in the B2163 and A274 as Biddendenblips onto the radar. Taking
a winding A262 with a detour toward Scotney Castle - garden lovers
may want to spend some time here; with 100miles done today, a
stop may be in order if a recuperating rest has not already been
taken in.
Heading Northward the A228 is eventually found as is Hop Farm
Country Park, with Hop in the title I hope it's worth visiting...
I guess it will have nothing whatsoever to do with the brewing
trade though.
We can then carry on up to Sevenoaks and skirt the dreaded M25
car park. Whilst in the area it'd be a shame if a trip up the
A225 was not taken to visit the village of Eynsford (pic); if
I'm on the tour at this point I may chicken out of the Ford crossing!
Eventually we turn South again and look toward an overnight stop
at Haywards Heath, the Botanical Gardens at Wakehurst Place could
be worth a look in as we pass near by. All told the day racks
up another 155miles.
Day #6 - Haywards Heath to Southampton (905m):
A nice easy Thursday is in store as the baton heads east along
the south coast. The
relatively short distance will give plenty of opportunity to mooch
around the many coastal towns. As we get near Portsmouth there's
the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, but having paid a toll at Queen
Elizabeth II bridge I'd be loath to spend more to see a park!
Diverting some petrol coupons to visit the Butser Ancient Farm
may be more rewarding - founded while the TR7 was in the latter
design stages (1972) the farm is a replica  of
an Iron Age establishment circa 300BC... and like the TR7 the
farm also moved homes - though not as frequently - having moved
to its present site in 1991.
Not far from the Ancient Farm is the Cricket Monument; which
has been marking the original home of Hambledon Cricket Club (formed
1750) since 1908. Apparently Hambledon is known as the "cradle
of cricket"... quite apt as cricket often sends me to sleep.
Fort Nelson is also in close proximity, and again another attraction
that will appeal to some before we strike out toward Southampton.
And we'll be taking the indirect route of the B2177, past the
zoo and through Bishops Waltham before stopping for the day having
covered less than 100miles... detours not withstanding.
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