26th June 2021 - Ashley, Cheveley, Saxon Street and Woodditton

 Introduction

A fine Saturday, we set off on one our favourite rides up to Dullingham and added a loop to Ashley (109th) taking in Cheveley (110th), Saxon Street (111th, actually a hamlet not a village) and Woodditton (112th) before coming back to Six Mile Bottom down one of our favourite downhills.  

We ate sandwiches in Ashley and had beer at the first pub we found open on Saturday lunchtime - The Three Blackbirds at Woodditton. We have cycled through Woodditton before. 68 km (42 miles).

Ashley

Metal sign. Tree, bell in tower, ruined church. Knights Hospitaller crest and two white stars.

Cheveley

Single sided. King Canute (?) and bell above. Church, war memorial, cricket and horses.

Saxon Street

A hamlet not on my original list of villages in Cambridgeshire.

 Single sided. A pheasant with a small building on top.

Woodditton

Seems to include Little Ditton and Ditton Green. Not a typical village sign - no name of village.

Information from the designer at https://www.woodditton.org.uk/general-information.html is as follows: 

"It was to commemorate the millennium and has a number of elements meant to show the history of Wood Ditton, and placing it in time and space.

The wheels come from an old horse drawn seed drill, demonstrating the farming heritage, and how the horse was relied on for everyday work in the past, and not just for racing.

The metal rings were facsimiles of the iron ‘tyres’ from the rims of the wheels which would have been made at the local forge.

The weather vane shows two men and a crosscut saw, evoking the old foresters who would have worked in the woods that surrounded the village and marked the end of the Devils Ditch.

At the top is an Armillary, each day marking the passage of time, reminding people of the millennium year the sculpture was commissioned.

And in the centre is a golden globe signifying the sun, surrounded by the orbiting planets, and which again tries to elicit thoughts of our never ending movement through time and space.

Well, that was the idea anyway!"

112 signs so far in 36 rides. Our Eddington number since 2018 has gone up to 31. 

23rd June 2021 - Litlington, Steeple Morden, Ashwell (Hertfordshire) and Guilden Morden

 Introduction

A fine day with no wind and a full day's ride. We cycled SE over Chapel Hill to Bassingbourn. We went to Abington Pigotts which does not have a sign then on to Litlington (105th) and Stepple Morden (106th). We went into Hertfordshire for Ashwell (107th and at 27km from home the furthest away) for lunch but the pubs on the main street were shut. We cycled back into Cambridgeshire to Guilden Morden (108th) before checking that hamlets Shinghay and Wendy did not have signs. We returned via Croyden, Arrington, Wimpole Hall, Orwell and Foxton - a figure of eight. 83km (52 miles) our longest ride for some time and probably our longest ride from Cambridge.

Abington Pigotts

No village sign  - just a road sign to show we came this way

Litlington

SIngle sided Church with oak leaves, acorn and wheat above. Roman soldier, old fashioned football, 19th century prison building, Horse ploughing, Mustangs from the USAAF in WWII stationed nearby at Steeple Morden. 

Plaque on post "Unveiled on 5/7/01 to commemorate the millenium with funds donated by the 255th Fighter Group USAAF and Litlington millenium trust fund committee"

Steeple Morden

Double sided - same on both sides. Mustang from USAAF in WWII. RAF Wellington (?) flying over church. Horse ploughin, pheasant, pig, wheat, old car, pick and shovel.

Ashwell (Hertfordshire)

Single sided - on Swan Street near the church not on the main street. "Erected in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of H M Queen Elizabeth II"

Guilden Morden

Double sided - flowers and leaves at the top. Farmer with horse plough in front of church. Woman with bucket and village pump. Man with wheelbarrow and pick and shovel. 3 barrels, crown and ER.VII (Edward VII ?)

Double sided - flowers and leaves at the top. Farmer sything wheat in front of a large building. Blacksmith shoeing horse, windmill, 3 barrels, crown and ER.VII (Edward VII ?)

Shingay and Wendy (Shingay cum Wendy).

Hamlets with no village sign - road signs to show we went here:

108 village signs in 35 rides so far. 

 

5th June 2021 - Little Thetford and Stretham

 Introduction

A fine warm sunny day with no wind - our first ride in shorts. We cycled via Horningsea to Waterbeach for a visit and then via Cottenham and Wilburton to Little Thetford for sign number 103. We back tracked and met the A10 about 0.75km north of Stretham. Apart from the difficulty of crossing the road - there was a continuous stream of vehicles going south - where are they all going? riding a tight line on a wide straightish  A road was fine. The 104th sign in Stretham was on the T junction with the A1123 to Wicken which we used to head east crossing the Great Ouse, the Cambridge-Ely railway and the Cam before turning down to Upware for lunch and then home a total of 69km (43 miles).  

Little Thetford

Single sided. Church, modern tractor ploughing, school and children, round house and river ferry scene with medieval traveller.

Stretham

Metal sign - church, steam engine, steam engine building and windmill. 

104 signs in 34 rides. Stretham was the last sign within 16km from my home. The furthest village on my list that we have not yet visited is  Papworth St Agnes which is 18.8km away.