first Saturday sociable cycle ride of 2018

[Sally Eva]

This is the first Healthy Ride of the New Year on Saturday January 6th 2018. Be sure to be on this ride as part of your New Year resolution to cycle as much as possible and get really healthy!

It starts at 10am from Dulwich Park Cafe and keeps going up from there. There will be a stop for the views from Dawsons Hill where riders will see a wide panorama of central and west London. Next a quiet streets section ending at Greendale and through to the Dulwich Hamlets football ground. This club was founded in 1893 and was successful in FA amateur contests in the 30s and 50s. Now a semi-pro outfit in the Isthmian League.

On up to the Dog Kennel Hill Open Space - actually a small piece of woodland - and along some narrow paths, then quiet roads back to Greendale. the group will continue to Dulwich Village and straight on past the Dulwich Picture Gallery and Dulwich College to the Toll Gate. The toll gate is on College Road which is owned by the Dulwich Estates who charge cars ?1.20 per journey, although motorcycles and pedal cycles go free. This is the last toll road in London.

From College Rd across to Kingsdown House. Built in 1871, its most famous resident was John Johnston, the inventor of Bovril. Johnston added the castellations leading the locals to rename the building Bovril Castle. It was taken over the LCC in 1956 and is now owned by Southwark Council who use it as Library amongst other things. Final leg of the ride will be to Herne Hill Velodrome via Bel Air Park.

Billed as "An easy 2 hour ride" it covers 15km or 9 miles. First ridden last July so the weather won't be so good. The route map is here: