sociable cycle ride Sat August 10th 10am start

[Sally Eva]

This easy-paced, two-hour ride starts and finishes at Canada Water Library (Deal Porter Square, opposite Canada Water Station, SE16 7AR). It's easily accessible from East Dulwich. Walk-on access for bikes at ED station, cross the platform at Peckham Rye and take the overground to Canada Water which has excellent large lifts. The overground is beset by works on the line but right now it looks to be working on the bit in question.

This is a ride to 41 Cloth Street, the oldest house in the City. It's hidden down a small street in Farringdon where it was built between 1597 and 1614. It is the only house in the City of London to have survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. The reason it escaped the brunt of the fire is that it was enclosed within a large set of priory walls. The surviving building was originally part of a larger scheme of eleven houses featuring a courtyard in the middle, known as "The Square in Launders Green".

A set of leaded windows within the property bears the signatures (etched with a diamond pen) of famous visitors including Sir Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother. There will be stops at several other historic locations en route including St Dunstans of the East and St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield. More detail here: https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/events/rotherhithe-healthy-ride-oldest-house-in-the-city/. The route is here: https://www.mapmyride.com/workout/2252218598

Reminder that on Saturday 17th August there will be the Healthy Rides Picnic in Greenwich Park. Last year it was amazing fun and more than 60 cyclists turned up (many of them quite small). A report of last year's ride is here: https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/events/healthy-rides-picnic-ride-to-thames-barrier/ to give you the idea.

These rides are organised by Bruce Lynn and friends on behalf of Southwark Cyclists. We are the borough branch of the London Cyclist Campaign. Our website is here https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk, and you can contact us on [email protected] or tweet @southwarkcycle, or text me on 07842 640 207 and I will try to help.