Riding Aroung the Weald (conclusion)

The skies darkened as I reached Goudhurst. The town had a fairly attractive church. I wanted to linger, but the ominous clouds forced me to make haste.

(Above: An interesting church in Goudhurst)

I rode the long descent into Kilndown, where the rain finally caught me. It started coming down in sheets. The air temperature was mild, so I quite enjoyed the sensation and the cleansing feeling of riding through the rain. Until I reached busy A262, that is. Riding an A road is rarely ever enjoyable; riding a narrow-shouldered A road in the pouring rain with nervous cars whizzing by you was downright unpleasant (and perhaps dangerously stupid). With extreme difficulty, I managed to cross the A262 and turned off on to a minor road that took me to the eastern end of Bowl Lake. At this point it started raining even harder, soaking me all the way through. But 10 minutes later, as I was riding the rough roads towards the southern edge of the lake, the rain suddenly stopped.

(Above and Below: Rain wets the road in and around Kilndown)

I reached Wadhurst after a fast 2.5 miles on the flattish B2099. Just north of Wadhurst is another intricate network of quiet woodsy lanes, although I was very much struck by how joyless the area looked with the brooding sky up above, wet pavement down below, and dripping leaves all around me. Soon I found myself back on the same section of the B2169 I had ridden first thing this morning. I reached the Tunbridge Wells station very shortly after that.

(Above: The quiet lanes between Wadhurst and Tunbridge Wells)

Postscript: I was pretty much dry by the time the train pulled up at Charing Cross. The mid-afternoon sun was shining, albeit half-heartedly. The skies opened up and I was doused yet again just as I got to Camden Town on my way home. This time, the raindrops felt bigger and sharper, and stung my face. As I rode over the last hump before my flat the sun came out again and shone for the rest of the afternoon (English weather, sigh...).