One of the places on the list of cafés not open Mondays is the Crazy Bear Farm Shop at Stadhampton. Conveniently this is just off the route of the Tour des Clumps, a favourite ride from Mondays. It has the distinction of being one of flattest 30 mile rides one can do from Goring. This makes it a good choice for springtime, when you feel like you ought to go further but don’t have the legs to go steeper.

This was the winter version of the tour route, taking the pavement cycle path along the busy A415 from Clifton Hampden to Dorchester, rather than using the bridleway across the fields from Day’s Lock. The Wittenham Clumps themselves are visible on the right much of the time when tackling the route clockwise, giving an encouraging feeling of accomplishment as you look across from the higher ground between Ewelme and Ipsden on the home stretch.

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