Hidden North West London
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January 2010

A massive 33 cyclists met on a very cold but bright Sunday morning at Ealing. We had riders from ECC, Hawog, Spokes & Twickenham Cyclists. Steve N kindly volunteered to act as back marker and did a fine job at keeping the peloton together.

Our route was a mixture of quiet back roads, cycle paths & riverside & canal paths. After viewing the site of the Guinness Brewery we found the hidden entrance to Twyford Abbey, a neglected 18th century Neo Gothic palace glimpsed through the fencing, incongruous amidst new housing developments. We took the canal through Park Royal before deciding to stop for a warming coffee break at the famous Ace Cafe. We took over 1 section of it (surrounded by bikers) and viewed the many photos inside from its glory days in the 1950s. We then continued through the Brent river parklands to find ourselves at the Neasden Mandir Hindu temple, a masterpiece of marble carvings and sculptures. We managed to get a free guided tour from a friendly guide who explained some of the symbolism of the art works. We then headed north to reach Wembley stadium via its hidden riverside approach. We took in the famous arch before continuing the route North West before heading south to Greenford Green and the Black horse pub.

We enjoyed a late lunch in the pub and were joined by a few cyclists who had not made the start time.