Goring Gap Cycling

Good to get out into the Berkshire countryside and stretch our legs, even on a dreary day in February. Great coffee stop @bucklebury.farm and an obligatory photo stop at the ford afterwards
#gromils
#goringgapcycling
#Westberkshire

1
This notorious stretch of road between Ipsden and Ewelme was reported on Fix My Street (and not for the first time) in early November.

2
In an email to local councillor Ben Higgins, Oxfordshire CC wrote:
During an inspection on 21 November, several 28-day defects were identified and raised by the Inspector. These defects are scheduled for completion around 17 December. Additionally, a few 24-hour defects were also noted and updated in the report by my colleague.

Here is the latest update from the report:

“Thank you for your report. Following a recent site inspection, we have arranged for the repairs to those potholes identified at intervention level to be completed within either 24 hours or 28 days, depending on their size and other factors. Unfortunately, due to heavy rainfall, we have identified areas of the carriageway with surface water present. The level of the carriageway in relation to the adjacent verges has resulted in issues with surface water runoff.”

3
It didn’t happen, in either 24 hours or 28 days, and now the report has been closed. The same stretch of road was reported again by someone on 15 January.

In fact the 250 m of lane south of Blenheim Farmhouse has been reported 40 times, but it’s still as bad as ever.

Fix My Street (FMS) currently says “This issue has been passed onto the relevant team for investigation.” We’ve seen that before – like 40 times

4
OK, a lot of the time since 21 November parts of the lane have been under water, making it hard to find the potholes, never mind fix them. But it has not been raining every day, as the rain graph shows.

5
Filling in potholes once the lane has dried out only for them to grow again may be good for the profits of the County Council’s contractor, but it is not good for the road users or the taxpayers.

This is not rocket science
1 Fix the drainage
2 Resurface the road properly

#goringgapcycling
#roadmaintenance
#Oxfordshire

👩‍🦼🐶Approaching that bane of all Soxon cyclists, the Ipsden Dip, I came across this chap and his best friend.  

⚠️Imagine if he’d been a bit further on round the bend and I’d been going faster than I should. 

#gromils
#goringgapcycling
#Chilterns

😊 Great to get out for a ride after being imprisoned by cold and ice since the week before Christmas. Everyone raring to go, just like farm animals when they’re first let out to pasture for the first time. Never mind the state of the roads (for now) or the likelihood that winter will return soon.

☕️🍰 Where better to stop in winter than @stokerowstore? Friendly, cosy and downhill nearly all the way home.

❄️Winter won’t last for ever. Meanwhile, enjoy the snowdrops.

#gromils
#goringgapcycling
#Chilterns

😊
Great to see the impact a short permissive path can make on the lives of local people when there’s an enlightened landowner.

👩‍🦼🛴🏃‍♀️🚶‍♂️**
This unobtrusive path along the edge of an arable field provides a useful traffic-free link between Cholsey village and the housing development at Fairmile. Ideal for mobility scooters, joggers and baby buggies as well as walkers. No cycles out today, as the temperature was about 2C

📷
No special posing – these pictures were all taken within 5 minutes. Build it and they will come!
(**Why is there no emoji for baby buggy/stroller? Big Tech ignoring the powerless?)

#ActiveTravel
#LivingStreets
#Oxfordshire

❄️ The days may be getting longer already, but it’s too cold for safe cycling, so what do you do? A gentle walk through the Great Chalk Wood to commune with nature and celebrate the festive season with the animals(?), so as to be able to appreciate the cosiness of @vivs_cafes_ Village Cafe (and appreciate the company of course).

#gromils

#goringgapcycling

#Chilterns

☕️🍰
Where better to go for our last ride before Christmas than the wonderful @the.maker.space in Nuffield, having done a couple of hills to get an appetite?.
Already pleasantly full when we got there, but Kay and John were happy to Maker Space for us upstairs.
Always a pleasure to visit. Merry Christmas all
🌲🎅🎁

#gromils
#goringgapcycling
#Chilterns

What do you think? 

🤔 How can the historic town of Wallingford be made better for walking and cycling?

👥 Oxfordshire County Council wants your views on the Wallingford Area Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. 

📆 The consultation is open for comments until 7 January 2026.

📸 Scan the QR code on slide 2, or follow the link on the Active Travel page of the GoringGapCycling.co.uk website. 

#wallingford 
#Oxfordshire
#ActiveTravel

🌳Just because “quiet” country lanes do not have the same volumes of vehicle traffic as major roads is not a reason why they should not be maintained properly. Cyclists will choose them in preference to major roads for safety reasons. They are also essential for those who happen to live along them.

🕳 The size of an individual pothole should not be the sole factor determining whether a stretch of road gets fixed. It’s the combination of patchwork repairs, poor drainage, mud and grit that makes it hazardous to pedestrians and cyclists.

These video clips were all taken the day BEFORE the heavy rain of Storm Claudia.
🚴‍♂️The cyclist said “It’s not really much of a road, is it?”
👼 The woman with a baby in a stroller said “I live near here, so I have to use it”.
🚘The guys in the car just smiled and waved.
👎You can hear what I thought of it.

🤔 What do you think? Do we need a Mess of the Month competition, with as many different users as possible posting the winner on Fix My Street? Any other ideas, or candidates?

#goringgapcycling
#Chilterns
#wearecyclinguk
#ActiveTravel
#FixMyStreet
#roadmaintenance
#Oxfordshire
@ctc_wallingford