The best cycling routes around Highmoor

The given name John has been widespread since biblical times, so it should come as no surprise that over the two millennia of Christianity, a whole series of blessed and saints bear this name. At the threshold of the Old and New Testaments, we encounter John the Baptist, to whom the vast majority of churches dedicated to John are devoted. But one of the four men who wrote the New Testament Gospels also bears this name. This church in Stoke Row is dedicated to him, Saint John the Evangelist. "The Gospel of John exerts a peculiar fascination. It is difficult to escape its solemn, sometimes mystical language. It speaks to deep human needs and longings: hunger and thirst, the search for a fulfilled eternal life, the yearning for personal communion with God." (Franz-Josef Ortkemper)

Coffee & Cake Sandwiches & Deli open Monday-Saturday 9-4

Very accessible well in kidmore end. Low fitness required to get here

This Church is very accessible from many roads leading to Kidmore end, leaving endless route possibilities

Christchurch Bridge is one of those post-2010 structures that still looks vaguely futuristic if you squint through the drizzle, all brushed metal and angled cables, stretched over the Thames like someone thought Reading needed a statement piece on a budget. Built in 2015 to connect the town centre with the north bank, it was meant to be a step toward sustainable transport. These days, it’s more of a tactical crossing point. At 138 metres long, it offers a decent line across the water, provided you can navigate the walkers, the slow, unpredictable pedestrians who drift across both lanes like confused drones. They’ll stop dead, veer diagonally, or pull a 180 with no warning. Bells are useless. Polite coughs do nothing. Try “on your right” and you’ll get a sideways glance that says, “You chose threat.” The bridge itself is solid, no major structural issues, not yet, and the view isn’t bad if you’re into Reading riverside aesthetics or watching trains roll by in the middle distance. There’s usually a breeze, and sometimes the air carries a strange scent, incense and diesel or something like that, perhaps old factories nearby were smouldering. Two wheels have to treat the crossing like an obstruction. You ride steady, but ready, always prepared to dodge a wayward commuter or canine unit on a retractable leash stretched to trip-wire length. There’s no room to be indecisive, and definitely no time for mid bridge photo shoots unless you’re ready to become a cautionary anecdote. The incline is gentle, but if you’re hauling supplies or riding on a loaded frame, you’ll feel it by the halfway mark. Still, it’s a crucial part of the west-east route along the Thames Path. If you’re avoiding roads and staying off-grid, this bridge is your best shot across the river without backtracking for miles. At dawn or dusk, you might get lucky and cross it clean, no walkers, no noise, just the creak of your drivetrain and the water below, quiet and grey. At peak times, though, it’s a gauntlet. Urban survival, one careful pedal stroke at a time.

Amazing riding through here, totally surreal

Lovely sausage rolls. Great coffee. Great hospitality.

Historic well donated by the Maharajah of Benares (modern day Varanasi). Well worth a visit