Sunday 10th April 2016 9:30am

Starting from - Bottom of Deane Croft Road, opposite Eastcote library, HA5 1SS

  • 21 miles
  • Mountain Bike, Hybrid (off road tyres), Hybrid (road tyres)
  • 4 hr 15 mins

Free, women-only bike rides led by experienced Breeze Champions. They are a great way to get started in cycling or to improve your skills, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned cyclist.

Starting point

HA5 1SS

Bottom of Deane Croft Road, opposite Eastcote library

From Eastcote we shall cycle along quiet roads, cycle paths, parks and the canal tow path to Syon Park via Greenford, Ealing and Brentford. We shall stop for refreshments at the Wyevale Garden Centre in Syon Park and views of this magnificent house before returning via a similar route. Please bring a padlock and some money. I also recommend you carry your oyster card and a spare inner tube. History of Syon House: Syon is one of the last great houses of London, and has been in the family of the present owners for more than 400 years. Profoundly historic, the House holds a wealth of art within its grand classical interiors, while the Park and Gardens feel like deep The house was built in the sixteenth century on the site of the Medieval Syon Abbey, and came to the family of the present owners in 1594. Syon has many layers of history and has seen some profound changes over the centuries. The house belongs to the Duke of Northumberland and is now his family’s London residence. Syon House holds 600 years of history, dating back to the time of the great medieval Abbey. Yet there is an earlier story, stretching back through the Roman era, and into prehistory. The 7th Duke of Somerset died in 1750, and Hugh and Elizabeth, who were to become the 1st Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, inherited the estates. They were leading figures in contemporary society, and would have inherited a house with dated interiors, surrounded by an unfashionable formal landscape. Gardens and House were both in a poor condition. Architect Robert Adam designed the eclectic interior of the house in the 1760s. In the nineteenth century the 3rd Duke of Northumberland started another series of major works at Syon. Exceedingly wealthy from the proceeds of coal mining and shipping, he extensively reworked the exterior of the House, by cladding the entire structure in Bath stone and adding a Porte Cochere. Domestic imperatives were addressed with a new range of kitchens and the construction of the Oak Passage. Through the second half of the nineteenth century Syon House was a private home, although used as a hospital during the First World War. In recent years it has undergone restoration to return it to its former glory, and is now open to visitors

Who else is on this ride?

Ride leaders

Profile photo for Janet Flemming
  • Ride Leader

    Ride Leader
  • Breeze Champion

    Breeze Champion

Janet Flemming

Assistants

  • Profile photo for an unknown user
    Private User

8 ride participants

Conversation

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