Number three: St James the Less

Other commitments have meant no rides for the last two days, but I have managed to figure out my Jenkins challenge in a bit more detail.

I've measured the distance, as the crow flies, to our nearest 30 out of the 1,000 best English churches selected by Simon Jenkins. There are three that are within 5 miles; another five within ten miles, and another three within fifteen miles. There is one more that is just over fifteen miles away. That gives me a round dozen within fifteen miles (or thereabouts). And twelve seems like an appropriate number in this context.

The total distance, as the crow flies, to these dozen is almost exactly 100 miles. Without working out routes in detail, I reckon that the twelve round trips will total at least 300 miles.

The ranked list is:

1) All Saints, Bisham
2) St John, Shottesbrooke
3) St James the less, Dorney (pictured)
4) St Michael, Warfield
5) St Giles, Stoke Poges
6) St Mary, Langley
7) St Lawrence, West Wycombe
8) Meeting House, Jordans
9) St. John, Little Missenden
10) St Mary, Harefield
11) St Michael, Chenies
12) St Mary, Ewelme

So my refined goal for 2008 is to reach the nearest twelve of Simon Jenkins' thousand best English churches on the new bike. I will revisit the three nearest: Dorney (picture); Shottesbrooke and Bisham. And I want to revisit Langley anyway once it re-opens after easter.

For what it is worth, there are another twelve within twenty miles, and at least six more within thirty miles as the crow flies. So there is plenty scope to extend the goal once I have reached the first twelve.

Off we go....