Last day.

Well here we are at the end of a fantastic experience. All the lovelly views are behind up and we have a 15 mile walk along the river banks and dykes of Lincs. Cold but dry start to our last day.

Stamford

Stamford

Ah, such happy memories.

What weather'

After the summer we had I did not expect our 6 week walk to be so blessed with such glorious sunshine. The tiny county of Rutland is at its best in this bright, clear light. Stella and Brian came up trumps again with a warm welcome and a get together with old friends in the 'Nag and Bag' and Kate and Clive were as amusing and hospitable as always last night.

Monday

Only 5 days to do after today. A dull, wet and drizzly morning for walking 5 miles along the Brampton Valley disused railway line. No pub for lunch so tea and rolls by the side of a country lane in Brampton Ash. On to Weston By Welland this afternoon. Staying with Stella and Brian tonight and going to The Nag and Bag tonight. That brings back memories of happy Thursday Lunchtimes at North Luffenham!

Sunday 19th Oct

Yesterday was another lovely, if chilly, day. These stocks at Eydon remind you of less tolerant days gone by. Went to Nether Hayford for accommodation. Going to Maidwell tonight.

Friday17th

What a sunset last night! Almost matched by sunrise this morning. Got another 20 pounds in donations today. This is the lovely village of Warminster where we are stopping for lunch.

Thurs

Losing track of the date now but who cares on such a beautiful morning. We left Bourton On The Water in warm sunshine. The breeze is keeping it fresh on the hills though. Now approaching Upper Oddington and almost near Banbury by tonight.

Wed 15 Oct

No photos today as it is too grey and miserable to take any. The walk from Cirencester to Cold Aston is mostly uphill and goes through the site of the Roman Villa at Chedworth. Overnighting off-route at Bourton on the Water tonight. Still on schedule to get back to Boston on Sat 25 Oct.

Sunset

Last night from the BnB on the farm.

Monday 14th Oct

Westonbirt at its best. The autumn colours take your breath away. The yellows are like a halogen light against the bottle green of the hollies and the deep red of the maple leaves moving in the breeze look like flames flickering in the fire. The leaves really are carpeting the ground and falling like snowflakes!

Sunday

A foggy start today and the sun has not yet appeared. This is Castle Combe on a misty autumn Sunday lunchtime.

Sat 11 Oct

What better way to spend a sunny autumn day than walking along the canal and river in Bradford on Avon?

Counting off the counties

Dorset is far behind us and we are well into the cider county of Somerset - by tonight we will be in Wiltshire. However from this sign you Could be forgiven for thinking we were in the South Atlantic!

Fri 10 Oct

Walking through this beautiful landscape it is too easy to push through looking only at the map and your footing (taking care not to fall down rabbit holes or in cow pats!) and to miss the delightful scenes such as this lovely pack-horse bridge.

Thursday 9 Oct

This morning reminded me ofsouth island New Zealand. The hilltops were peeking out from the top of the mist and the valleys in between were filled with silver-white mist, shining in the brilliant sunshine. The boys from Kings School, Bruton were filing across to church with their masters in gowns and mortar boards.

Sherborne

Much better seen in the sunshine - as it is today.

Wed 8 Oct

What a contrast to yesterday! Warm sunshine and little breeze to walk in today. There was a rainbow overhead as we set off this morning. Tea break at Yetminster, now on to Sherborne for lunch.

Abbotsbury

Arrived in Abbotsbury at 12. 30 Monday after a 2 day rest break. Dull and damp day. We added our names to the Macmillan Way log book along with comments. Am at present sitting looking down along the whole length of The Fleet on Chesil Beach and thinking of good times with Brenda.

Friday 3 Oct

Greta and Ian joined us for a meal last night and we had a lovely time. I spoke to my nephew Drew's wife Christina about my foot pain (she is a sport physiotherapist) and she gave me some advice, exercises and massage to do. This morning I was walking without a limp and with little pain. By 11am the pain was returning and when we set off after lunch I Could hardly walk. I took some more brufen and hoped it would ease but it did not and after 4 excrutiating miles in only 2 hours I had to admit defeat. I am going to take a few days off, go back to collect my car and act as logistics support, carrying bags and taxi- ing to/from accommodation. When my foot has had time to rest I will resume the walk.

Thurs 2 Oct

Only 11.2 miles today but probably my favourite part of the walk - along the Corton Ridge. The view is amazing. The air was clear and crisp with a bracing wind. The angle of the path did my injured foot no favours though. Had a lovely long lunch in a country pub in Sandford Orcas! Only 31 miles to Abbotsbury.

1 Oct pm

Walked from Redlynch to North Cadbury today. A total of 12.2 miles. Stopped in Castle Carey for a longer lunch break than usual! Some breath taking views as we climbed the hill after lunch, along with strong winds and a rainbow. A difficult walk traversing one steep hill. On the whole a good, dry day's walk.

30 Sept

Walked 15.3 miles, mainly through the forest today. Got very wet in the morning but dried out in wind later. Had to go off route 4 accommodation, again! Yesterday got 20 pounds donation, day before 30 pounds! We looked 4 the eagle owl in the forest but did not see it this time.

Mon 29th

Our start today took us along the Kennet and Avon canal where I took this photo of a narrow boat. Later we crossed the Frome river on this Lovely bridge and went passed the ruins of Farleigh Hungerford castle.

Help with accommodation

We had great difficulty getting accommodation yesterday round Castle Combe. It is fairly near both Gloucester and Bristol. We night have same problem on return leg, so if you know anyone who Could help out please let me have their phone number as I've left my address book at home! A call or text would be great as I cannot see the Blog comments on my mobile. 07952 169596

Days 16 and 17

Saturday started foggy, which caused us problems as we Could not see clear direction across huge fields. Our intention was Avening to Luckington, a distance of 11 miles but we could not get anywhere to stay and had to go on to Castle Combe them get a lift to Biddestone for accommodation. The walk through Westonbirt Arboretum was lovely with autumnal colours. Today was warm and sunny with the sun soon burning off the mist. The last time we did this walk we were amused to see a knee-length stilleto-heeled bright pink boot and a pair of pink sling-back shoes nailed to a log in the woods in Husseyhill Woods. This morning we were disappointed to see the boot drab and colourless, without the sole and the shoes hardly recogniseable. A pair of gent's loafers had joined them. As it is a Sunday we could not get a sandwich in the pub so survived another day on a liquid lunch. Now in Bradford on Avon for BandB. 16.9 miles yesterday and 11.2 today.

Tunnel House

We walked along the towpath of the old Thames and Severn canal today. the tunnel is over 2 miles long, constructed in 1789 and abandoned in 1927. It enabled boats to cross the Cotswolds from the head of the navigable Thames at Lechlade to the Severn.

Day 14

A mixed day today. We started in Cirencester, along the old tow path to Tunnel House Inn and finished in Avening. On the way we saw green woodpeckers, buzzards, deer and a lizard. Unfortunately we also witnessed a car driven by 2 young lads plough into a tree at high speed on a country lane. They both got out almost unscathed but the driver was extremely worried about what his mother was going to say. The car looked like it would be a write off. Another lovely sunny day for us and only 11.3 miles in 3hrs 38mins. We are reverting to the longer walks on Sunday to bring up back on time schedule. G's new boots and 1000 mile rocks seem to have eased his foot problems. New knee supports for me are helping a little.

Day 13

A short day today, only 9.15 miles in 2hrs 56mins. Most of it along the joint Macmillan and Monarch Way by the river Churn. The Romans must have liked the huge snails around here. We did some shopping in Cirencester - new boots for G and knee supports for me.

Update

We really are crossing off the counties now! At just over the half way point on the way down we have walked through Lincolnshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Today we are having a day off in Cirencester.

Day 12

Lovely walk today from Bourton on the Water to Chedworth. 12.1 miles in 4hrs. We walked past Chedworth Roman Villa eating from between AD 180 and AD 350. Some excellent bath suites and mosaics. It stayed dry - weather and pub lunches!

Day 11

Exhausted last night but left Long Compton refreshed at 9.15am. The rain caught us before lunch. We were welcomed like old friends by Simon at the Horse and Groom 4 lunch. Again the book distance was inaccurate. It said 11.25 miles but our GPS logged 13.5, then we had to do another 2 miles into Bourton on the Water to our accommodation. Walking time today 5hrs exactly, so still averaging just over 3 miles per hour even with fields and mud - which we have had plenty of today.

Day 10

Today we walked from Edge Hill to Long Compton - a book distance of 13 miles. Georges new high power GPS Logged it as 17.8 in 5hrs 30mins. Again lots of hills and several missing markers. However we did find a pub open at lunchtime and the landlord made us cheese sandwiches. Had our first rain today but not too bad. George's dev are causing concern. If is trying to brush it off but he is obviously in pain. If thinks it is the boots he thought would be fine but which had not been tested over this many miles.

Day 9 mileage

Day 9 proved to be exceptionally challenging. The Macmillan Way book have the distance as 13 miles but our GPS logged it as 22 miles and we were walking for over 7 hours. There were lots of steep hills and several way markers missing. It was growing dark by the time we got to our accommodation - a folly castle built where the flag was planted in the battle of Edge Hill in 1642. We had the whole of one turret which was separated into single rooms and a suite. The view from the windows was spectacular.

Mid day 8

Frustration today as missing signs and poor map interpretation caused us delay and a couple of extra miles. Back on track now and enjoying pub lunch.

Day 9

Another beautiful misty morning. Today we start from Moreton Pinkney and will walk to Edgehill where the famous battle took place. About 13.5 miles according to the book - we will see!

Day 8

Another short day today. Only 10.8 miles in 3 hrs 31 mins. Glorious sunshine but no pub 4 lunch. We stopped 4 a cup of tea on the roadside by a farm and the farmer came out 4 a chat and gave us a 20 pound donation! We later stopped at the National Trust house at Canons Ashby 4 a great ploughman's lunch before walking the short mile to our accommodation.

Day 7 mileage

We are having trouble getting accommodating. We've had to curtail today's walk in order to get somewhere to stay. Only 8.64 miles in 2hrs 44mins. We had some awful newly-ploughed fields to cross.

Day 7

Booking accommodation is proving to be a challenge. Lots of places closed down. Walked over the M1 this morning and passed the 100 mile point of the walk.

Day 6 mileage

15.4 miles in 4hrs 45mins.

End of day 6

We had to sit outside the pub waiting 4 it to open at 2pm only to find it had no food! The night stop pub/hotel made up 4 it. Excellent meal and a 4 poster bed! Another dry day forecast 4 today.

Day 6 lunch.

On day 4 pub closed at 1pm. Today the pub doesnt open till 2 but as we have time in hand we are sitting in the sun waiting 4 it to open in 30 mins. Have walked through the old railway tunnels near Oxenden and again seen this old iron bridge with no steps.

Day 6 start

It took of until midnight to re-schedule the overnight stops. Today is Great Oxenden to Holdenby. Most of it along a disused railway line with long, dark tunnels.

The new SCC?

New territory for Stanbridge Strollers?

Day 5 end

12.3 miles in 3hrs 56mins. George turned to say something to me, stepped back and fell into a 4ft drainage ditch! No damage, fortunately and I tried not to laugh! Have decided to make each day a max, rather than an average, of 15 miles. The 19 mile ones are just a bit too far with the fields having just been ploughed. Still enjoying it and seeing some wonderful flora and fauna.

Day 5

Team leader had request to scrap rest days in favour of shorter daily mileage. Put it to the vote and passed unanimously. Will now have to amend overnight stopping places. Doing well so far. Few minor blisters. Today clouds of butterflies replaced by flocks of young pheasant exploding out of the undergrowth into our faces. Managed to find a pub which was open and serving food 4 lunch.

End of Day 4

We started late but because I had not updated the mileage correctly, we finished early. Edith Weston to Hallaton - Only 14.9 miles. We enjoyed a Ruddles brew in Manton but the Sun Inn in Belton had no food, so another liquid lunch. Feet doing well. Another dry day.

Day 4

Delayed start today due to major equipment failure. Clive and George have just gone to buy a new rucksack. 17 miles will make it a late finish today! Still, better it broke now where we can get a replacement.

Day 3

Another fine day today. Lovely to walk through Stamford again. We spent a little time shopping 4 knee and ankle supports, wick-away t-shirts, brufen tablets and having a late breakfast. One of the sign posts had been twisted so we had to back track a little - not what you want to do on a walk. There was also a long diversion round the back of Ketton cement Due to quarry extension. Had a welcome beer in the cafe by Rutland Water. 17.4 miles in all today.