Cotswold weekend - Saturday

Distance walked - 24 miles.

I had a good night but the wildlife was so LOUD at times. Owls woke me twice during the night and as I struck camp at six o'clock this morning a barking fox must have been only a few yards away. No-one passed by last evening - a perfect pitch. I was away by half past six and went through a very quiet Blockley, a lovely village in the early morning sun.

Blockley from the Heart of England Way

From Blockley, my route took me through Broad Campden, Chipping Campden, joining the Cotswold Way up to Dover's Hill. Then on to Broadway Tower where I called in at the tearoom there and was pleased to see my friend Kim who I'd last seen for tea when on my LEJOG in 2009. From there, I walked on to Snowshill, a chocolate box village like many of the others this weekend.

Snowshill

The sun continued to shine as I passed through Taddington, Cutsdean, Ford, Temple Guiting, Kineton, Guiting Power, Naunton and then Bourton-on-the-Water where this weekend's trip ended.

View from Dover's Hill, Chipping Campden

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Cotswold weekend - Friday

Distance walked - 12 miles.

With the Challenge only four weeks away I thought I'd better make sure that the body and the kit still work.

I decided to do a repeat of a weekend I did in August 2009, a circuit of the northern Cotswolds. I set out at 2pm and headed west through Little Compton, Barton-on-the-Heath and Moreton-in-Marsh. I'm now under the tarp, as before, in Park Plantation, about a mile short of Blockley.

On the way, I had to do something I never like doing. Going into a field of very inquisitive young heifers, my exit lay through a gate downhill at the far corner. I don't like being downhill of them, because although the nearest ones might stop, the ones behind don't know they've stopped and the whole herd might come hurtling towards me. In the event, when I heard their thudding footfalls getting close, I'd turn round and glare at them which brought them to a halt. Eventually they turned away and went off in another direction.




Approaching Century Plantation

In Park Plantation