Day 2 on the Cotswolds

Sunday 12 May

Broadway to Winchcombe (20.5 kms)

We have to walk about 20 kms today! I am awake at 4.30 a.m. - can't sleep, aaargh! (I can tell you it is definitely light at this hour over here ...).

Breakfast was nice. We set off as soon as we could about 9 a.m. (the English don't seem to like early breakfasts); it would have been good to get going earlier as the forecast is for rain later today.

......................

Well, what a day. It started off nice enough as we walked through the village (past the historic Lygon Arms which dates from 1532; and in the 17th century it served both sides of the Civil War with Oliver Cromwell staying here before the Battle of Worcester & Charles I meeting his supporters here).

We have variously hobbled, stumbled and been blown into Winchcombe after a few wrong turns early that probably added at least 3 kms to our total. It was nice weather to start but deteriorated by lunch-time to rain, a bitter wind and it is BLOODY FREEZING. I was very grateful for the beanie I bought yesterday.

We had two climbs of about 200 m with lovely views, although by the end we didn't care too much. The last 5 kms or so were a real grind: we could see Winchcombe in the distance from under our umbrellas but the ground beneath, as we zig-zagged through farms, was sticky with mud and hard-going.

Plus, My Friend has developed blisters and is NOT HAPPY.

We passed through some pretty villages - Stanton, Stanway, Wood Stanway - that were so tiny there did not appear to be anything open for a coffee; although it was possible that in some cases the main part of town was slightly away from the trail; however, we did not have the energy or inclination (even though we were "hanging" (!) for a coffee) to do any extra kms. Fortunately I was carrying supplies of biscuits, bananas and a KitKat, so we managed OK.

We passed by Hailes Abbey (a 13th century Cistercian abbey) but didn't go in as the weather was foul and I don't think either of us could spare the energy for any extra steps of walking.

As we came in across the last of the fields into Winchcombe, we could hear the whistle of a train and, despite his sore feet (or perhaps he was happy to stop and rest them...), My Friend's heart was gladdened by the sight of a steam train bustling its way across the yellow canola fields with white clouds of steam billowing out behind it: the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire railway.

We are staying at the Plaisterers Arms, an 18th century pub, run by Liz the Landlady who is a "no-nonsense" sort of person but is very kindly towards us. She probably felt sorry for these two bedraggled creatures!

When we got in, we made a bee-line for the fire and stayed there for 2 hours. We were knackered. There wasn't a lot of conversation... 

But the beers were good as was the pub meal: very nice steak, big fat chips and lots of healthy vegies.

Fell into bed. Had the usual fit-&-starts of sleep due to the fact that our biological time clocks haven't adjusted still, but at least we were OFF OUR FEET.