Ridgeway: Wantage to Streatley

 

Spent the evening and night freezing cold as had no instructions on how to get the heating or water heating to come on. No reply from Airbnb owner. Annoying as the flat was otherwise really nice. Today there was a bit of sun and a lot of cold wind. The path was quite samey and there wasn’t as much of a view as yesterday, so I broke my own rule and listened to some Zoe podcasts. 

A lot of this

War memorial overlooking Wantage

Got blisters again and was limping by the end. Streatley and Goring (which lie side by side just across the Thames from each other) are very affluent commuter-belt villages, stuffed with posh and quaint houses. Nice river area with weirs. I arrived at about 3 and had a couple of hours to kill before I could check in at the YHA, so I went to a nice cafe and had coffee and cake, and heard a great metal song by Royal Blood. 

Ni-i-i-ice

Then walked painfully to the local supermarket to get a ready meal for my din dins. No wifi in my rooom so watched a couple of things I already had as downloads on my phone. Was planning 9 miles tomorrow but I won’t do it if my foot is still bad - I’ll go home and work for the afternoon. Walking on blisters is no fun at all. Maybe I should have gone home tonight…legs and energy absolutely fine though!

Ridgeway: Ashbury to Wantage

 

It was a nice enough walk today but there isn’t really much you can take meaningful pictures of - there are distant views but they don’t come out in iPhone pictures. Easy, level walking again, quite samey. 

Mixed weather again, including this

The long barrow was quite impressive - very long!

The entrance to the barrow’s underground chamber

 

The church in Letcombe Regis - note blue sky!

My Airbnb in Wantage was a few miles north of the Ridgeway. I’d expected a slightly deprived town like Swindon, but it’s actually very affluent, full of beautiful, pristine mansions and cottages. 

Houses like this one

I have the whole Airbnb flat to myself and it’s very nice but like an icebox as the heating isn’t on.

I couldn’t get any hot water either and the hostess hasn’t replied to any of my messages. I finally found a switch for the water in her bedroom so had a bath late this evening. I was really cold till that point, despite wearing all my jackets.

Was really annoyed with myself today for losing one of my nice lambswool gloves. Must have dropped it out of my pocket even though I thought I was being careful. 

Had a chat with Elizabeth this evening about lightweight hiking gear. Exciting!

Ridgeway: Ogbourne St George to Ashbury

 

Good breakfast at my guesthouse (too big actually) and once again, I sallied forth with all my jackets and stuff  on, only to have to take a coat off because I was too hot. It’s just because I’m moving though. 

Cute schoolkids’ mural as I left the village

I stopped a couple of times today as I knew I had loads of time. The first time was because I saw my first bench of the trip, overlooking a wide and distant view down across the Wessex downs, including several different murmurations of birds in the distance. Very peaceful. 

The bench

I called Mum and then also spoke to Dad briefly. He fell over yesterday getting off the exercise bike and bruised his ribs. Also had a long chat with Jane as had not spoken to her since she got back from several very happy months in NZ.

Crossing the M4

Sprays of hawthorn blossom everywhere

Very level and mostly wide path today, I wore my trainers but the soles of my feet still got quite sore by the end. I think it’s partly because because my rucksack is quite heavy and the feet feel it. My toe got really bad towards the end and I think it’s going to end up limiting what I can do. 

Relieved to arrive at my hostelry

Tomorrow should be OK but I can’t see the toe withstanding 17 miles on Sunday. It feels really bruised. However, I can’t see much in the way of villages on the Ridgeway between Wantage (where I’m staying tomorrow night) and Goring, where I was going to stay at the YHA. Might have to regroup and rethink tomorrow night, depending how the day goes. I curse myself for not taking better preventative measures, and wonder what this means for C2C. A solution must be found.  Anyway, it was a pleasant and way walk today, lots of little birds flitting across the path between hedges, lots of birdsong. The play I’m staying at is nice. When I got to Ashbury I went to the one local cafe and had some soup and bought a toothbrush there as well. Then back to the room for a shower and I’ve been reclining in my room since about 3 o’clock. Nice. Cancelled my dinner reservation and am just eating some of the bread and cheese I’ve been endlessly carrying around. 

Ridgeway: Avebury to Ogbourne St George

 

Caught the 10.15 train from Paddington to Swindon, passed mercifully quickly through Swindon (depressing and run-down, bus station covered in pigeon poo) and was in Avebury by 12.15. A nice little village, consisting mainly of a National Trust centre and museum about the Neolithic stone circles there. The stones are big and are all over the place. 

South of Avebury, I passed Silbury Hill, which (incredibly) is man-made. It’s the second tallest prehistoric artificial mound in Europe, and one of the biggest in the world, of similar volume to an Egyptian pyramid. About 40 metres high.

In Avebury - who left that there?

Long barrow

I accidentally detoured slightly up to the famous Long Barrow, up a hill. I didn’t realise you could have a look in an underground chamber.

I had to do a bit of map reading to find my way to the start of the Ridgeway. It was further than I’d expected, nearly four miles. I had to do a curve round to the south and back up again. You’d think there’d be a more direct path really - I mean, they’ve had thousands of years to get on with it. 

Start of the Ridgeway - not much to look at.

The path was very level today, and very hard underfoot. Chalk and stones. Stone-quarrying was big business here for hundreds of years and there are still quite a few dotted around in the fields that look quite regular in shape and were probably dressed and then not sold. 

Dressed stones left lying around

I had expected it to be a bit boring and I was pleasantly surprised as there were far-reaching views most of the way and it was all very pleasant. It was windy up on the ridge but I kept moving and didn’t need my down gilet or coat as the exercise kept me warm. I barely met another walker all day, but there were a few cyclists. I had mild hail a couple of times, and beautiful late afternoon sunshine for the final hour. But the soles of my feet were hurting and so were some neck and back muscles, as this is probably the heaviest pack I’ve carried. I thought I’d take more this time to get into practice for the C2C in June. It gets quite uncomfortable after a few hours. The problem is all on my right hand side. 

Finally arrived at my amusingly-named destination

My toe (the usual suspect) started bothering me in the last couple of hours, highly annoying. It’s only the first day! My guesthouse room has its own bathroom with a bath, which is amazing - I had a lovely soak when I arrived. Then pre-ordered dinner and Eastenders, yay! 

About to have bath and tea.
Note pink, wind-whipped cheeks

SDW: Amberley to Upper Beeding

 

Far-reaching views today, including from the famous Chanctonbury Ring, a hill that used to have an iron-age fort on it but now just has a copse of trees. Great views from there. Saw a lot of cyclists today, mostly male groups. Loads of walkers too, plenty of nice dogs to look at. Everyone chatty in the beautiful weather. I got an early train and walked from 9 till 2.15 with a 15-minute stop at the ring. Plenty of sticky mud and slippery chalk - it’s fortunate that the last couple of days of sun have probably dried the surfaces a bit. Several times, though, I asked myself the eternal question of why male cyclists eschew  mudguards. It’s crazy.

Frost first thing, as I set off

Dream house

Chanctonbury Ring

The last mile today was through a pig farm with the happiest-looking pigs, thousands of them. They had little houses and loads of space and a cracking view, which was probably a bit lost on them. All ages, socialising, snouting around, playing and eating. It was nice to see. 

I got the 2.30 bus from just south of Upper Beeding and was home by 6. Dozed off on the Thameslink. The weird thing about the SDW is that it bypasses all the settlements, so I actually haven’t seen any villages at all to speak of. Bit of a shame as it seems some of them are very pretty.

My legs stood up well to the pummeling, especially as this is the first proper bit of walking I’ve done since October. I was thinking that if I’m serious about doing the coast to coast with Elizabeth I’ll need to do proper strengthening for a few months, and practice hikes with equipment on my back. A good challenge.

SDW: Cocking to Amberley

 

Another day of perfect weather. Breakfast cooked by the lovely Cindy, while chatting to her and Trevor - lovely couple. He grew up in Southgate, went to Ashmole school.

Bus back to Cocking and then a pretty easy walk with not too much ascent or mud. Chalk tracks. About halfway through, the view opened up and I could see the sea gleaming away to my right. Chatted a bit to a lady and her little terrier, and she pointed out a pair of beautiful birds of prey who were gliding around as a team. 

First sight of the sea

Field covered in chalk

Muddiest bit was just before Cocking,
which sits in a flood plain

The river just before Amberley

I didn’t stop much, and was at Amberley by 2.30, only to find that there were no trains throughout the whole region because of a broken bit of track. No buses running anywhere today from Amberley either, so I had no choice but to get a taxi back to Chichester. Had to listen to the guy moaning about politics and how he didn’t have a pension and still had to drive a taxi at 71, and dodged the income tax on all his cash fares. 

I was back at the Airbnb by about 3, so had a shower and then went back out to look around the town. It doesn’t take long at all for the legs to recover. Quite a few shops for the affluent, and an Ivy restaurant. Saw a few extremely expensively and tastefully dressed older ladies. Had a look inside the cathedral. Was surprised to hear seagulls but then reflected that Chichester’s on a river that goes to the sea. Didn’t see the theatre but it must be there somewhere. Lots of lovely buildings. 

Got some dal from M&S for my dinner and was ensconced by 6pm. Had a long, cosy evening reading my book for book group (which is rubbish) and plotting a possible walking route for doing Cotswold Way in a week. I’ve basically got to take a week’s holiday by the end of March or I’ll lose it. There are worse problems to have.

Looks as though the trains are OK again now, with the disruption specially timed to inconvenience me. So, fingers crossed for tomorrow. 9.30 train to Amberley, then a walk of similar length to today. Should be there by 2-2.30. Then a slightly convoluted journey home involving buses, trains and tube.  Slept really well last night but was woken by the noise of the boiler at 7am. Hope I don’t wake up too early tomorrow as I won’t be having brekkie till 8.30.