Ridgeway: Watlington to Princes Risborough

  

The sleeping bag seemed a bit better than the other one but my feet were still like ice all night, which kept me awake quite a lot despite taking a Nytol at around 2am. Nytols usually work!  Anyway, I did get a decent chunk of sleep in the end as didn't wake up till 9.30.The campsite was really quiet as there was only one other tent (a couple), everyone else was in campervans and it was too cold to sit outside. The temp dropped to 3 degrees in the night.

Today there was lots of very lovely woodland, mainly a lot of ash trees. You don't see so many of those any more because of ash die-back. Some of them were fenced off with "do not enter" warnings - keeping people out in case they bring the disease in on their shoes, I guess.

Stately ash forest

More nice flowers and stuff, too. A more humane walking pace than yesterday. I thought about whether to camp another night and finish the rest of the SDW tomorrow, but was cold and tired from yesterday, and thought it would be nice to go home. Today was bank holiday Monday and I'd taken Tuesday off as my mental health day, but decided I needed a rest and will take the MH day next week instead when I have more energy. The forced march had taken it out of me somewhat. Got a late afternoon train home via Marylebone station, nodded off on the train. Felt quite hungry from being cold in the night, I think! Couldn't wait to guzzle a nice hot cup of tea. Will come back and do the final bit to Tring next Monday, perhaps. I can drive to Tring and get a bus and train to Princes Risborough from there and walk back to the car. 

Ridgeway: Goring to Watlington

  

Sang in church, so didn't leave home till after midday and only arrived in Goring at 2.45. The planned walk to the campsite I'd booked was about 15 miles and I needed to try and get there before the owner finished her "open hours" at 8 o'clock, so it was a bit of a forced march, quite tiring. 16 miles in under five hours with a full pack is quite torturous! Anyway, I got there by 7.30, pitched the tent and wandered the half mile into Watlington to try and find some food. Saw loads of lovely houses and abundant wisteria en route. It's a nice corner of the world. Quite flat with just a few gentle hills. Came through some lovely woodland too.

Leaving Goring

Nice car!

Wonky old bit on the right

Came through lots of fields carpeted with wildflowers. Purple, yellow, blue. Not really susceptible to being photographed, but lovely nonetheless.

Gorgeous colour

Trying not to stoop with weight of pack

Beautiful old church in North Stoke

In North Stoke, a lovely, quaint and quiet little village

Arrived at 7.30, pitched tent and walked the half mile into Watlington in search of hot food. I was cold despite walking quite fast. The temperature had dropped to about 10 degrees. I arrived gratefully at the nearest food place, a lovely-looking pizza pub, but they'd stopped serving so I carried on into the town and bought a pot of chicken curry stuff from the Co-op. Fortunately they also supplied me with a wooden spork. Heated it in the campsite microwave, and within minutes of eating it I felt warm again. Which was a good job, as I had some warmth getting into bed.