Sunday 11th June, Ogbourne St George to Hill Barn, Sparsholt Firs

No trail hunger for us, we couldn't manage all our dinner last night and definitely no dessert, which is always disappointing I find. Once we sorted out our rattly bedroom door we slept well enough.

Breakfast was just what we wanted with lots of fresh fruit and yogurt plus toast and croissants, and once we sorted out that we had paid, collected our packed lunch we started walking at about 8:45.

My only comment would be that not everyone is cut out to run a B and B!

Today was our longest day, about 26kms from Ogbourne St George to very near Sparsholt Firs. Our aim was to arrive at 17:00, hoping that the 58% chance of thunder at 16:00 would be late.

We meandered our way out of Ogbourne St George in the warm and sticky weather, then back up onto the Ridgeway. A lot has been written about accomodation on the Ridgeway as most of it entails going down and down to the villages, which then of course means up and up and up in the morning. Tonight's B and B is right on the Ridgeway which is a result!

We wandered along a hedged track with the occasional open area for us to admire the views, it was very hazy but I imagine in Spring or Autumn it must be amazing. We saw a barn owl circling below us, with the occasional dive for its breakfast. Although there isn't much to write about the morning's walk, it was lovely, very English with fields and gentle hills and lots of cow parsley.

We weren't fans of the road which took us over the M4, so fast with only a narrow verge, we didn't die so that's good. We stopped in a field for 2nd breakfast once we were off the killer road and then continued our meander. It was hot and sticky but cloudy so felt manageable.

There are many ancient burial sites here and lunch was at Waylands' Smithy, a burial site from 3000 years ago on top of an even older site. Liz spent some time sketching which I will photograph and add to this.

Having just done the Coast to Coast I was expecting there to be lots of walkers completing this walk but so far there have only been cyclists and day hikers, so many more people on the Coast to Coast.

The afternoon was very hot, not french hot but definitely English hot. It isn't called The Ridgeway for nothing so there was no shade. We reapplied our sun cream, drank our 2 litres of water and walked on. The hills are gentle even up to Uffington Castle, we didn't see the famous white horse as it was going to be at least an extra 5kms! We did come across a hare on the path, Liz spotted it but it didn't spot us and came up to about 5 metres from us, lovely.

We had the discussion about the last 2kms of each day being the hardest and that we mustn't miss our turning or get lost or fall over! Liz was well into her stride and about to head on up and over the hill, I was far behind, when I thought it prudent to check and voilà we were at the track that led to the B and B, it was 16:45, the thunder hadn't arrived and we had made it. We knew they were having a family christening party so we marched in, red in the face, dripping sweat and smelling I think (Liz doesn't smell, just me), the family looked lovely in their suits and summer dresses with champagne on the lawn. It again was a bit chaotic, there was a lot of moving cots and children but we had our room. The shower isn't a real one, just a hose over the bath, no water pressure, I still managed to spray most of the bathroom with water but didn't really end up feeling clean but not to worry.

And then the skies turned black and the storm arrived. From our vantage point, safe in our room, it was dramatic and I only yelped once at a surprisingly loud crash. We were very glad not to be out in it on the ridge, we would have had to lie down (we would never have got back up) and now the air has cooled considerably. Dinner is at 19:30, we are hoping maybe for a little glass of something and today we are hungry! Until then we are bumbling around our room, mumbling about bits that ache and how we feel about going down the stairs, doing some stretches, popping Liz's enormous blister and drinking tea. All is well.

My photos today don't do the scenery justice at all, it was too hazy but it has been lovely and to walk where people have walked for hundreds of years is, for me, always fascinating. Lis is sketching in the photo, the stones are at the burial mound and the dark sky was just before the first flash of lightening.