Cotswold Way 2014 Day 3

Thursday 31^st July 2018 Leckhampton Hill

I was awake before my alarm and showered and packed.  I skipped the breakfast as it was £7 extra!  Back up on Cleeve Hill I continued on my way, somehow missing out on seeing Castle Rock.  Hrmmm.  Through some more of the golf course (that was part of the end of yesterday’s walk) and then past some odd depressions in the ground, that I found out were old settlements. 

Next up was a butterfly reserve (I didn’t see any) and on through some gorse bushes.

Past a disused quarry, that is now used for motocross, across farms, past fields of hay, and down through a tree-laden wood (called Dowdeswell).

I was going to stop at a place called Langett for a drink but a small angry dog caused me not to enter the property, and I was away and around a corner when I heard a woman call out “He doesn’t bite.”  I waved over my shoulder without looking back, cursing under my breath.  Then I briefly sat on a bench in the carpark of an Indian restaurant, considering my options; quite a bit further on the map showed a pub and, as it was only 10:40, I thought I would head there for lunch.

Up and over a hill and through woods near Wistley Hill while hearing the distant sound of, what I think were, guns. 

Down and through crops and more woods still hearing the sound of shots until I got to Seven Springs pub almost exactly at noon.  Lunch was fish ‘n’ chips, an individual lemon meringue pie, all washed down with a pint of cider.

A short walk later I was on Leckhampton Hill and viewing the Devil’s Chimney.

Then, as it was way too early to head into town and find my B&B, I lay on a bench amongst a small herd of cows to read for a few hours.  One cow was curious enough to sniff my pack and allow me to rub its nose.  I was a little surprised that Rick & Barb did not pass by me during my time on that bench.

Then it was down to the B&B to shower and write a bit in my journal before catching a ride into Leckhampton to a pub to have steak ‘n’ ale pie, chocolate and beetroot pie, and more cider.  Unfortunately, I sat outside and ended up being downwind of a bunch of smokers, so it was not a pleasant dinner.  However, the walk back to the B&B was pleasant.

Day 4