Cotswold Way 2014 Day 5

Saturday 2^nd August 2018 King’s Stanley

It was a rainy morning.  Over breakfast there were some poor jokes by the husband.  Packed and kitted out for the weather I was off.  The first hour or so was a trudge through solid rain, so there were no photos taken of that stage.  The rain let up around Rudge Hill and I realised that my waterproofs really were not.  I mentally made plans to seek out some new ones in Bath.

When I got to Haresfield Beacon there was some guy flying a remote-controlled aircraft there.

Later, when I was near Ryeford, seen as though I had plenty of time, I chose to take the alternate route, so I followed the Stroudwater canal as one guidebook suggested.  The route quickly became confusing, so I checked my other guidebook and it said not to take that route at all!  I eventually figured out the route.

Coming up to, and crossing, Selsley Common there were rolls of thunder. 

I made it back into the trees before it started coming down again.  I came down into Middleyard and found my B&B but it was only 3 so I trudged through a muddy field down into King’s Stanley where I sat on a bench for a couple of hours reading until the pub opened at 5.  A steak ‘n’ kidney pudding for dinner with a cider followed.  Just as I was finishing eating a patron in the pub got a call on his mobile then looked over at me and questioningly said my name!  Apparently, the B&B owner is his ex-wife and, knowing he would be in the pub, called him to see if I was down there, as she was going out for the evening.  So, it was up to the B&B to get things sorted and settle in for the night.

Day 6