A little bit of wild camping in the Windrush Valley, Day 2

Day 2: Thursday, 31st July, Sherborn to home

ROUTE: Sherborn, Aldsworth, Coln-St-Aldwyns, Fairford, Highworth, Watchfield. Longcot, Uffington, home.

WEATHER: Hot again.

WEARING: Same as yesterday (almost, I'm not that unhygienic...)

COMMENTS: I didn't sleep well, but I never do on the first night in any bed anywhere so it wasn't surprising. Also, I have two sleeping mats; one I bought specifically to fit in my Alpkit bivvi bag (only used in the garden so far and I do find it rather claustrophobic...anyone want to buy it?) and it isn't as comfortable as my Mountain Equipment one, but I had decided not to bring the latter as I was struggling to find space for everything and something had to give. (Incidentally, I was so glad I modified my Carradice Carradura panniers, as they would have driven me mad if I hadn't. Read about that here.) It was also a little breezy and as I had the door open and the inner flap unzipped a bit, because of the heat, I heard every breath of wind, and although I love hearing the sounds outside at night - we always sleep with the curtains drawn back and the window open all year round -  the slight flapping of the tent was an unfamiliar sound. Unusually, I didn't hear any animal sounds, which surprised me. No deer or foxes. I did catch a glimpse of a large bird as it swooped past. An owl perhaps.

Unfortunately, I kept thinking about how much water I had, too. I was slightly limiting my intake so as to have enough left for the morning. At least I now know how much I need for one night. After a while I heard the pitter patter of gentle rain, which stopped and started two or three times. About 5 o'clock in the morning I got up and covered my leather saddle, which I should have done before retiring for the night but I really didn't think it would rain before the next day. My plan was to go to Sherborn shop when it opened, as they did food and drink, and as it didn't open till 9 am and wasn't far away it was a bit early to start packing up yet. Although this is only my second ever time of camping, I know that when I get up I'm not the type to get the stove out and make breakfast, or even just a hot drink, before setting off. I just want to pack up and get going. I ate the second apple and some nuts and raisins, and  used nearly all of my water for drinking and the minimum of washing!

So at 5.40 I donned my waterproof and packed up the tent as quickly as I could, but not without getting it wet inside. Because of this I decided I would not camp another night - I didn't fancy putting up a wet tent - and slightly changed my route home to cut what would have been two days' journey down to one. How do seasoned bike tourers camp several nights in a row, when there is rain day and night, without this happening???!!! I'm sure there is a knack to packing up your tent without getting it wet inside. I know Josie Dew has written about hanging up her tent to dry in a hotel in the middle of touring.  Susanna Thornton wildcamped for six nights on a very wet journey in Ireland here.

As I said in the previous episode, I had intended camping down near the river, and I decided to go that way to the road. I set off about 7.15, and went down the bridleway to the river. I definitely made the right choice in camping where I did. 

The sun coming through after the rain

The path would have been fine for a mountain bike, but I didn't want to chance it on my bike, and I was quite happy to hike and bike and take it slowly on what was now a dry and sunny morning. I reached the road about an hour and a half later. 

An old mill near the bridleway

Part of the bridleway

Dry and sunny it might have been but the grass was very wet and my feet were absolutely soaked through. I just carried on walking feeling them squelching....I passed these amazing old farm buildings on the way -  

Never seen pillars holding up a farm building like this before.

I got to Sherborn just after the shop opened. I had thought it was actually a cafe and not just take away food and drinks, so was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to have a cooked breakfast again. However, if you're ever passing that way, they do lovely sandwiches, very reasonably priced cakes and good coffee. I sat in the garden at the front of the shop, with my wet shoes on a chair in the sun, and my bare feet drying. I rang my socks out..... A man came and sat  a little way behind me, smoking a cigarette, which I could smell. I wouldn't have minded had it been the nice smell of a cigar, or a pipe....a rare thing to smell these days. My dad smoked both the occasional cigar, and a pipe, as well as cigarettes, until he gave up smoking completely, at the age of 51, but I still remember the pleasant smell of the cigars and pipe, and the smell of tobacco from old empty tobacco tins. I forgot to take a photo of the lovely garden and shop, but it really does look much the same as when Mollie Harris visited it -

I put dry socks on, and even though my shoes were still very wet, they did eventually dry off during the day. The lady in the shop kindly filled my bottles with nice cool water from a jug, which she brought out from the kitchen. They won't take water bottles into the kitchen to fill them, a rule I have encountered before but not for a long time. All to do with the thought of "germs" I suspect.  I tried to speak to Husband on the phone, but he couldn't hear me - we'd had this trouble in the past but had tested out the phone before I left and it seemed OK. Is it my phone? It is an ancient Nokia 2330, which I think I bought in about 2009, and apart from this problem works perfectly well, so I hope I don't have to replace it. I don't use it much, and it works fine for messaging, which sufficed for now. 

It was already hot again, and there wasn't a lot of shade on my way to the village of Aldsworth, to the south. On my way, in the middle of nowhere, I passed the Grandstand at Lodge Park (National Trust) - 

All to do with the "kingly sport" of deer coursing apparently. And the gardens were designed by one Charles Bridgeman, who later became a Royal Gardener. It sounds quite an interesting place to visit.

I reached Aldsworth and went on my usual hunt for water at the church, but there was no tap. (I still maintain that most churches do have one!) I still had enough but it's always good to top up, or completely replenish supplies with cold water rather than have to drink what quickly becomes warm in this heat. I knew there was hope at Coln-St-Aldwyns though, as I have previously visited there on a day trip. The village shop is also a cafe, with a garden. I bought a pot of natural yogurt there; I make yogurt at home and Husband and I have it usually twice daily, and I was missing it. They filled a water bottle for me (no rule about not taking bottles into the cafe here!). There is a tiny green triangle where the four roads meet, which provided lovely shade and a place to sit and eat my yogurt. Some ladies were sat there drawing, and I listened in on their conversation -

"I'm 58 now you know." (Hmmm, yes, she does look considerably younger than me.)

"I'm 80 next week." (Hmmm, yes she does look older than me! Still in good nick though!

I didn't catch the third lady's age.

I was feeling now as if I was just cycling to get home. Pouring water over myself to keep cool was a frequent occurrence. If I had been able to take the route I'd originally planned for my second day, I think it would have been more interesting. As it was, I soon got to RAF Fairford, which I find rather a mysterious place, as indeed are all MOD places, with their security fences, "keep out" signs, and strange buildings. What are all those bunkers for? What have they got in them? 

Bunker in the distance

The Royal International Air Tattoo takes place there every year (why is it called a "tattoo"?!) - I've never been but Husband took our eldest two children years ago. We always know when it's on because we see some of the planes from where we live. Occasionally we get our own private Red Arrows display. As I passed this time, I heard the low growl of some monster of a plane, and watched it rise up and disappear. 

The phone problem was going to rear its ugly head soon. I passed round Whelford and came to Kempsford, where - success! - a tap at the church. I filled my bottles, washed my face and went inside to look round and generally have a rest. It started to drizzle a little, having been thundering on and off for quite a while. I'd had about 4 messages come through from Husband all at once, and when I didn't answer all his questions, such as this one -

"Have you got enough water?" "(Er, yes, and what are you going to do if I haven't?!!")

I got this -

"Answer my questions!" Bossy!

So I did, more or less....

Earlier in the day he had asked where I was, as he had thought of cycling out to meet me. When he said no more about it, I did think -

"What's happened to that idea then?!!" 

I found out later that, weather fanatic that he is (because he is a paraglider and is constantly looking at weather websites) he had been watching the rain around where I was and wasn't going to risk cycling in the torrential rain that he could see there!! As I said, it had drizzled briefly earlier, but I was apparently on the very edge of that storm! So I cycled gaily on, unaware of this....

I got to a road closure near Hannington Wick (in Wiltshire now) but carried on anyway, as cyclists can usually get through these things, and indeed I saw three coming the other way, so knew I'd be OK. Once again I think I did quite well, managing to get up the hill into Highworth. Then to the Co-op for some refreshments - some ham and a pint of milk. I sat in the sun merrily eating and drinking and thinking -

"Not far to go now."

Little did I know what was coming....

I crossed the A420 to the village of Watchfield, where the military has a "strong presence" as the village website says, next door to Shrivenham, home to the Defence Academy of the UK. More security fencing.... Then on to Longcot, and straight on towards Uffington (one time home of Sir John Betjeman). However.......... after I had crossed over the junction, it started to rain. Let me say that again - IT STARTED TO RAIN. Not drizzle this time. In fact - the heavens opened, to put it mildly,  and I had to quickly get my waterproof pannier covers on, draping my waterproof jacket over the saddle to protect it while I did so, then put the jacket on, and cycled off. I got about a mile down the road and then attempted to shelter under some trees by a house, but it was no shelter at all. The rain, almost hail, was bouncing off the road, and pouring down through the trees. Visibility was terrible. I was soaked. And that's when I remembered chucking water over myself to keep cool....I was certainly cool now. 

I decided that I couldn't safely go on. Even if the rain stopped and I did get started again I had another 5 miles to go in my drenched condition, and although I didn't feel it at that moment, I was getting colder. I knew Husband would be concerned about me too, so I decided to make the Call of Shame that cyclists talk about. Never had to do it before! I just about managed to text Husband and then I looked at the house and knew I'd have to seek shelter, so I left my bike on the verge and went and knocked at the door; a girl answered, who I found out later was about 17, and I asked politely if I might shelter. She kindly let me in (I disturbed her watching the Olympics) and I explained the situation. She lent me her phone to ring Husband, and thankfully he did answer, even though he doesn't normally answer unrecognized numbers. He had thought it might be me. In my text I had just about managed to type the name of the house I was standing outside, and after some googling he had found the location. I stood dripping on the doormat while chatting to Heidi, my shelterer, as I awaited the arrival of Husband. When he came, he told me that there had been no rain at all where we lived, i.e. 5 miles away! 

I thought we'd probably have to ask to leave my bike at the house, but no -

"You put your panniers in the car and drive home and I'll ride your bike home." !!! By then, it had stopped raining just about, but even so, I wasn't expecting him to say that!  My bike doesn't exactly fit him....

So, I drove the last 5 miles home, with the heating on as I was beginning to shiver. I passed a rather familiar looking cyclist on a bike and did think he looked rather funny on it....... 

Home to a hot shower! Unpacking later, I found that everything in my panniers had got wet - so much for the waterproof covers! I normally put the contents of my panniers inside plastic bags, but for some reason this time I hadn't. Another lesson learnt. Kind Husband hung the tent out on the washing line to dry.

What an end to my first wild camping trip! Will I do it again? Oh yes - I loved it!

A few days later, Husband and I had a walk over Widford and Swinbrook way - it seems so odd getting somewhere so quickly and easily by car that by bike takes so much more time and effort! That's how I know that the pub at Swinbrook gets busy at weekends, with cars parked everywhere. We also went to the Three Horseshoes pub at Asthall, but won't go again. We stood waiting at the bar waiting to be served (we just wanted coffee) and four members of staff ignored us completely. I nearly walked out.... What a contrast to the helpful and smiling staff at The Fox at Great Barrington, where I only wanted water!

Miles: another 29.