One of the benefits of staying the night with a close relative is that you get very nicely looked after! I would like to thank Auntie Hilary and Dave for delaying their Sunday roast on my account and especially for the large helping of roast potatoes. I’m using a lot of energy during these big days of cycling; but I have to say that my hosts along the way are doing a brilliant job of keeping me in tip top condition and treating me to some very enjoyable and comfortable lodgings, for which I am really grateful.
I set out from Studley, via a quick bike shop stop for a free gear cable tension tweak, into another fine autumn morning. Riding in these conditions is just a pleasure, and I was straight into quiet, east pointing lanes that took me through the fledgling Heart of England Forest and underneath England’s longest aqueduct, on the Stratford Canal, where a boat was obligingly making its way across. It was all very serene. I followed the road down through charming villages into Stratford Upon Avon, the birthplace of a certain William Shakespeare, where the sun was shining warmly in front of the famous theatre. Here, in a large open area free from traffic, you are surrounded by boats and bridges crossing the lovely River Avon and the adjacent canal basin, with a lock that was moving pleasure craft from one into the other. I sat for a short time having my second breakfast outdoors as tourists from many countries all mooched about and took photographs. It was all rather splendid.
But I had business further east and I continued my cycling through classic English Shires countryside, with many a sumptuous half timbered building to admire along the way. Warwickshire finally became Northamptonshire and I must have passed quite close to Northampton itself; but I was once again following a Mrs W devised route that connected together a series of pleasant villages, one after another. So I missed out on another Eleanor Cross, in its southern suburbs, in order to stay in the quiet back lanes.
I stopped for lunch in a village pub called the Merrie Lion in Fenny Compton. This is the only place in the world you can get Slade Stout, brewed with local water, and very fine it was, too. A couple of local old boys with nothing better to do were having a lengthy conversation about betting on horse racing. They both spoke with what must have been the local accent, just a little bit west country but with west midlands overtones. I couldn’t have placed it. The changing accents have been a feature of the trip and as I fly across the country from West Wales to East Anglia, it is good to pause and listen when the chance arises, often over stops for food or drink.
This part of the midlands – just on the very outer fringes of the Cotswolds and criss-crossed by several canals – is pleasant to pass through. There are some truly sumptuous villages to enjoy, with plenty of older buildings, often half timbered or with thatched roofs. The countryside is gentle but far from level, so I was up and down plenty. I think I entered Bedfordshire at some point, expecting it to be boring; but the villages there were just as lovely. Eventually, as the dusk descended, so the land flattened out and the lanes got straighter. I had set myself a big task today, and I knew that I might be finishing in the dark. And so it proved. Luckily, the roads were empty, the air was warm, and I was able to knock off the remaining miles with some ease, enjoying the strobe function of my front light both to see and be seen. It is amazing how the lack of daylight makes it feel so much later than it is. I would think nothing of cycling on through a sunny evening; but now I feel like I need to get there as soon as possible and get inside. To be fair, I think I missed very little based on what I could see of the area in the morning, and I made the most of the day in the best places.
All in all I covered about 90 more miles today. When I popped out for a Chinese take away in St Neots, the lady in the shop was blown away by my trip. She asked me a stream of incisive questions while my food was prepared. I guess, quite understandably, this bizarre thing I am doing is well beyond the experience of many people I run into. It seems perfectly reasonable to ask exactly why anyone might want to put themselves through it. I had my answers. Since today was the day I crossed beyond 75% of all the maps, they must be good enough at least for me!
