Jeri’s Steps: 27,113
Miles walked: 10.9
Elevation: 715
Pints: 3
Churches: 2
Stiles: 21
Benches: 3

Into Warwickshire…

The alarm went off at 6:00am which was painful, but we packed efficiently and were on the road just after 7:00.  Dave dropped us back near the Bakers Arms in Broad Campden and we were on the trail at 8:00am greeting numerous dog walkers.  The footpaths quickly took us across the fields to Chipping Campden where we admired the market hall and bought provisions for the day.  This week we vowed to eat more healthily so it was apples bananas and carrots on the menu.

The walking was easy across crop fields of cereals, beans, squash and potatoes.  We were largely following the Heart of England way and the Monarch’s way.  At Bakers Hill we entered a narrow strip of woodland on top of a hill, with towering trees clinging to the slope.  Carved on one of these trees was an image of a Belgian soldier.  Over a hundred years ago, there was a local house called Norton Hall which served as a military hospital and in 1917 one of the injured soldiers carved his image and initials on the tree. Interesting to see it still there; the trees were older than we first thought.  The path descended from the trees into the village of Mickleton.  Unfortunately the church was closed but we found a wall to sit on in the churchyard to have our mid morning snack.  But on leaving the village we were caught in a tremendous downpour, so bad that our our packs got soaked just in the minute we took to get our rain gear out and get everything covered.  We walked for about ten minutes in the torrential rain until it subsided, but the damage was done and we were wet through.  At the College Arms pub in Lower Quinton we dried off a bit and changed some of our clothes, but another problem now arose.  Jeri’s left shin had stared to give trouble on Saturday and we had hoped that two days rest would sort it, but scrambling through muddy slippery fields of corn had caused it to inflame and now it was causing pain.  After resting at the pub and taking ibuprofen we set off again, but at Long Marston, Jeri called a halt and we were forced to stop for the day.  We took a taxi to Broom, our hotel for the night. Hopefully we will be able to rest enough tomorrow to get back on track.