Day 19 - Charlton Kings to Tewkesbury
Yet another sunny day but a bit breezier. Geraldine cooked up a fab feast for breakfast including fresh fruit (which normally isn't on my diet agenda!). Started off by travelling via the Cheltenham Circular Trail (26 miles funnily enough, around the outskirts of Cheltenham!) - got an injury early on by not picking up my knees high enough when tackling fallen trees - drew blood and I'll probably have a bit of a bruise but I think I'll live! Then rejoined my familiar friend, the Cotswold Way : part of the early morning route followed a dry-stone walled track which was easy running towards Cleeve Common. Bit of a puff getting to the top as although not steep via the track, it was uphill all the way but the views from the top over Cheltenham and the historic racetrack were fantastic. Once I'd reached the Common, the wind was a bit brisk but it was like running in the New Forest - short cropped grass courtesy of the ever-present sheep (and these ones weren't the least bit bothered that a scary human was running within a couple of feet of them unlike most sheep I'd encountered) and gorse bushes covered with bright yellow flowers this time of year. I had been lulled into a false sense of security as the route was initially fairly level but it soon brought me back to reality as it descended and then ascended very sharply to Cleeve Hill and across yet another golf course. At this point I was to say goodbye to the familar acorn signs of the Cotswold Way for good. Skirting around the top of Nottingham Hill I came across Wickfields Farm which looked as though it had recently undergone a huge restoration - one complete side of the barn now included what appeared to be nesting holes for pigeons and swallows which I thought was quite novel. Having done the hills, I then dropped down through Prescott which is where they hold the famous speed hill climbs in old cars (Bugatti seems to be the popular choice there) and at Dixton, I transferred to the Gloucestershire Way - this definitely wasn't as well signed and I had to rely more on my trusty maps to work out the direction. I had never thought of Labradors being guard dogs but at Oxenton there were 5 'ferocious' looking beasts all chained to individual kennels announcing my arrival in their territory. It was then an easy flat run through fields of cereal crops (now knee height) to Claydon before crossing the M5 once again into Tewkesbury. Arrived quite early in the afternoon so put on my tourist hat and visited the abbey, then went into Bay Tree coffee shop for a toasted tea-cake and coffee. I got talking to 3 people in the sunny walled garden who were making a documentary on last year's floods and it turned out they were from Parley! Julie and Andy Heath who owned the coffee shop found out what I was doing and not only did they 'sub' me my lunch, they also gave me a cheque for £25 - transpired her mum has terminal pancreatic cancer. When I arrived at my B&B, they didn't have my booking and even worse, were full for the night! Transpired they had done the same as Mary at Kingrove and not transferred my booking from their old diary! So, having created a bit of a panic for them they transformed their son's bedroom into my room for the night - he'd only been there the night before so I have no idea what they would have done if he was still there! Walked back into Tewkesbury to the Wetherspoons pub for tea and had another donation of £4 from a couple on holiday. On the way back, did my bit for the wildlife as a duck stupidly mistook the road for the river and made a bit of a crash landing. Luckily, an approaching driver saw the incoming missile and braked hard, avoiding a catastrophe...I then had to make a lot of noise to get the duck to take off again and do it properly!
Mileage 19.37 and time 4.36