Distance: 16.2 miles
Time: 5 hrs 40 mins
Weather: Hot and sunny
Cumulative distance: 729.5 miles
A day of bridges, overgrown paths, an accommodation mystery and thirst quenching heat.
The receptionist at my hotel kindly let me raid their ice machine to fill some of my water bottles. I checked out, then set off in the direction of the Severn Bridge.
The bridge is actually four bridges which cross the Rivers Wye and Severn. It took me around half an hour to walk over from start to finish, but a breeze made it at pleasant crossing. I then joined the Severn Way, which started as a well signposted route following the coast across fields to Severn Beach, but then rapidly deteriorated into overgrown nettles and brambles. To save my calves from further damage, I crossed a single track railway, took a short cut over some private land and rejoined the road.
To manage my time in the heat, I'd tried to find out what time tonight's B&B would allow me in. Bizarrely, their website was down and the phone line wouldn't connect, so I left a message on a mobile. I really didn't want to be without a bed tonight! Late in the morning I received a call from the owner to say that she'd sold the business and new owners had taken over, but at least this explained why I couldn't make contact.
In the uncomfortable heat with no breeze and limited shelter, I managed to keep myself refreshed. Firstly at a burger bar on an industrial estate, where I bought a couple of cans of iced drink and later at a Co-op store, where I consumed a large carton of cool smoothie drink.
My second (or fifth) bridge of the day was the M5 cycle path which crossed the River Avon. This happily avoided a long detour and led me to within a mile of my B&B, where I was relieved to find that I had been expected. Within minutes I fell asleep on the bed.
After a shower, I wandered down the road to the King's Arms in the pleasant village of Easton-in-Gordano, where I dined on whitebait and a tasty chilli, washed down with a couple of pints of Doom Bar.
No comments:
Post a Comment