Well I did my annual cycle ride down the Ridgeway to Avebury.
We (My friend Ashley and myself) started from Streatley in Oxfordshire late Friday night, got dropped off below the Ridge at gone eleven, cycled a couple of miles and stopped up at a common for the night, got the fire going (fortunately i had a folding "chain" saw, as all the small firewood had been scavenged) and set up our bivvies.
had a brew followed by some beer :-D
Surprisingly we had a late start the following morning
The bivvy was a bit drafty, but luxurious, being able to hear the dawn chorus and the breeze in the trees...
We had a quick brew then hit the trail. Volunteers have been resurfacing the Ridgeway, which seemed to consist of covering it in dust, making cycling hard work, like cycling through sand !
Next stop was Schumacher's Knoll (or summit like that, haven't got a map infront of me.) Where i quickly got a fire going before my mate arrived (ok i cheated) We constructed a stove from a few bricks left lying around, and became the local curiosity for some young boys and their dad, who thought it was an great adventure and helped gather firewood. Next some Pikey Irish travellers arrived, -"Dya be wantin any work boys"," wot ya do if hadn't found them bricks", "you carryin all dat on dem bikes ?" and so on. Oh and the "Your not gay are you fellas" - is it just me and the company i keep or do you guy get asked this ? :shock:
Onwards in the mid day heat, only to discover the next tap dedicated to some dearly departed...had been switched off.
So it was another few hours in the heat and down to the last of our water before we came across a cattle trough, and filtered the water through an amazing squeezy filter/purifier bottle, to be on the safe side.
We had made good time to Waylands Smithy, (our usual overnight stop,
Just past Dragon hill and one of the Wessex white horses carved into the chalk of the hillside.) By avoiding the pub lunch, dropping down from the ridge then pushing the bikes all the way back up again. Saving hours !
We decided to push on and try for Avebury that day.
We arrived mid evening and immediately stopped at the pub for refreshment :-D The freaks per squaremile meter was off the in the vicinity. But no trouble. just a friendly mixed bunch, Witches, Druids, Goths, Hippies and Students....
We left before dark for a 2 night bivvy in Avebury Drove - an ancient Drovers stop over, when taking stock to London to sell. It was quite busy with horsedrawn travellers, a couple of vans and a lovely MK with a horsebox on the back Mmmmm.
Its a wonderful spot to stop up in, and I bumped into a few old friends (Sorry my phone was dead Jamie, would have been great to have met up)
Ahh the blissful comfort of the hennessy for a couple of nights.
Then of course there was the the joy of watching the sunrise Solstice morning, from within the Ancient Stone circle of Avebury. No Police with generators and flood lights, and Party people stirring it up ! Well worth the trip. :-D
Rich