Day 47 - Stonhenge to Bath - ride total 3,528 k, 21,905 m

 Just as wew were about to leave the Hostel it began to rain so I decided to swap the wind jacket for the raincoat. We had a short distance on sealed road before we headed onto a grassy track for about 10 km that was fun to ride. When we cleared that we were riding through yet another military rifle (and other) firing range that covered quite a large area as we were in/beside it for a few km's. As well as the "don't touch" sign (coz it might explode) there was also the graphic sign of the tank crossing the road - without any suggestion  of who gives way.


Unfortunately today there was no training going on so we didn't  get to hear or see any of the UK military hardware.

The pic of the orange dry bag also has the snake I saw on the side of the road!


We didn't hang around the Hostel for breakfast as that wasn't available until 10:00 which meant we were looking for breakfast en-route. We arrived at Pewsey and I asked a local if there was a Cafe where we could get breakfast and he directed us to the one just along from the King Alfred statue.


Today it was a full English along with some toast and jam. Yes I was quite full however with some forwrad thinking it meant I was more than happy with a "Devonshire Tea" for lunch. As it turned out by lunchtime we were down alongside the Devizes canal and there was  an old school English Tea Rooms that was opened by Prince Charles in 2003! and they did Devonshire Tea so I have had my first scone, clotted cream and Jam since arriving in England.


This was my second time to ride down the Devizes Canal - this canal has 50 locks spread over a very short distance of which probably 25 of them are nose to tail as they take the canal traffice either up or down Caen Hill. We stopped to watch two barges entering the lock going upstream and then the fellow going downstream was by himself so wer were able to help him by closing the lock doors after he had motored through.


All but the last km or so of the ride from Devizes was beside the canal which was very busy with narrow boats going up and down. The canal boats cover the full gambit with a few vey nice boats/barges, a great number in the middle of rental and private boats and then a few right at the end of life to derelict state.


Tonight our accommodation happens to be in the "St Christoper's Hostel - worthy of a pic I thought.











Comments

  1. Anonymous15 August 2024 at 17:26

    Is that snake alive or dead! Eww!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous22 August 2024 at 03:06

    Dead (I think). Look closely and you will see I'm using a zip tie to lasso it...

    ReplyDelete

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