Leaving Wantage in the car and heading over the Downs through driving rain to the start point I was anticipating a bit of an miserable day. But, lo and behold, by the time I parked in Hungerford the sun was actually shining! Against all our expectations we felt not a drop of rain all day, although the strong westerly wind never let up.

We made our way west, mostly on sheltered back lanes through spectacular autumn colours. Pausing briefly at Little Bedwyn to admire the quirky triple bridge that crosses the canal, railway and river there, the group expressed their delight with this hidden spot and the lovely view of the lock that it afforded as we portaged our bikes over the footbridge. Criss-crossing the Kennet & Avon canal we were entertained by splashing through some impressive puddles and overcoming the headwind. Honeystreet cafe was doing good trade but we managed to snag a prime table and top notch breakfasts. Now, slightly over refuelled, we benefited from the strong tailwind and beat back to Hungerford almost effortlessly.

In conclusion - an unexpectedly nice day out.