A beautiful day out in the Cotswolds!

Having ridden out from Wantage, Dave joined Libby and I at Burford. The unpleasant climb on the busy A424 out of Burford soon gave way to more peaceful lanes through Fifield, Kingham and Evenlode. The arm warmers were removed at Moreton in Marsh where we enjoyed leisurely coffees sitting outside in the sun. Back on the bikes Batsford Park looked splendid with a multitude of young foals accompanying their mothers. The section of road from Batsford through Draycott and Broad Campden to Chipping Campden is undulating but flows nicely through these unspoilt (and at that time not yet heaving with tourists) Cotswold villages.

A variant on the originally posted route had come to my mind and everyone expressed a preference for the climb up from Saintbury to Broadway Tower for lunch rather than the climb up Snowshill from Broadway after lunch. However the first kilometre out of Saintbury was rather steeper than expected, though fortunately mostly in shade. The gradient then relented and we were soon up on the Cotswold plateau. The tower and the nearby cafe were busy but there was a spare table in the garden and the lunch orders soon arrived.

By the time we started the return ride the temperature had crept up to a very respectable, but still comfortable, 23degC. The hordes of tourists in Bourton on the Water slowed us down a little before a last big climb through Great Rissington and a rapid run in to Burford. Dave headed off for a well-deserved ice cream before setting off back to Wantage - Libby and I found our cars in the now-packed car park.

Thank you both for your excellent company!