Wobbling Winos: Day 4. Wilton to Charlton Horethorn.

Day 4. Wilton to Charlton Horethorn. 76 Km. 5:00 hrs

It was another beautiful day on the bike. We left Pat a little later after a substantial breakfast. We have now left Route 3 and followed Route 25 and 253 signs.The road to Broad Chalk took us up a long gradual hill through a forest which set the tone for the rest of the day.

The first 30 km was a gradual uphill through the beautiful Chalk Valley to Semley where we stopped at the Community Shop for a cup of coffee. We were served by an Indian lady curate to the Anglican Church who was doing 2 hrs of community service. We spotted quite a few of these Community Village Shops in the smaller Villages. They explained that people were moving out of the smaller villages which forced the shops to close. A movement to re-establish a shop by the community for the community was started. People can sell their produce and volunteer to do 2 hours work a day to keep the shop going. They also donate produce from their garden to be sold there. Such a fantastic initiative.

We saw a few more people on bikes and a couple from Salisbury doing a 5 day tour.

We managed to stay off the busy roads and people are generally very considerate of cyclists. As we cycled along the country roads flanked by hedgerows of Hawthorne, Hornbeam and Buddlea the air was thick with the with the perfume of rose, jasmine and honeysuckle; the essence of the English countryside.

After lunch in the park at Gillingham we took the wrong road so ended up on a busy road to Wincanton. A hasty u-turn, and found the small lane to Cucklington, then on to Templecombe before a steep descent to Charlton Horethorne where we spent the night with good friends Chris and Linda Ellsworth. Chris and Linda treated us to a delicious meal which included home grown veg. It was 20 years since we had last visited them in their home, Riversong, so it was lovely to catch up over a few drinks, a bowl of home-grown cherries and tasty meal.