“Day 2 arrived on our guided Foot Trail, Kings and Kingdoms led by David and myself (Alison).
By early morning temperatures had already reached 26°C (79F) and it was clear that we would need to be sensible and smart to beat the heat. (Today was to be the hottest June day on record). As we did on day 1, the plan was to take regular drinks breaks, rest frequently in the shade, and slow our pace to prevent overheating.
This approach served the eight of us well. Allowing us to walk four miles in the morning. We were exploring the Fonthill Estate today, home to the current Lord Margadale. David shared stories of the estate’s past including its former abbey and the life of the colourful history of William Beckford Junior.
The morning brought wonderful views through the valley where men would have ridden on horseback in the 18th century. Regular water breaks kept us hydrated and our famous tinned fruit sweets bought a welcome sugar boost!
At lunchtime the sight of our country pub was very welcome. We all enjoyed a delicious ploughman’s lunch with pickled onions, Wiltshire ham, cheddar cheese, celery, tomatoes and chutney. And iced water!
The group discussed whether to walk in the afternoon since temperatures had now reached the early to mid 30’s. Fuelled, rested and rehydrated we all felt we wanted to walk the three miles to our next country inn for the night. So with our ‘beat the heat’ approach we set off ionce again.
Our trail took us through a wonderful meadow, where tall grasses swayed gently in the breeze and bright meadow flowers dotted through the grasses. Here butterflies danced around the grasses making for a very pretty sight.
We admired pretty country cottages with thatched roofs and spotted the odd buzzard overhead on the thermals. Every piece of woodland was extremely welcome. With the temperatures a few degrees cooler we lapped up the sight of the bright green leaves.
And then, in the distance, there was the village of Hindon, its church spire peeking through the tree line.
As we approached we could see the pretty cottage-lined high street and at the top of the high street our inn awaited! We celebrated with a cheer and a round of cool drinks. We had walked seven miles.
In the evening, after everyone had checked in to their rooms and showered, we met for dinner together.
Thursday looks set to be the hottest day but there is talk of rain and thunder storms coming in, so we will see what the morning brings.
David, Alison and our guests are walking our Kings & Kingdoms trip in South West England. If you’d like to know more about this inn-to-inn trip, visit our trip page or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you.
