We all slept pretty well and were ready for a full English breakfast. One of the things that has surprised me when planning for the Ridgeway is that for the first three days you will not pass a shop. Luckily the accommodation knows this and are ready to provide packed lunches (just in case the breakfast wears off).

The route started with a loop around Ogbourne St George, this added about 4km to the days total, and upon reflection we should have walked it last night, when we had time. Today would prove to be a long and tiring day, and avoiding those few kilometers may have helped our spirits at the end.

It was another superb day and there were quite a few water points on the route to supplement our packed lunches. In fact it was better than that, as in the heat of the day we happened across an old pub that had closed down and was now an Indian Restaurant. A pint of Cobra was perfect for these conditions.

The views were excellent, and we passed quite a few interesting points, including numerous “white horses” that we couldn’t see as they were down the slope. The most interesting being Wayland’s Smithy, a neolithic long barrow. It in the most spectacular setting, in a small copse of trees on the top of the Ridgeway.

We also crossed the M40 motorway, which is quite a landmark when you are walking across the country. As soon as we crossed it we started to see Red Kites (one of he few birds I can recognise), which I always consider to be a mark of the M40 motorway, so we must be heading in that direction.

It was a long hard walk today, and we were all very pleased to see the Greyhound pub in Letcombe Regis. It is a really fancy pub, good accommodation and really nice food. The beer was pretty good too!