Day 3: East Ilsley to Letcombe Regis

 

After a very difficult night I decided I wouldn't walk today. I messaged my doctor back in London to see if was possible for her to prescribe some antibiotics for me that I could collect from a pharmacy in the nearest  town. I chose the small town of Wantage which would be the closest to where everyone would be staying tonight. Today's walk of 11 miles on an exposed ridgeway was going to be too much for me. Sometimes you just know.   I wasn't ready to give in and go home but I thought a day of taking it easy might help me get through the week. The only way for me to get to Wantage would be via a taxi.

After waving the others off I thought it would be easy to arrange transport. Not so. The majority of taxi firms I contacted only dealt with prearranged trips and didn't have any vehicles available that day. Eventually I found a much bigger company ( I think they were based in Reading) that could pick me up within the hour and drive me the 9 miles to Wantage. 

After that it worked well. By the time I got to the pharmacist in Wantage the antibiotics were waiting for me. I then had plenty of time to look around the town. I started at the Vale and Downland Museum which had exhibits from fossils to a Formula One racing car.   

A bust of John Betjeman (1906-84) adorns the front of the museum. An English poet and writer who I assume must have lived in the locality at some point.  

There was a skeleton of an Anglo Saxon woman from 526-575AD

Market Cross given to the Lord of the manor in 1580. the cross was probably destroyed by Cromwell's army. these pieces were discovered in a garden in the 19th cent.

Williams Racing is a Formula One team based in Wantage and usually there is a Formula One car on display in the museum but they are updating the display so there was nothing there today.

I wandered round the town, through the square,

browsed in a bookshop and then found a cafe to have some lunch.

This used to be an Old Town Hall built in 1877.

After lunch I made my way out of town for the 2 mile walk to the pub in Letcombe Regis where we would be staying that night.

I walked on the roads as I didn't have a map to help me find the right footpath.

I got to The Greyhound about an hour before the others. Too early to check in so once the others arrived we all had a cream tea in the garden (scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream).

We have been so lucky with the weather. Although showers were forecast we somehow keep managing to dodge them.

There was still time left to have a look around the village before our rooms were ready.

Once we were able to check in, I went for a rest. The rooms were very spacious and Tina and I even had a small lounge. The food was also excellent.

So it was fingers crossed that I would feel well enough to continue the walk in the morning.