Woo. Writing this the following afternoon I'm still enjoying the power of natural happy chemicals, the tips of my feet sting slightly thanks to some blisters but my legs feel fantastic; not a twinge, ache or sore anywhere.
The mileage total has a kilometre to the bus stop added on for the day. The route all the way home was marked to 18.5 miles but I decided half-way between Nash and Thornborough that I'd aim for a pint and a cab home once I got to the Two Brewers.
Along through Dunton village to join the footpath north for a good three or four kilometres of wonderful, uninhabited countryside with enough variety underfoot to keep things interesting. By now the sky had mostly cleared and the sun was warming my neck as I walked toward my shadow once again, this time with morning light. The water tower at Mursley acts as a natural landmark to head toward.
The village itself is pretty enough: the usual mix of new and old houses, wandering cats, people gardening and kids riding scooters. As you leave the village on the footpath, the water tower appears to your right behind the raised bank of a small reservoir. I liked this view but for some bizarre reason didn't get a photo.
After a few fields you cross the old railway track with sturdy embankments either side. I stopped here after seven miles, rolled my sleeves up and had my first break, ate half my supplies and chatted with Tess for fifteen minutes before setting off again towards Norbury Coppice, east then north through Broadway Wood and across the A421. Here I was amazed at the ability of the wood to cut out the noise of the road - it was only about fifty metres away that I began to hear the heavy Saturday lunchtime traffic and without woods on the other side the noise lasted for a fair kilometre before becoming almost too quiet to notice.
The path leads alongside Thickbare and Thinbare Woods - what glorious names! - and up to Whaddon. To my right approaching the village I could see Kingsmead, the most south-westerly development of Milton Keynes, less than a kilometre across the fields. It empathised with life-long residents of the village who must have seen MK gradually creep towards them as the land is sold off to developers and the city fills its boots. I'm not sure how I'd handle that kind of threat to my home town, and for the first time I was disappointed to see modern development getting so close to rural life.
Here, after ten miles of north, a few of west. Following the North Bucks Way to Nash and lunch, finishing my supplies and my water. Another two kilometres and another break, this time to find out which of two paths to take, but I ended up sitting on a stile for ten minutes before going again. It was by this point it was becoming apparent I wouldn't make it all the way back to Buckingham; I knew I had blisters coming along on my toes and one on my heel and I was starting to enjoy it less and less. By the time I'd got into Thornborough I resigned myself to a pint and a cab home. The pub was shut, no disaster. I caught a cab home, bathed, massaged and chilled for the evening.
I'd repeat this walk in an instant. I'll try it again with more stops, tighter boots and more supplies. Something I couldn't slot in above was a wonderful experience with three Greater Spotted Woodpeckers. I was trying to take a photo of the branch in this picture, honest.
I got so close to this one I could see him looking at me. Unfortunately my camera ran out of battery before I had a chance to get the manual focus working properly, the process of which I'll definitely have to learn before trying it again five seconds from a shot at almost full-zoom. If it were an SLR I'd have it in an instant but with this handy digital it's a little more tricky.
Lovely walk. Here's looking toward twenty miles.
