Butt Inn

The plan was to catch the local community bus to Newbury and visit the waterways festival beside the canal.  However Jan woke with a touch of vertigo so that plan was cancelled.  Instead, I managed a 25km walk on the north side of the canal doing a circuit through Woohampton, Midgham, Bucklebury, Stanford Dingley, Tutts Clump and Beenham.  It’s been a lovely warm and sunny summers day.  Unfortunately the previous days of rain have made many of the local footpaths very muddy.  Compounding the problem, the stinging nettles are waist high in many places.  However I did remember to carry the small camera and this time I even stopped to take a few photos.

Nice farm cottage near Midgham

Looking north around Bucklebury. 

Apparently the Middleton family (ie, Catherine Middleton Duchess of Cambridge) live in the area.  Never saw them!

Now this building near Stanford Dingley really interested me.  It looked quite squat but with a huge extension on the rear.

Jan had made a partial recovery by lunch time so we decided to treat ourselves to Sunday lunch at the local pub. 

The Butt Inn

It has only recently been renovated and re-opened after suffering serious flood damage a couple of years ago.  The meal was very nice.  I had the roast lamb and Jan had the roast beef.  Actually the beef was better than the lamb!  For dessert we had the crushed meringue with black cherries, raspberries, strawberries and cream <yummm>.  After that we staggered back to Waiouru where I completed a few minor wiring jobs.