Day 9 Chipping Warden to Epwell

Chipping Warden to Epwell

15 Miles

The landscape changed today. The gentle rises and falls that had made up the terrain through Rutland, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire were going to become more challenging, not to say exhausting.

There is an area to the north of Banbury known as the Dassett Hills. It is a very nice area with splendid views but to get anywhere in this region requires bobbing up and down across the roller-coaster countryside.

As you can imagine it was very tiring. Eventually I emerged at the top of Edge Hill, a steep escarpment overlooking the countryside to the west and was rewarded by the spectacular views across the Avon Valley. On a good day you can see as far as the Malvern Hills from here, but this was not one of those days.

Edge Hill is an historical location, for it was here on 23^rd October 1642 that the English Civil War began. The Royal Standard was raised on Edge Hill and tens of thousands of Parliamentarians and Royalists engaged in battle on the fields below. The result was indecisive and both sides eventually withdrew. The Civil War had begun.

The next three miles provided the most spectacular views yet. The gods looked down and graciously lifted the grey shower clouds to illuminate the vast panorama of fields spread out below.

View from Edge Hill

 

The path eventually turned away from the escarpment and path returned to its switch-back mode again, taking me along the hills through Shennington to the finish at Epwell. Shennington is officially the start of the Coswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The route from here will have more spectacular hills and valleys but be a lot harder walking.

I will also be walking through the area occupied by the Chipping Norton Set. Will David Cameron ask me for dinner without having to pay him £250K? Will I escape without having my phone bugged?