Saturday, 3 July 1943
Log of a Cycle Tour to North Wales, by Roy Spurgeon, with Leslie Lee. 2 July 4 July
The day dawned with a very damp mist which did not look at all bright. Most of us felt stiff from sleeping on the wooden unsprung beds but, following a cold breakfast, the mist having cleared, we set course for our last hosteI, Batheaston, at 1030 hours (2136.2).
Going due South we passed through Highworth, a large village with little of note but a fairly steep main street and then turned off right to join the main road from Swindon to Cricklade. This road took us North West, our idea being to avoid Swindon.
We passed several gangs of Italian prisoners doing road work and, after a fast ride, we arrived at Cricklade at 1125 hours (2148.5). Cricklade is a fairly large place with a wide main street and is built entirely of the grey stone so common to these parts. Here the party became separated in search of the inevitable cup of tea; Grif and I, having lost the rest, set course for Malmesbury without any tea. The road out of Cricklade was such a narrow hole in the houses that if it had not been for Grif, I should have missed it.
The sun was blazing hot by this time, but we made good time, reaching Malmesbury at 1230 hours (2160.3) - in plenty of time for lunch, after passing through the villages of Leigh and Minety and the particularly pretty Charlton. We secured a fine lunch in the High Street and then set out to view the town; we inspected the outside of the famous Benedictine Abbey from all directions, as well as the old market cross. Portions of the Abbey date from 1150 and it is noted for its beautiful Norman porch. The market cross was built in the 16th Century. The town itself, which is quite large, grew up round the Abbey and was for a long time famous for the manufacture of cloth, an industry which is still carried on there.
We left for Chippenham at 1330 hours (2160.7) and went through Corston, past Hullavington airfield, then, feeling very hot, we rested on the grass verge for a time before carrying on to Chippenham, which we reached at 1455 hours (2170.3). We had tea in a small baker's shop, then went further into the town over the long, old bridge, rebuilt in 1796, which carries the main road over the River Avon. While prospecting in the High Street, we met the rest of the party once more, We had lost them in Cricklade when they had stopped for tea and when they had got going again they had taken a slightly different route to Malmesbury, on a second class road passing through Braydon and Garsdon. It was while they were running down into Malmesbury that the only serious spill of the whole trip occurred. Pat ran down the hill too fast and was unable to take a sharp and very unexpected bend at the bottom. The rest of the party admitted that they had narrowly averted disaster but Pat went right up the grass bank, scraped her handlebars along the stone wall at the top, then fell off, rolled down the bank and finished up in a bed of stinging nettles at the bottom. Total damage - several large bruises, which, however, the male members of the party were not allowed to see, and a good many stings from the nettles, which we all saw ! A very fortunate escape. Pressed to give a repeat performance for the benefit of Grif and myself, Pat said she reaIly couldn't as she "couldn't remember what she did".
After this adventure, the party had had lunch near the old Market Cross in Malmesbury and had then come on to Chippenham by the same route as we had followed.
Reunited in Chippenham High Street, we had tea (for Grif and I the second time) and then turned right out of the town on to the main road to Bath. Passing through Corsham and running down the long Box Hill (a magnificent ride), we went through Box itself and arrived at Bathampton, back once again in Somerset. All the way down from the top of Box Hill, we were afforded a magnificent view across the valley of the Avon. We stopped for a drink of "sparkling special" in Bathampton and then rode up to the hostel at Batheaston, arriving there at 1800 hours (2183.4).
We settled in, had our photograph taken by a cooperative hosteller and, after supper, amused ourselves by the side of the Avon until it was time for bed, Ernst insisting upon having his fortune told (by machine) before retiring. The weather was as hot on this day as any we had experienced.
Total cycling distance for the day 47.2 miles.
Next day: 4 July