Day 8

The eight day of my Long Walk Home started from Frome about 9am and took me to The Courts garden in Holt. 

I had company today from Tim (a colleague from Castle Drogo who lives in Frome) and his two children. It was lovely to have some company after the last few days of walking on my own as it makes the time fly by! 

It was a very hot day and we walked along some lovely lanes a little Suffolkesque in places especially the arable fields. 

Castle's were a theme of the day and we walked past a couple.

Farliegh Hungerford Castle

 We continued walking through the rolling countryside and dropped down towards the Canal in Bradford on Avon. 

We arrived the 'The Cross Guns' pub for refreshment and shade (it was the hottest day so far on the walk!) and after a respite, continued along the canal to Bradford where Ice-cream was found. 

There I said goodbye to Tim and children and took the canal towpath towards Trowbridge where I escaped it at Staverton and took the road to Holt. I arrived at the Courts Garden by 5.30pm and it was still so hot! 

I met Paul, the head gardener, who welcomed me in to his home. A lovely evening was spent there looking at the beautiful garden and then a drink in the local pub with the other gardeners was a brilliant end to the first week and the first 100 miles. Thank you to The Courts team. 

The Courts garden - a haven in Wiltshire.

A drink in the local pub in Holt with the garden team from The Courts - thanks all for a great evening to the first week.