Thorpe Mandeville to Swineshead Bedfordshire
We wake up to a few drops of rain and realise today will be a wet one.
After a quick breakfast and a hot coffee we head for Northampton direction with a careful plan to scoot around the north side of it and hopefully before too many people are awake.
We pass through some awesome little villages like Cannons Ashby, Maidford, Litchborough, Bugbrooke, Kislingsbury before reaching the outskirts of Northampton.
By now there are a few people stirring but we get around the north of Northampton without too much fuss. We head for Pitsford then Moulton, Overstone, and Sywell.
Now Swineshead is getting closer and at midday we stop in Earls Barton to see a Saxon tower dating back to the 11th Century. Just as we arrive a wedding service in the church finishes and as the bride emerges from church the bells start chiming. It must be a special ring to announce the wedding as it continues for 10 minutes.
By now the rain had stopped long enough for us to have dried out so we have a light lunch and brew a cup of coffee before setting off on the last stretch.
We ride through Wollaston, Podington, Wymington and miss the turn to Newton Bromsword to end up in Rushden. This town is not so pretty and we leave it as quickly as we can headed for Newton Bromsword and Yieldon.
It now starts to rain again so when we reach Swineshead we are quite wet but not too cold. Barbara is very happy to see Suz and the two hug each other often. They are long time friends and soon are chatting away.
A hot bath, a good meal, phone calls to home and you have one very happy chap.
Father’s day tomorrow and a planned rest day….man I am happy!!!!
Eugene on a bike somewhere in the world