On Thursday evening 5th August eight members set off from Northleach in steady rain on a 4½ mile walk. From the market place we followed the Monarch's Way past The Old Prison to Hampnett. The paths crossed fields with crops and long grass soaking wet from the heavy rain meant we arrived at Hampnett very wet from the waist down; but at least it had stopped raining.

We did a short tour around this pretty village with its 12C church and origins which go back beyond the Doomsday Book of 1086.

We continued along the Monarch's Way on farm tracks to reach a local reservoir; and after a stretch of road walking we crossed the A429 and continued on bridle ways past Winterwell Barn to Helen's Ditch before descending into Northleach.

We arrived back at the cars just as it started to rain again. After the walk we retired into the Sherborne Arms for a well-earned drink.

The Market Place in Northleach

Steady rain on our way to Hampnett

We reach Hampnett

Hampnett village

Close encounters of the animal kind