This was a good ride, the weather was a huge improvement over the previous week’s. Sunny, cold and little wind. I headed north from home through Abingdon town centre and out towards Cumnor on the B4017 through Wootton. I crossed the A420 at Bessels Leigh and climbed steadily to Cumnor and rejoined the B4017. During the fast descent to Farmoor and past the reservoir I remembered I had to cross the Swinford toll-bridge and I had no money with me. I hope cyclists were free otherwise I was going to have to blag my way across. It was free!

I cycled into Eynsham and turned southwest on the B4449 as far as Sutton where at last I could join quiet country lanes. Sutton was the birthplace of my paternal grandfather and he lived in Sutton and Stanton Harcourt as a boy. There are several relatives buried in the churchyard in Stanton Harcourt. Just a short distance later I cycled through the tiny hamlet of West End which was where my paternal grandmother lived as a girl. I continued along the long curve through Northmoor and into Standlake.

A short distance on the A415 followed before I turned towards Aston. I …

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