July 10th, being very close to the summer solstice, 7 of us took advantage of the extended daylight hours to take our longest ramble of the year – nearly 9-miles.  The weather was partly cloudy and mild – ideal for such a sojourn.

Our route took us to Blewbury, up to the Whiteshoot Stables (at Woodway) and then easterly on a permissive path.  This stretch provides attractive views to the North that are different from any other location that we traverse.  The purpose of the permissive path is to give a route into the Oven Bottom access land.  We crossed this access land from north to south and emerged to walk beside Grim’s Ditch to a clearly seen byway that runs beside Langdon Hill and eventually crosses Chalk Hill Bottom.

Just before reaching the Reading Road we encountered another permissive path that leads to access land labelled Lid’s Down.  We used this path to reach the Reading Road right across from a path that parallels Spring Lane.  Unfortunately we had to make an undignified crossing of a barb-wired, 5-bar gate, but this gave us the safest place to cross the dreaded Reading Road.  In Aston Upthorpe we picked up the bridle path that skirts Blewburton Hill and terminates at Winterbrook Farm.  A short walk on Bessels Lea Road and Berry Lane brought us bak to the familiar footpath that runs past the old BSW to bring us out at the Causeway in East Hagbourne and finally Upper Cross.  Statistics?  8.9-miles in 3.5-hours.  Lots of great views and wild plums – ripe and sweet – dropping already.