From a field near Gillingham . to an autumn safari..

I arrived to an audience of very suspicious cows in the next field.  The rain shower had passed quickly to a nice evening with gentle winds.   It's due to be cold tonight - 6°C, so I have a three season sleeping bag and two sleeping mats, one for warmth and one for comfort, plus bivi bag and tarp in case it rains.  And some warm clothes, just in case.

I had a leisurely evening meal, after pitching the tarp to avoid cowpats (I hope).  Cornish Pasty and Dorset Apple Cake from the café in Broad Chalke.  It was delicious.   There were midges about but they weren't biting - maybe too late in the season.  A bit later on a bat or two were flitting over the tarp, feasting on the midges.  Lights out by 7.30 pm.

It was a long, cold night.  I put on every bit of watm clothing, and that kept nearly merely cool until about 6.15, when dawn was stealing over the landscape and the cows came over to say good moo-rning, a noisy form of alarm clock.  The tarp was dripping with dew but I was dry underneath: a success.  I took a long time wiping the tarp dry, and by the end I had freezing hands.

Then followed a magical fifteen miles of cycling, on NCN25.  The mist was lying in the valleys, with scarlet and gold trees emerging in the morning sun.  After visiting Zeals (famous from its road sign on the A303), I climbed a valley to Stourton, an estate or possibly a National Trust village with extensive gardens.  Worth a visit, I would say.  NCN25 ignores the signs saying Only Estate Vehicles, and draws up in state outside the Palladian mansion.  There were also two cafes, in case you were wondering.

Stourton

Up along the top of the ridge for quite a way, enjoying the views, before turning into Longleat.  More signs; Ticket Holders Only Past This Gate (more like a triumphal arch), which NCN25 also ignores, taking you right to the house itself, which may or may not be Palladian, but was all done up for Halloween and Christmas visitors.

View

Longleat

Past the house, a sign said " Danger: Wild Animals". I sniggered, thinking perhaps there were some wild sheep or horses. Then I saw the hippos. Through another No Entry sign (you have to be either confident, or desperate) and I went past the Safari Park, with a distant view of a herd of giraffe. ?giraffes?

Hippos

Thousands of spiders' webs

Giraffes

The best thing: since I planned thevroute in January, and was riding it in reverse, I had no idea that there treats were in store for me.  Brilliant.