In the front of our guide book we found the lyrics to a song dedicated to walkers of the Cotswold Way. The author is one Ivor Gurney. I’m not sure if a Gurney is what I have, but I do have a real sense of achievement today, especially after conquering Wistley Hill (amongst others). Anyone who knows this terrain will understand. The Cotswolds are ‘an undulating series of Jurassic-age rocks including silts, clays and sands, as well as the famous Cotswold limestone which largely constitutes the surface layer’. Well that’s the official line. As far as I’m concerned it’s a series of ups and downs, some steeper than others, with fabulous views and an opportunity to soak up all that lovely fresh air but it’s fair to say that my muscles this evening attest to the fact that we seem to have tackled several of the more challenging ups and downs in our 10 mile, day 3 stretch.

After climbing Cleeve Hill, the highest point on the Trail, straight after breakfast, we followed the escarpment overlooking Cheltenham for a considerable distance, dropped through Dowdeswell Wood, climbed again through Lineover Wood,  up to the top of Wistley Heights, finally losing altitude on the final stretch to reach our overnight stay close to Seven Springs. It’s been a good day and, albeit short in comparison to yesterday, I feel a pat on the back is in order.

Weather wise it’s been a scorcher again – a proper Indian summer.  Any idea where that saying came from? Funny how we use expressions not necessarily knowing what they mean or the derivation. We debated an association with colonial visits after the English summer was over, and recalled some possible link with the Indian trade links but neither of us was actually certain. According to the BBC the term should more correctly be "Native American summer" but that doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?" It seems the native Americans of the north east coast depended quite heavily on a late period of sunshine to bring in their crops and this, rather than anything from the sub-continent, is the source of the expression. 

And so day 3 draws to a close. The alphabetical links may seem hidden today but are still lurking - Gurney, Heights and Indian summer - perhaps you spotted them. And I wonder how many are curious about that song? I won't quote it here (you can read it for yourself if you like http://allpoetry.com/poem/8540715-Walking_Song-by-Ivor_Gurney)  but will rather leave you with this image of the view looking back from above Cleeve Hill and with a Native American saying which appeals to us:

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors: we borrow it from our children"