Yesterday we headed over to the Cotswolds for a walk and to buy some cheese. The weather forecast looked set fair and as we drove west from Northamptonshire we could see blue sky ahead of us. Arriving at Bourton-on-the-Water there was the usual chaos at the main car park but we got parked pretty quickly. Even in late February the town is packed of visitors but we soon left them behind as we walked out of the urban area and into the surrounding countryside.

Our walk was a loop from Bourton to the Slaughters and back; only about five miles, but enough to stretch the legs after a week at work. The sun kept appearing from behind springlike fluffy clouds and we could feel a little warmth in its rays. However, there was also a keen cool wind which kept the temperatures down when we were out of the shelter of field walls and hedges.

As we wandered up a long rise we could hear skylarks above our heads and across the fields; the first time we’ve heard them this year. There was also a pair of red kites circling in the wind and hanging above the valley. Eventually, we dropped down the other side of the hill and into Upper Slaughter, the chocolate box village, lit up brightly by the sun.

In Lower Slaughter, after negotiating some muddy fields, we even managed to have lunch outside at the pub, only to then get wet as the rain came down on the last leg back into Bourton.

While the walk was the main purpose of the visit, we had to stop at Stow-on-the-Wold on the way home to visit the excellent cheese shop!

Yesterday was really the first taste of spring we’ve had but today has gone back to winter with strong winds, rain and lower temperatures. We’re still in February, so yesterday was really just a very early bit of springlike weather and I suspect we might have to wait a little longer for some more.