However, same plumbing and same birds woke us early from our slumber, but this time mixed with beating rain and a rattling sash-window where we mistakingly had left it open to aid our sleep. We shared the complimentary soap bar as we couln't ask for replacements for our used-up condiments as the hotel was un-Mark'd when we got back from the Inn in the Well last night, we make-do though.
Breakfast was a full Wiltshire for me and a ham & eggs for Lesley, all really fresh again cooked and served by our host. Mark appeared to be quite busy as there was a food festival close by and some of the stall-holders were staying and sharing breakfast also. Without being too rude, It appeared that two of the girl stall holders on an adjacent table must have been more than just exhibiting their wares, and had been doing it for many years! We certainly didn't rush to leave today as, (a) we had a relatively short day and (b) it was bucketing down with rain and little sign of any immediate let-up until after 11am. according to the Beeb weather app. Even more trepidation, this was to be our first day of hauling our full rucksacks that we now named as our tortoises due to the large 'shell' that we carried around with us and not of course for our walking speed or lack of it. When we looked back later however we seemed only to average just over 2 mph when taking into account all look-a-rounds, photo opportunities and snack stops! But then, it was never meant to be a race, just a nice steady challenge.
We paid our dues and bade farewell to Mark thanking him for an excellent stay. Fully togged-up now ready to retrace our steps up onto the Ridgeway where we left off yesterday. Passing by the same but now fewer red-lorries of the haulage company, Lesley stopped to take a picture of the small lane, yesterday a pleasant down-hill stroll in the sun, today a sharp 1 mile upward, with a flowing river underfoot, rain beating on our faces, our tortoises snug in their bright yellow rain covers and us snug and happy in our full waterproofs.
Reaching the Ridgeway once again we set off, passing our first of seemingly many golf courses we would come across, with this one having just a few hardy golfers, pitching their skills against the ball, wind and rain. Almost exactly as the weather app had predicted, it stopped raining, leaving the rest of the day very pleasant indeed, if not rather on the gusty side. Waterproofs taken off and now with views back behind us to our last night's stay and a mast to focus forwards on in the distance, all was well with life again. A straight elevated ridge walk led us to Liddington Hill Castle Fort, a strategically built prominence now only sadly tasked with overlooking the conurbation of Swindon. It dates from the late Bronze Age, early Iron Age and is one of the earliest settlements in Britain going right back to the 7th century BC.
Liddington Hill Castle Fort and Ridgeway
Our views as we turned the corner were facing ahead towards the direction we would be walking for the next 6 days but our goal, Ivinghoe Beacon, would be out of site for several more days yet. To our left we now looked over and beyond Swindon towards the Cotswolds where a feeling of space and elevation definitely lifted us from the early morning mizzle and gloom. This euphoria was soon lost to what we call the "M4 section" which proved eventually to be the biggest disappointed of the whole Ridgeway path. We knew it was coming, as we read the books, but nothing prepares for the trail entering the B4192 sharing the narrow sloping verge with traffic as we followed the way marks downhill and then right, into the road that takes us across the noisy M4. This next road section, although only about 15minutes of walking, had little or no verges. A sign on the motorway bridge advised us that no stopping was allowed, why would you? We certainly didn't intend to! Traffic passing us were by and large, very courteous, taking a wide berth or stopping to let us through. Taking to the left and safer side by crossing the road onto a nicely mowed verge, that was the home of PGL outward bound centre, which may explain what we came across a few minutes later. Lunch was taken in the bus shelter with a pleasant seat before leaving the road thankfully and ascending a hill back on the proper Ridgeway track again.
Rejuvenated by food, we passed by, only pausing briefly, to observe a group of school kids that were being judged by their mentors, pondering how to get a large bucket of water across the path with just the assistance of two sticks and a small rope. The path asceded again and views came back with the sound and memories of the M4 diminishing quickly behind us. The trail became flat along a well defined by-way for several miles with a good spell of sunshine and the view of Swindon disappearing at last. 
Walking past Charlbury Hill we paused at a lovely valley-cutting, probably an ancient glacial field with a footpath down to Bishopstone village. I popped through the gate for a p-hoto and saw something strange in the ground that turned out to be a complete coconut-shy, with a bag of balls and 6 coconuts with eyes! Why not?
Walking on, we rested at Idstone Barn on a convenient bale of hay for refreshments, still in the sunshine but out of the gusty wind that was rattling the corrugated tin roof. With just about 10 minutes walking to our turn-off for the day the sky turned threatening again and to avoid the rigmarole donning our wet gear again so close to home, we sheltered under trees at the Ashbury turn. In the bushes and covered by foliage was a sign advertising our stop for the coming night, very easily missed if you are on the actual path! The rain stopped as we paced across the field and down a damp and overgrown path, passing the church and into the pretty village of Ashbury.
Our pub, The 16th Century Rose & Crown looked welcoming but was sadly closed as it appeared that no one was in when we knocked at the reception door, bit of an anti-climax! So we waited and I paced around for about 45 minutes before a girl eventually let us in the front door, saying to Lesley we weren't due to 5pm. However soon forgotten as the room was fabulous, large, nicely furnished, great views and a big walk-in shower, that was soon flowing with hot water, cleaning and revitalising our bodies. Beer was great with a good choice of local Arkells ales. The food menu was a bit limited but it was a Monday and we were pleased they served food as so many pubs do not on these quiet nights. 
So our tip is it's always good to check first. We both tried to guess where our female host emanated from and I settled on Portugal as she sounded and had the mannerisms of female version of Jose Mourinho, but I could be wildly wrong of course. Food was good and after we chatted at the bar with a hospitable and local barmaid who managed to pour us a couple of inadvertently large Courvoisier (it wasn't her fault landlord she was distracted) by overflowing the measures considerably, to finish our night off. Whilst sipping and planning tomorrow, strangely a group of 6 Nepalese-ish men came in and ordered lagers followed by a couple of double Talisker malt whiskies, sharing between them. They pondered over the menus seemingly unhappy with the choice, ordering eventually a couple of burger meals and 4 pigeon starters as mains, between them, as perhapsnothing really suited them. I am not sure what the Nepalese-ish palette prefers or why they were in a small Wiltshire village? However they took more lagers, as we said our good-nights. It looked a long and confusing night for the bar-staff!