Oh England.

After hurtling down the motorway for hundreds of miles with Faithless cranking from the van's surprisingly good sound system we leave the M5 and head off into the lanes of the Cotswolds. It's a hot sunny day so our minds turn to a nice country pub, a beer garden in the sun and a nice pint or two. 

We drive randomly through the lanes in roughly the direction of Bath. Heading down a steep lane and into Uley and there's the pub, there's the beer garden and there's the beer. Award winning beer from Uley Brewery about 500m down the road too. 

We've time to kill so a quick Google turns up a short walk up to and around Uley Bury an Iron Age fort. This has many benefits; first of all we are not in a rush, secondly the pint of Pigs Ear at 5% precludes driving for a little while and thirdly after a little walk there's the opportunity for another (weaker) beer. 

The guide mentioned the 1 1/2 mile walk was dog friendly with only a few stiles, perfect for a couple of Aussies who haven't really used their legs for two months. 

Once we struggled up and across the meadows to the Bury the views w

ere fantastic especially to the north and west over the Severn Estuary and towards the Brecon Beacons. Buzzards soared, kestrels hovered and gliders of the man made variety swooped through the sky above us. 

Back in the pub for a pint of Uley Bitter the bar was crowded with burly tattooed local blokes chatting in thick local accents about the progress or otherwise of their veggie gardens and telling ferret stories. 

Oh England. 

    Uley Village

     With a pint of Pigs Ear.

 

    Doing the round of Uley Bury.

   ... under the locals' scrutiny.