Walking in circles

I have a preference for circular walks rather than the linear variety, they seem eminently more satisfying and throw in the clockwise or counter clockwise option and 'Bob's yer uncle, Charlie's yer aunt', a great walking route.  The other little option that I often factor in is my ability to got lost, if only just a little lost, time  after time.   This is exacerbated by a phone with battery on it's last legs as I come to the end of my contract, so GPS and mapping on the phone is not available when I want it.
I am thinking of buying a small solar portable charger for the new phone when it is time to update so that I don't find myself minus a map when I need one.   In the meantime, I will invest in an OS map of this area because the walking in the Braunston area is really rather good.

 

Heading out across country towards the village of Barby from Braunston I have climbed a hill and looking back, what a view!

 

Barby windmill now sadly minus it's sails

A style with a difference...see the plywood board hanging down

 

Now why would I be photographing styles you might ask... Well, as Jill of Nb Matilda Rose, would testify, styles are pretty significant when out walking with Floyd.   Fletcher just bounces over a style, easey-peasey and he will bounce back again just to show Floyd how to do it. 

Floyd just sits and looks at it and getting him up-an-over when it is not a dog friendly style is a real struggle.  So this style was a real treat and recorded here specifically for Jill.

 

The plywood board was hinged and here it is propped open so I could get the photo.  This proved altogether acceptable to Floyd and I continued our walk without the potential slipped disc from hoicking him over a barrier.
Shortly after this stretch of our tramp I expected to come over the brow of a hill and see the North Oxford canal...
Someone had stolen it or I had miscalculated.
I pressed onward.
Soon I came across a couple of other walkers, the first I had seen, and asked about the canal
'Where are you heading?' they asked
'Braunston.'  I replied.
'Blimey, that s long way!'
'Is it?' heart sinking...

Well as it turned out I hadn't miscalculated, well not that much anyway.  I was soon in sight of the ditch and joined the canal at bridge 79 which has been rebuilt over the winter.  Another hour's walking and I was back where I started, circle completed.

Bridge 79, refurbished with some new coping stones

 

The cheeks of the re built bridge protected from collision damage