A Taste of The Chilterns

Neither of us had cycle touring experience or, indeed, a touring bike. I had a road bike fitted with a pannier rack, while my companion, Bruce, had a mountain bike with a trailer. What we did have were a few days to spare and a detailed guide to the Chilterns.

Five minutes away from the bustle of Henley, we found it. Already we were cruising down seemingly traffic-free roads, nipping in and out of English country ham;gets where the humble Ford Focus was rarer than Maseratis out here.

"It was so quiet we could hear our tyres on the tarmac"