We welcomed a new walker, Dawn, today as eleven of us set off in overcast warm and clammy weather. The recent rain left all the vegetation overgrown and wet but we enjoyed the Portway path through to the fields before Souldern and walked across to the path that comes out by Souldern Manor. On the way down Wharf Lane a very large Milk Tanker approached. It took up the whole road and forced us all into the long wet grass. The driver gave us a friendly wave as he eased the tanker past us. Vegetation was again tall along the canal, but we did return cheerful greetings to a couple of canal cruisers before we reached Aynho Wharf. The path back towards the motorway was very muddy in places, after recent rain. We passed under the motorway, encountered more mud and decided not to risk the ford, so took to the field edge round the copse and onto Millers Lane. We climbed the hill in Station Road up to the village and were soon enjoying our coffee and cakes. The walk was 6 miles in just under 2hrs.
