The ford at Middle Duntisbourne

The frost and what was left of any lying snow suddenly thawed at lunchtime. I decided to go for a drive which would not only get us out of the house, but it would recharge the battery on our big car which seldom moves these days. Helena wanted to come for a ride too which was good.

I headed east to Cirencester on the main road and then drove north from there towards Gloucester, but soon took the back roads. Within a mile the road became single track and once we reached the bottom of a small vale, we headed for the Duntisbournes. They are a series of tiny hamlets built around farms lying at the bottom of the valley of the River Dunt, flowing down to Cirencester eventually feeding into the River Thames.

There is a ford at each of the hamlets where the road crosses the valley bottom. I love these old settlements although much of thast affection stems from when I first knew the area back in the 1970s, before the preponderance of weekend cottages developed. Now they tend to be rather twee but you can still find parts that have the air of classic Cotswold hamlets.

I blipped a view a view of Duntisbourne Leer nearly eight years, and we did cross the river there today . But before that I'd taken this picture of the ford beside Manor Farm at Middle Duntisbourne which I prefer. I've marked it on the map link.

PS 
There is a notable ancient Saxon church of St Michael beside the river, a bit further downstream at Duntisbourne Rouse, which is also worth visiting if you are in the area.