Keeping dry feet.

We had a very lazy morning with me going for the paper and milk from the Sainsbury's down the road. We then sat and read the paper, listened to the Archers Omnibus and then Desert Island Discs. Eventually we summoned up energy to go for a walk to the east of Aylesbury. The area we walked in was very low laying in a very shallow valley. It seems that the whole area is an emergency flood water holding area. There are banks around the houses and spills over from drains and streams to divert water into shallow fields that are enclosed by more banks. The fields are just used as pasture and are there to take excess surface water when required. It looks like they have been in place a few years now, but there were floods in Aylesbury this February!

The emergency flood pastures are just rough grazing now and are quite extensive either side of the canal.

Up towards the high ground and the village of Bierton is St Osyths Well. St Osyth was a daughter of a Mercian King of around 650AD. She was handed to a Christian King of East Anglia. However she had already vowed to be celibate. On here wedding day her husband agreed that she could carry out that vow and she went to live in a nunnery. I think her husband should have been made a Saint too! It was said that where she walked a spring would appear and would be constant. At the nunnery she was killed by attacking Danes and her body brought to Aylesbury. Miracles were said to regularly occur. The Catholic Church didn't like this so they moved her body to a secret location about 1500.

St Osyths Well near Bierton. The well in the walled enclosure feeds the pond in front of it. There is a Victorian hand pump near the benches on the left. The well marked the centre of the village that straggled along the road as it was the only water. It wasn't until between the wars that piped water arrived at the village and the shape changed there after.

Maize growing in a field leading down to the canal.

There are several pits near to the canal. I expect that they were from old sand or clay pits as the area was well known for brick making. There were a few fisherman using these small lakes. It is a shame these 'sportsmen' don't take their rubbish home as the place looked aweful with all the stuff left loafing. One of the tents did smell of funny tobacco too.

We crossed the canal and went to find an ice cream at a rare breeds farm on the map. The place was pretty run down and was working as a sort of petting zoo. I don't think that I would take my kids there but for an ice lolly it was fine.

Once we were back on the boat we had a cup of tea and read a bit of the paper before I set to drain the water from the engine to change the coolant/antifreeze. Afterwards I ran the engine to temperature and all seemed well. I filled up with water too. As I was doing this the sound of a piston engined plane came closer. I looked up and flying right over head was an American four engined plane. I think that it was a B17 bomber from WWII. About an hour later it returned on the opposite heading. It may have been the Sally B, Europes last flying B17 bomber. It made a lovely sight.