Michelle Tompkins makes it up the hill to the Village Inn at Liddington.

ANYONE who’s ever cycled through the countryside around Swindon will know that, whatever direction you go in, hills are unavoidable.

One of the shortest but sharpest can be found at Liddington, where the sudden steep incline takes you by surprise after a gentle, easy drop into the village.

The reward – sitting tantalisingly at the brow of the hill – is the Village Inn, where many a sweaty cyclist or runner has stopped to catch their breath, massage their cramp and refuel.

On the day we made it, with the sun blazing down on our backs, we had the added bonus of being able to sit in the pretty pub garden to sink our hard-earned drinks. Can there be anything nicer than drinking cider in the sun looking out on the rolling green Wiltshire countryside? Probably not.

The Village Inn couldn’t be more aptly named, serving not only ale and home-cooked food to the locals but also baked beans and washing up liquid from the corner of the pub which doubles up as the village shop.

I half expected a quiet wariness at the arrival of two Lycra-clad outsiders to their midst, but the welcome from everyone we encountered – from the young lad behind the bar to the villagers at the bar – was warm and exceptionally helpful. Village life obviously suits them up there because never once did their genuine smiles falter.

With another five miles of pedalling ahead to get us home, I decided to look at the lunch menu rather than a heavier meal, although with dishes like the fish-laden Liddington Smokie (£10.95) and a homemade steak and ale pie (£10.95) on the menu it took all my willpower not to settle in for the afternoon.

My eye was caught by the traditional Ploughman’s lunch – what better for a pub garden in summer? The choices were ham, pate, beef or cheese for £7.95 or a mix of two for £8.95, three for £9.95 or all four for £10.95. I opted for both ham and cheese (purely for the purposes of testing, you understand).

There was no such concern for his digestive system from my partner, who immediately spotted the pub’s speciality burger (£8.95), a man-sized whopper of a meal, served with homemade chips and onion rings.

We took our drinks to the garden to bask in the sunshine while we waited. The outdoor tables are flanked by the road on one side and the car park on the other, but such is the quiet nature of the village that there was very little to bother us.

Save for the occasional car rolling in, either to visit the pub or one of the houses nearby, we were left with the pleasant sounds of the birds and the bees as our soundtrack.

No more than 10 minutes later, our food was delivered. I wondered why the waiter seemed to be struggling and then I realised – so much for my lighter option; my Ploughman’s plate was groaning with the weight of a still warm, crusty baguette, three wedges of cheese (a creamy, oozing brie, a strong Cheddar and a tangy Stilton), two slices of thick Wiltshire ham, a giant salad and pickled onions the size of golf balls.

The burger was every bit as big as my partner had hoped too, crammed with a juicy slab of meat, melted cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. The chips were as advertised – definitely homemade – and the plate came with a dipping bowl of fiery salsa on the side.

We tucked in with little regard for the ride home. The combination of soft, warm bread and cool cheese is one of the best in the world – add in a bite of crisp, sour pickled onion and you’ve got a match made in heaven.

I certainly could have done without the extra ham, but I gave it a good shot anyway. It was cold and salty and a great value addition at just £1 extra.

The burger was demolished pretty sharpish too. The chips were declared “amazing... but I could have done with a few more” and, as something of a burger connoisseur, he gave this one a satisfying 8/10.

It took another half an hour before we could drag ourselves from our seats and get back in the saddle. I love riding my bike, especially on a sunny day, but for the first time I found myself wondering whether both bikes would fit in the back of a taxi.

It’s a good job Liddington hill was behind us... I’d have never made it to the top.