Any question answered...

I gave myself achiles tendonitis in my left ankle as a result of doing too many miles and hills at too a high a pace recently.

I have had 17 complete rest days off the bike (apart from daily stretching). All swelling has gone and the tendon is painless when stretched in any direction and/or pinched touched. It has been painless for three full days.

Should I go for a pootle for a few miles today or should I er on the side of caution and give myself another couple of days to recover before getting back on the bike?

sounds like its alot better. I would go on a little ride.