A Somerset Way from Bath to Barnstaple

Saturday 30th May  Bath to Blagdon

Field and road walking some of which on the Limestone Link path
22 miles approx

An early start today with a bit of off the map walking to begin with. Since I ended up at the campsite last night I had decided that I wouldn't bother walking into Bath itself, that I would leave that to another day. So this morning I would cut across eastward and southward, walking off my maps and see if I can eventually find the limestone link path.  I was walking by 6:50am and heading out on minor roads hoping that I would take the correct turns as I came across them. Luckily the road I was on kept a generally South Easterly direction and about an hour in to the day I noticed that I had crept onto the top of one of my maps. I then followed a line of local and hardly trod field paths directly south towards Timsbury. These paths were either ploughed out or overgrown enough to be difficult to get through wearing a pack. Just outside Timsbury I sat down in a field and enjoyed the sun, waiting for shops to open. Just inside the village I found a COOP and was able to get some supplies. I looked for the Post Office, which showed on the map, but it was closed and there was no visible trace. I wanted to post my map for the Cotswold way but it would have to wait. Outside where the post office would have been, I found an old track that would lead me down to the Limestone Link path. The link path uses the route of an old railway line and an older canal. The canal having been mainly filled in with all being left are some pools and swampy ground in places. This made for nice walking, with tracks, field paths and some wooded areas. I came off the path at Clutton to find that the Post Office, in this little village, was still there!!! I bought stamps a pen and an envelope and posted my maps back home. I was sweating cobbs by now with the day being really sunny and warm. The way out of the village wasn't at all clear as the path disappears after the messy yard of Chalwell farm. After a bit of walking about, beside some very lively bee hives, I guessed the way and found that the path went through a field that had been ploughed and planted. I eventually came out into grassy fields and sat in the sun having lunch whilst watching people sat outside a pub about a mile down in the valley at the bottom of the hill in Camelay.

I came to the road and decided to stay on it towards the little village of Hinton Blewett where I rejoined the way just outside the village as it drops very steeply down from another hill called Prospect Stile. I managed to break my walking stick on the way down as I struggled in the muddy ground. It had been with me for many miles walking in this and other countries and I wasn't at all happy. Walking now without the stick for support I pressed on to West Harptree where I found the Post Office and bought some more drinks. It was really hot and I was feeling it and looking for shade. Following the way again on field paths towards Compton Martin I found that the path had been erased where it would have gone through someones garden. I walked into the garden to have a look but eventually had to drop down to the road and then back up another road further on. The Green Plantation must be fairly new as the trees were all quite young and didn't offer much shade. I eventually made it to Blagden which was downhill but on the wrong side of the hill.  Its a nice little village with a cricket green and a lake (reservoir) in the background. The Live and Let Live Inn was on the far side of town. It was dead. I was the only guest. The room was ok, a bit dated and the TV reception in the room was non existant. I had a really nice curry and pint of scrumpy then walked into the village in the evening sun to get some supplies. It was so warm that the store had its air conditioning on. I snoozed in my room for a while than as it cooled down I watched a bit of crackly TV.

Sunday 31st May  Blagdon to Glastonbury

Field, track and road walking using local paths and West Mendip Way
20 miles approx

I was packed up and ready by 8am. I had a monster of a breakfast with cereal, toast and jam, followed by a huge cooked breakfast. I was the only one at breakfast, I think I was the only one in the hotel. It was already hot outside and there was no wind today. I walked out of Blagdon following the road that I walked in on yesterday. This time it was all up hill. At the top I rejoined the Limestone Link for about a mile taking me up on to Black Down. From here I was on the West Mendip Way heading towards Cheddar Gorge. The sun was hot but there was a slight breeze on this side of the hill. I originally planned to walk on the road down through Cheddar Gorge but it was too busy with cars so I stayed on the Way heading up, very steeply up above the gorge. I left the way at the top and took a local path down to Cheddar village. There were a few opportunities to look down into the deep gorge and watch cars heading up on the narrow road. I took some steps down called jacobs ladder heading to the road. It was very busy and I had to stand aside for many people walking up. This was a bank holiday weekend so the crowds were to be expected. Cheddar was packed out. I left following the road and decided to stay on it rather than follow the field paths. The top road that I followed was quiet and the high hedges and trees gave me plenty of much appreciated shade. I eventually came to the main A road at Draycott. It wasn't that busy but there was no footpath so I left not long after taking back roads at Rodney Stoke. A local footpath that I was hoping to take was blocked by a locked gate with keep out painted on it. I stayed on back roads to Westbury-sub-Mendip. The Post Office here was open but changing hands and as such had little to sell. I bought a few drinks cartons and an ice pop. From here the footpath was easy enough to pickup and follow. I eventually arrived at Yarley and followed a newly resurfaced minor road out to Yarley Fields Nature Reserve. Here I found a path that was overgrown but short enough for me to find the road. These are listed as droves, and the roads are flanked by dykes running like small brooks. Godney Drove brought me to Upper Godney then on to the outskirts of Glastonbury. In blazing sun I arrived at the Isle of Avalon campsite. Not cheep at £12 but the facilities were A1.

I pitched by a hedge for shade and decided to take a walk into town. It was busy. There were a few drunks gobbing off on the way in. Nice. Glastonbury attracts interesting people! I walked on to and up Glastonbury Tor which was also busy in the warm evening sun. I walked back and washed everything in the Laundry. I'll be crossing the last motorway tomorrow and heading west towards the coast at last. I sat outside the tent in the cool evening air at 9pm.

Monday 1st June  Glastonbury to Enmore

Track and road walking using local paths minor roads following the Samaritans Way
22 miles approx

The alarm sounded out at 5:30 and I was away an hour later. I had to take the main road out of town towards Street. The sun was out and it was already nice and warm. I also had no choice but to walk through the main street of Street too, passing the Clarks shoe factory outlet and all the closed high street shops. It was really warm by 8am as I left the main A road and headed on to minor roads at Polton. The map promised a windmill to see out on Walton Hill but it was just a pepper pot with no sails. I headed down a track to Little Huckhall farm where I came to a gate with a sign warning of loose guard dogs. This was a signed public footpath! I had no real choice but to go on, but I opted for a stealth approach and climbed a gate into the neighbouring field rather than using the driveway. I progressed carefully listening for any signs of dogs. I reached the end of the field and climbed a stile into the main yard of the farm. If I was going to be under attack, this is where it would happen. Oh well I had to progress, so I crept through opening at least six noisy gates that were in my way. I continued through a maze of buildings and over a stile into the next field. No dogs. The sign would work to warn off most day walkers. I was following a route that doesn't show on the OS map but is just about signed on the ground. Its listed as the Samaritans Way Southwest. This path needs some attention, I found myself hacking at overgrown weeds and climbing over tied off farm gates, climbing over electric fences, walking through loads of cow turd. This was all within the next mile. I guess that the sign wasn't the only thing laid out to deter walkers. The farms under the Polden Hills were not geared for walkers, I felt that I was either trespassing or that I wouldn't be able to get through at all. I eventually made my way back to the main A361 at Pedwell. After the adventures of last few miles I opted to stay on the road for a while. It wasn't too busy with traffic so I was ok jumping up on to the verges every so often. This was only for half a mile and when I arrived at Greinston I rejoined the way as it became a track over Pit Hill. This was a nice walk but had only a couple of trees and offered not much shade in the now blistering sun. From Sutton Mallet I was walking, in the main, on waterway lined roads. I stopped and sat in a field for 20 mins to cool off. Now I was heading towards the biggest town since Lichfield. Bridgewater was to be one of the biggest built up areas on my walk.  Before it I walked through the village of Chedzoy, a nice place but like most villages now has no shops. I crossed the motorway. The M5 is the last motoway to cross on my walk. I was now heading into housing estates. Wow, this was wierd after all the open space. I was looking for a shop. The first I came to was a Somerfield on the main road in. I bought  food and drink and some hayfever tablets. I was now able to take a direct walk through town, and managed to dodge the main shopping centre. On my way out I passed tower blocks and large housing estates on my way to rejoin the Samaritans Way. I found a pathway near some allotments and was soon walking on field paths again. The built up area was soon disappearing behind me. From Rhode Lane the path wasn't at all clear, in fact it had been ploughed out. I walked around the edge of the field and managed to get to the little village of Goathurst. I sat on a stile and cooled off out of the sun using the shade of some old oak trees. Now it was a matter of following the small lanes past the Temple of Harmony (a greek like building on the hillside) to Enmore. I was early and found the Tynte Arms Inn closed. I asked a guy who was sat in the house behind and he told me that the landlord lived a few houses along. I knocked and was shown to my room. It was a really nice room in a new wing of the pub. I had a shower and a rest before heading in to the pub for dinner. I had Cumberland sausage, potato and veg and there was loads of it too. I was stuffed. After two pints of cider and a talk with the landlord about my walk. I was off the my room. I waited to watch a time team special but fell asleep. No way. I missed Time Team. This was the low point of the walk so far. The heat of the day had zapped me and the forecast promised at least two more days of this heatwave.  

Tuesday 2nd June  Enmore to Minehead

Hill and Tracks over the Quantock Hills to the coast following the Macmillan Way West
24 miles approx

I've been walking for eight weeks now. It has been a great adventure. I was still very tired this morning and I think the sun was taking its toll on me. Like the meal last night, the breakfast was really nice and lots of it too. The landlord wished me luck and I was on my way by 8:45am, following the road towards the Quantock Hills. The little road was really busy as there was a school just up the road and everyone was driving the kids in. Lazy bunch. I progressed carefully to manor farm where a minor road folowed by a muddy bridal way, took me off the road as far as Twenty Acre Plantation. Then I was back on the road for a short distance to join the Macmillan Way west path and on to a small car park at Lydeard Hill. The car park was quiet. Looking back I could still see Glastonbury Tor on the horizon. It a days walk back now. The sky was clear blue, the sun was hot, but on the more exposed hillside there was a welcome breeze. These are nice hills and welcome after all the field walking I've been doing across Somerset so far. These hills remided me of the great walking back in the Cheviots and Southern Scotland. To my right looking out and down I could see the coast on the wide Severn estury and across to Wales. To the left there were miles of the rolling hills of Exmoor and ahead to Minehead on the coast.  I could just make out the Wellington Monument which sits above Taunton by the M5 motorway heading south to Exeter. After a mile of open track I came to an ancient drovers road running on Great Hill. For most of its length this wide track is lined on both sides with old weathered beech trees. These gave great shade and were really welcome. Not far along this a group of kids came cycling up behind me with a couple of adults in tow. They were puffing and panting and complaining to each other. I passed them a little further up as they were asking the adults how far there was to go. I managed to escape them as they didn't follow me up Black Hill. From here I was following the track again but only one side was tree lined. There are a lot of tracks up here and I could imagine it being very popular at weekends. I dropped steeply down following a track to the little village of Bicknoller. Here the Macmillan Way path is at last waymarked. I followed it across the railway line and on to Williton. As I walked the path into town I could hear a steam train chugging and whistling along the track I'd just crossed earlier but I couldn't see it though. Williton was busy with lots of traffic. I bought some supplies from the shop before heading out on the now difficult to follow and poorly waymarked path. After  walking around an old mill, now cafe, I came to an old pack horse bridge, marked as weirs on the map. I wonder what it was once. After Lower Stream and Stream, which were just a house or two, the path followed the river and was totally overgrown. I came back to a road and lost my way from here looking for Higher Stream. I ended up at the road at Yarde and had to walk the road to Torre to get back on track. Here I left the way to head down to the coast. I walked the road to washford and up a steep old road over to Old Cleeve and Chapel Cleeve. Only a short distance later I was at the coast. This was the first time I'd been at the coast since John O'Groats. The tide was in as I walked along the modern promenade to Home Farm campsite at Blue Anchor. When I arrived I found that it was a members only site. I asked the owner if they could make the exception given that I'd walked and was doing the end to end. No. She told me that it was only a couple of miles back along the coast to another site. I'd seen a lot of cows on this walk but she was the biggest Cow. If you read this remember that not everyone recognises real effort and so I ask that you don't stay at this site, I'd p**s on it instead. I now faced a further walk back away from Minehead. This was an uphill stomp along a fairly busy road. I eventually arrived at Warren farm campsite at 4pm. I pitched in between some caravans and had a shower. There are no other facilities on this site. It was starting to cool off and my clothes were drying in the evening sun on my makeshift clothes line. There was only a smidgen of phone signal at the top of the site near the road. I walked up and called Lorriane and made plans for the next few nights. Looking out for more members only sites.

Wednesday 3rd June  Minehead to Westermill Farm Campsite (Exmoor)

Hill paths over Exmoor on the Macmillan Way West
18 miles approx
   
The tent was bone dry this morning as the sun was up early and I was in full sight of it in the middle of the field. I walked back along the road towards Blue Anchor and along the front passing the site that refused me yesterday. They were lucky that I'd used the toilet already this morning. I continued on along the stoney beach as far as a stile which allowed me to cross the railway line and onto a field path towards Carhampton. The sun was already hot and begining to burn. The road through the village was already busy with traffic as people headed to work. I called in at the Post Office for drinks and some chocolate peanuts then made my way along a little lane towards Dunster Deer Park. A path though the park allowed me to cut through to the small village of Dunster. This was a really nice little village with thatched roofed old cottages. The paths out of the village were all well signed and colour coded. Handy. I followed the Macmillan Way West path through some allotments and then steeply up on to Grabbist Hill above the houses. A wide bridalway on top followed the wide open ridge of Wootton Common. Some of the path was in the open with the sun baking down but some followed through old broadleaf woods offering cool shade. An old rocky and often very steep bridalway dropped down to Wootton Courtenay. I found that the local Post Office was still there and open so I stopped in and bought more drinks. This felt like this would be the hottest day of the walk so far. It was steaming hot. I stood outside the PO I was looking up a the climb onto Exmoor ahead. The first hill was heather and braken covered with a clear and well walked path cutting directly up its middle. It looked like hard and hot work. From the village I found a field path that took me through a field with Archers shooting targets, then on to what was clearly a little landing strip. It was the right path, I think! Now I was at the foot of a continuous and fairly steep, but very open climb. I pushed on and up. The path was rocky and I was the only person about. I was sweating buckets. As I crested the brow of the hill some forty minutes later I saw something glinting brightly in the sun ahead. As I drew closer it became evident why there was noone about on this path. It was a bunch of cars, parked in a car park!!! You can drive up. The path from the carpark, on a narrow single track road, was a little busier. I walked on towards a large cairn on the top of Dunkery Beacon. This cairn was erected by the National Trust to commemorate its beggining in the sixties. This was the highest point on Exmore. That was welcome news. I sat down for half an hour and watched fighter planes come shooting across overhead. Once or twice it seemed that they were setting up for a straffing run with me as a target. The sun was cooking me, and by now I was really well done. A cool breeze helped a little. Continuing to Porlock Post, where the track ends at another single track road, there was no sign of how to continue.

No waysigns, no path, not even a sheep trail through the deep bracken. Hmmm. Nothing for it I strode on into the heather. On a clear sunny day this was no big thing, but on a rain soaked, misty and cold day -the kind of thing Exmoor is known for, I would have been reluctant to do this. Crunching through the heather and bracken for a mile or so I eventually arrived at another road and Aldermans Barrow. An old long barrow that had long since been damaged and its treasures plundered. At this point I followed the road down, passing a couple of women sat on deckchairs. They asked if I needed water, and if I'd seen any groups out on the hills. I didn't and hadn't. The group were Duke of Edinburghs Award people doing their Gold. The women were marshalls. I pressed on down the road. I was nearly knocked off my feet when two chinnoke helecopters shot accross the road just above the hedge line. Yikes. It was steep down and I knew that it would be steep back up tomorow. I arrived at Westermill Farm campsite. The owner was impressed with my walk. I pitched in the first field. The only others there were an old couple in a camper van. After a cold (heated by the sun - so why was it cold today) shower, I fould the laundry and set my clothes off before sitting out in the evening sun. A large group of blokes arrived. These were the DofE group. They pitched a few fields away. I headed to the shop and bought a few bits. The lady was refusing to serve food or drink to the DofE buch saying that the Gold Award meant that they had to survive on what they were carrying. Nice. I walked back along the road and up for a half mile to get some signal on the phone to call home and book a B&B for tomorrow. When I returned I found that a turkish lorry driver had jammed his articulated lorry in the farm yard after taking a wrong turn. I returned to the tent and chilled. The wind picked up in the night but it was warm and there was no rain and none forecast until the weekend at least.

Thursday 4th June  Westermill Farm Campsite on Exmoor to West Buckland

Hill paths over Exmoor on the Macmillan Way West
22 miles approx
   
I was up early in the morning with the cows in the opposite field mooing madly as it got light. They were mooing until dark last night and then started again just after 4am as the sun came up. Hmmm they should be burgers by now. I had a very COLD eco shower and got away after 7am. The day began with the climb back up the road that I dropped down on last night. There was a difference in the weather today. It was cool and grey so I had a fleece jacket on for the first time since Scotland. Even the wet and windy weather on the Pennines was warm. The 10% gradient climb warmed things up a bit though. I was soon striking off on my way along an old bridalway across the moors. I found a finger post lying on the ground and replanted it. The signs around here, where there are any, were old and a bit rotten. The grey sky decided to drop down and Exmore was more like the moorland environment that I'd expected. As I approached Warren Farm I noticed a Police Helecopter circling above. It came over towards me and then moved away again. As I passed the farm, before crossing the River Exe, a police car pulled up along side me and a woman police officer asked if I'd seen anyone suspicious. I told her I'd seen noone at all. She asked me to keep my eyes open for someone who had robbed a car and once caught, escaped on foot into the moors. I asked what they expected me to do if I saw someone. She replied 'Call It In'. I think she'd watched too much of The Bill.

I pressed on steep uphill along a narrow path. I guessed that the crim wouldn't have taken this route being a tough climb. As I reached the top, the helecopter came over and hovered over me. I guessed that they throught that they had me. I walked on and again the helecopter came back and buzzed me. I guess the pilot has the memory of a goldfish. I passed an old stone hut but didn't investigate. A mile on I came to a little road with a police car parked in a layby. The occupants sat nice and warm watching the scene for any one suspicious. What happened to the old bobbies who would be seen walking down the valley in a line checking with every step. They are all a bit nesh now. A group of young army lads passed me, each carrying heavy packs. There is a lot of military activity in the area. The next section of the walk up to Exe Head was across very bleak and open moorland. This is the source of the river Exe leading its way all the way past Exeter to Exemouth on the south coast. A couple of miles on I dropped down to Goat Hill, on to the road and back up on the other side to Black Hill. Along a small road at the top are some strange sculptured benched that are set out along its length. I sat on one near a couple of Tumuli (burial mounds) for a spell before the walk down and out of the hills across Whitefield Down. The grass was very long in most of the fields, and the path not visible so I had to strike out in a direction taken fom the map. This worked ok and I soon came to a little road near Brayford. I had to cut through Lower Holt farm yard now where at least six snarling, barking dogs came at me. The most nasty of them came running up growling and barking, showing its teeth. I was tired and couldn't be bothered so simply smaked its nose with my map and it recoiled in surprise. The others continued to bark but stayed back. I was lucky really. I think that not running is the Key. I crossed a small bridge and continued along the Macmillan Way which is now also the called the Tarka Trail. It headed through a forest plantation before it follows a short and very steep section of road that had been resurfaced and was very sticky. I was soon back on paths and tracks though and the sun was coming out and it was getting really hot again. It  was only a short road section of about two miles before I reached the driveway of my B&B at Huxtable Farm. Before I headed in I walked a mile and a bit further on to the town to see if I could find the Post Office. I'd called Lorraine earlier and she had called the West Buckland Post Office to find it was still open. It was even stranger then that it had been closed for over a year according to a local guy. I had to walk back empty handed however I was lucky that the owners of the Huxtable Farm, Jackie and Anthony were very nice and offered me a cream tea on my arrival. Whilst I was looking at postcards from previous end to enders who had stayed here, Jackie also made me some butties. The room was in a very old part of the farm. It is listed as an old Iron Age Long House. The floors, walls and ceiling were up and down all over the place.

The place was quite busy by the evening. I walked back along the drive to call home as I had no signal back at the farm. One of the Collie dogs followed me and stayed with me while I walked. It thought I was taking it for a walk. The sun was still warm as I watched it setting in the orange sky over West Buckland. I watched a bit of TV and went to bed.

Friday 5th June West Buckland to Instow 

Hill paths, roads and tracks on the Macmillan Way West and the Southwest Coast Path
20 miles approx
   
I was up early and trying to run a bath quietly as the old house was full up and deathly quiet. I was down for a full breakfast at 8am. Jackie was asking about my end to end bike ride back in 2007. Her daughters boyfriend had completed the ride in just a week. I paid up and headed off. I promised to send her a postcard to add to the collection. The first mile and a half took me back to West Buckland. The sun was out already and it was getting warm. I followed the Tarka Trail for some time then took a shortcut at Sandick Cross following the road directly down to Landkey Newland. Here I bought a few bits from the Post Office. The shop keeper asked about my walk and was impressed.

 I rejoined the Tarka Trail again as it lead out of town heading across fields to Bishops Tawton. From here I was walking along a busy road then a cycleway along the bank of the river into Barnstaple. It was a bit of a shock seeing all these people. I decided to head into the high street to get some money and buy some supplies. It was heaving. I made my escape as quickly as possible and moved onto my last map, the Southwest Coast Path. There was now only about two hundred miles to Lands End.
Before long I was heading along a tarmac cycleway on its way out of town. It followed an old railway line that was now fairly busy with cyclists and walkers. About a mile along the path I caught up to a guy walking with two poles. One was a gandalf style wooden staff. He was walking a little bit slower than me. I slowed down and we got talking. Tom Scratchley was walking around the coast of mainland UK in three stages over three years and this was his last year. He was walking from April to August where he was finishing near the River Thames. He then intended to walk home to Sussex. He was expecting a big welcome from people in his local village. I hope that he has made it. I'm certain that he did. We walked a further five miles together to where I was staying at Instow. My hotel was nice with views out to sea. Yes sea, I was now essentially on the coast. The coast that would be with me to the finish line.

The hotel was having a loud function that went on late into the night. I didn't care much I was very tired. Rain was forecast for tomorrow. Hmmm. However coastal walking, seaside views and blue sea and skys. I was just looking forward to it.