Day 31 Our final walk of January - "Beating the Bounds" of Somerton

So we reach the final day of January on our "Walk 500 miles Challenge" and are already well ahead of target. And our final walk of the month saw Mary exceed 100 miles for her first month with Ian just a little further back on 83 miles (walks missed due to set building for Somerton Dramatic Society's "Alice in Wonderland" production every weekend in January). If maintained both of these would reach 1,000 miles over a full year!

Today we combined two of our local walks - the back of Somerton walk and round the valley.  This walk, as the picture shows, completes a circumnavigation of most of the built up area of the town with an extension along the Cary Valley. At least it remained dry and was very mild so we were largely overdressed. But we kept a good pace and in spite of a late start were home for lunch.

I have named this walk the "Beating of the Bounds" after the ancient custom of walking the boundaries of the community by a group including both young and old, often accompanied or led by the parish priest and church officials. The purpose of the walk was to ensure that, in an age where maps were unreliable (if they existed at all) the knowledge of the extent of the parish was passed from one generation to the next. Checking the boundaries was a way of preventing encroachment by neighbours; sometimes boundary markers would be moved, or lines obscured, and a folk memory of the true extent of the parish was necessary to maintain integrity of borders by embedding knowledge in oral traditions. 

5 miles

Day 30 Round the Valley Walk

OK not a great walk today but we are approaching the end of the month pretty much as it started with dull, grey, mild and drizzly weather. This is a pretty good standby walk when we have either little time or (due to inclement weather) little inclination to venture any further. We walked in damp conditions past a lot of very muddy puddles - Peppa would have loved it!

2.5 miles

Day 26 Oakhill Circuit from September 2016 Country Walking

Today we are walking with Ally. This walk follows lanes, tracks and field paths in a circuit around Oakhill in Somerset. It also includes a section along the route of the Roman Fosse Way. Starting in Oakhill the walk heads north and then west climbing to one of the highest points on the East Mendips at the ramparts of the iron age hill fort of Maesbury.

From here, on a clear day, the views are probably impressive through to the City of Wells and Glastonbury Tor. However today there is a low mist shrouding the land and views are considerably limited. From here the route turns south and then east before crossing the busy A37 and turning onto a byway which follows the route of the Fosse Way towards and through the beautiful stand of beech trees which is Beacon Hill Wood.

From here we rejoin the old roman road before turning west
to complete the circuit at Oakhill.

Certainly a walk worth repeating on a clear day in the spring and/or autumn.

7.8 miles

Day 23 Stourhead Estate Walk and Gardens with Andrew & Claire

Today's guest blogger Claire.

Stourhead...what views, what romance! A chilly January morning as we made our way to Alfred's Tower via Six Wells Bottom, walking at a pace to earn our lunch at the Spread Eagle Inn. We timed our walk so the the sun came out over lunch and after a 'winter warmer' of Apple juice and Pimms number 3 for me (highly recommended and water for Andrew, who is on a dry January, we were able to walk round the lake with the sunshine highlighting the views of temples and frozen patches of water. This is truly a success story of eighteenth century English landscape design. The arboralists were out in force clearing trees and planting ready for the new season. A quick photo opportunity recreating the famous scene from P and P completed a lovely day of walking and talking. A good few miles covered. I will leave Ian to give the stats.









"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Darcy to Elizabeth.

8.1 miles

Day 22 - Bradley Hill Lane & the River Cary with Andrew and Claire

Today's guest blogger Andrew

Claire and I joined Mary on Sunday afternoon for a short walk from Cary Way, down Bradley Hill Lane and then along the River Cary in the fading afternoon sunshine. Lovely colours especially in the reflections on the river and the reddish reeds in the sunlight. Pretty muddy although Mary described the under foot conditions as mildly cloying! Decent pace maintained throughout! Excellent tea and cakes post walk.

3.4 miles

Day 19 Gower Week –Pitton Cross and along Rhossili Down

We have saved the best until last and today there is a bit of blue in the sky and a slowly strengthening sun. We discover a new path opposite the entrance to the campsite this morning and it is heading in the right direction. A quick look at the map and we modify our planned route before we have even walked half a mile! This series of paths and tracks cut off a corner and provides a more direct route to the tracks which will take us up onto Rhossili Down.

The climb is gentle and very steady and so we rapidly gain height and reach the trig point at The Beacon without much effort. The sun is really breaking through now and we get sudden glimpses both seaward and on the landward sides before the cloud and mist hide all views once again. By the time we are walking along the ridge of Rhossili Down visibility has become much clearer and the views are stunning. The path is wide and grassy and follows the high point with views ahead along the heather moorland ridge, to our left and behind us the coastline back to Worm’s Head and to our right countryside views. As the sun is now shining from a deep blue sky it is about as perfect as it could be!

At the end of the ridge is a steep descent to Hillend and an enormous holiday park amongst the dunes of Hillend Burrows. Every guide to this walk recommends the direction as we have taken it and it is not difficult to understand why as we slip and slither down the steep slope. The return walk is either on the beach or on the route of the Wales Coast Path just above the wide expanse of sand which is Rhossili Beach. We follow the path with the sun shining full in our faces before dropping down onto the beach for the last mile or so before the steep climb up to the village.

We treat ourselves to a late lunch at the excellent Bay View Bistro and finally drag ourselves away and using field paths return to the campsite.

7.5 miles

Day 18 Gower Week – Port Eynon to Pitton Cross on the Wales Coast Path

There are few options for buses to Port Eynon where we intend to start our walk this morning, so we are up and out ready to catch the 8.53 from the campsite entrance. The friendly driver declines our English bus passes in Wales and charges us £3 each but also suggests various ways of reducing the cost of our tickets if making more than one journey (a day rover) or getting to Port Eynon using a combination of buses. All a bit late. Blame the public transport researcher!

It is a day much like all the others we have experienced since our arrival, mild but dull with low visibility. We start the walk along the beach and head for the point, however the path is signed to climb over the headland and we leave the shoreline at the Youth Hostel and head over Port Eynon Point. This is nice walking on a wide grassy path following the cliff top and we take in Overton Cliff and it’s nature reserve, followed shortly after by Common Cliff and it’s nature reserve. The views are of Worm’s Head in the gloom ahead and of spectacular cliffs, rock formations and dry valleys plunging down to the sea below. Just after we pause to admire one particularly impressive feature, marked as Deborah’s Hole, the coast path reaches the way marked path inland to the campsite. Back for lunch!

5.5 miles

In the afternoon we take the van off site for the short drive to Oxwich Bay. Here we stroll for a mile or so along the firm sand of the beach. It is now low tide and there is a wide expanse ahead of us across the bay. At the bridge across the small stream which drains the marshes behind the dunes, we turn inland and follow a way marked path through the dunes of the National Nature Reserve of Oxwich Burrows and back to the van.

2.8 miles