| Sat. 24th December Dinnington Carols |
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Roger Conway & Andre Bernicot) Walk Stats:- 3..6miles, climbs 208ft |
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| On a crisp Christmas Eve, 17 members & friends set off around the circuit of lush farmland (complete with fields full of ammonites), streams just right for dog paddling (although none of the humans seemed to want to join in?) and a forced march - legion style - along the Fosseway to arrive back at the packed 'Docks' just too late for the start of the carol service. Not detered we joined in with the singing through the open windows, an action not missed by the charity organisers who managed to 'catch' us with the collection. Note:- must start the walk earlier next year. | ||
| Sun. 18th December Milverton circular |
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Roger Conway) Walk Stats:- 4.8miles, climbs 648ft |
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broken sign sunken lane / Christmas Cheer > |
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| A pleasant afternoon in the fields and lanes to the North and East of Milverton. A few history lessons about keeping the blossom warm during frosty weather and the way railway bridges are numbered to help the consentration before joining the leader for minced pies and mulled wine. | ||
| Sun. 18th December Newton Pop'd to Charmouth (F&F walk) | ||
| I am sure some people will be interested in reading this report on the Further and Faster Walk which took place on Sunday and it will help to clarify what the walks are all about. Might interest some people who would not otherwise have any idea. May well of course turn some people off but no point in them coming if it is not their scene. It was a fairly typical walk that we do most Sundays. | ||
| Up
early and arrive at Car Park in Charmouth at 8.30am.
Quick coffee and caught "Jurassic Coast" bus to
Newton Poppleford. Arrived 10.00am. General idea is to
walk back to Charmouth along the Coast Path. Down the Otter Valley and over bridge and uphill onto Muttersmoors Plantation. Reach Coast Path at Peak Hill and downhill into Sidmouth. Along sea front and watch Lifeboat practice. Drink and snack and on our way. Next section definitely hilly. Switchbacking all the way to Branscombe Mouth. Great views and good weather. No time to stop however. These hills are meaning we are only averaging 2.25mph and there is a long way to go. Quick lunch at 3.00pm on Arrats Hill looking down over Beer. Too cold to stay long. Fairly straightforward now through Beer and Seaton. Making up time. Uphill past Axecliff Golf Course where people are still playing although getting dusk. See a sign saying Lyme Regis 7.5m. Does not look that far on the map. Almost the whole of this section is in the trees about half way up cliff. Dark at 4.30. Quick stop for drink and get out head torches. Go into night mode and set off again. Eventually reach Lyme Regis at 6.10pm. Into the first pub we see. We are all very thirsty. Pickled eggs nice as well. Some talk of further drinks and taxi but sense prevails and we set off again. From the map it is now easy. Path just above beach. We cannot find it. Decide to follow Coast Path which goes inland. Now drizzling hard. Eventually on top of a hill in woods find a sign saying "Coast Path Diverted. This path does not exist". Great! Follow directions and find sign saying Charmouth 2.5m. It was only about 1 mile from Lyme Regis! Follow signs in thickening drizzle. Head torch light beams dancing in the rain. Find our way over Lyme Regis Golf Course. Onto road and eventually back to the car at 7.40pm. 25 miles. Everybody well and a great walk. |
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| Sun. 4th December Holford to Kilve | ||
| I
picked up 2 lady walkers from the Crescent CP and set off
to lead my 5 ½ mile walk from Holford Bowling Green CP
to Kilve. It wasn’t going to be a good day for
me. Although there is a new
bridge at Silk Mills the traffic was just like it was
before it was built. The road was being resurfaced
and cars stretched back to Bishops Hull. I glanced
at my watch in apprehension. Making up time I drove
along the A39 towards Holford and was a mile away from
the Plough Inn when my nearside front wheel hit a large
stone. After the initial bang and jolt there was
the unmistakable feel of a puncture. I immediately
pulled onto the grass verge. My first thoughts were
of the group waiting for me to lead them and of the two
ladies with me. I had ten minutes to the start time.
Memories of my two years National Service in the RAF
sprang to mind when I regularly hitched rides from my
camp at Portland to Taunton. I stepped into the
road, my thumb waving in the air at the first car that
came along. Luckily it didn’t run me over but
stopped. The lady passenger wound down her window
just enough to hear what I had to say. She and the
driver were sympathetic and after clearing clothes and
bags from the back seat into the boot and their dog onto
the ladies’ lap kindly took us right to the Bowling
Green. It was 1 minute before the ‘off’ and the
17 ramblers waiting were relieved to see me. What of the walk? It started in sunshine. I heard one lady say, “This alone is worth coming on the walk for” as we stopped on the bridge overlooking the swiftly tumbling stream near Alfoxton. A surprising number of autumn leaves for so late in the year still clung to the beech and oak tree branches. The sun shining through these and through a slightly hazy must over the field made one feel that a December walk was a pleasure. These thoughts soon evaporated. As the walk progressed the mist thickened and by the time we’d reached Kilve church the sun had been obliterated and visibility was down to about 100 metres. As we had started the walk 10 minutes late and I was concerned that it would be almost dark by the time we got back, I took a short cut. That plus the lack of being able to pick out landmarks caused a brief stop to consult the map, then we were off again. We looked with sadness at the large number of parakeets caged in a small aviary. Not much of a life destined for them! Reaching a stile which took us directly on to the A 39 caused us to take care. With strategically positioned marshals peering into the mist to warn oncoming cars of our presence we scuttled across the road. The remaining distance passed uneventfully although sadly the 30 red deer seen on the recce were hidden today and my thoughts had returned to my car. Thank goodness for cell phones! I contacted my rescue service as I walked and arranged for them to change the wheel. On the return to Holford we were given lifts and arrived at the car in the dark to be met by the flashing amber lights of the breakdown truck. Ten minutes later we were on our way home. It turned out to be a costly walk. The wheel rim had been damaged which resulted in a new wheel as well as a tyre. Although my car insurance would have covered it, the cost was just below the £150 excess, which I have to pay. Ah well - you can’t win them all! |
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| Sun. 4th December Coleridge Way 3 (photos Stewart Owen) |
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| The walk was the final stage of the Coleridge Way that the Group started in April this year and was probably the most varied of the three stages. After leaving the car park the group soon rejoined the official route of the Coleridge Way proceeding over open fields (disturbing a fox on the way) and farmland first to Lype Hill (the highest point on the route) before descending to the village of Cutcombe. Good progress was made with this section. The walking was over open hilltop grassland with fine all round views. After a brief refreshment stop near Wheddon Cross the nature of the walk changed as we soon dropped down into Little Quarme and Blagdon Woods. Not only did the earlier open outlook changed to woods but conditions underfoot also changed. The previous firm grassland being replaced by rather soft and slippy tracks through the woods recently disturbed by forestry operations not improved by the recent heavy rains. These rains had swollen the streams and although the three crossings that had to be made proved to be quite a challenge they were made without any serious mishap. Several of the trees were still carrying their autumn foliage and some were extremely colourful, lighting up glades within the wood. A sheltered lunch stop was made just before the walk climbed out of the woods. There then followed the third section of the walk over the exposed open moorland east of Dunkery Beacon. Here the walk was over stoney-moorland tracks through gorse and heather and several sightings of red deer were made on the way to Webbers Post. After a brief stop the walk continued with another change of scenery as the route dropped down through the woods to Horner to cross the packhorse bridge and continue to the narrow lanes that lead into Porlock arriving just before the tea shop closed and walkers enjoyed a well earned piece of cake with their tea. The return ride to Kennisham was in a comfortable Webber Midi coach and it was quite dark when walkers eventually returned to their cars. | ||
| Sun. 4th December Milverton (TD Leaflet walk No 5) |
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Roger Conway) Walk Stats:- 4.6miles, climbs 578ft |
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clockwise from top left:- Shetland Pony, Wivy from Quaking House, gate & sign at Quaking house |
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| 18 Members set off in bright sunshine, but within minutes we had the first of the promised showers. a steady climb took us through the herb beds and then the fields to arrive at the top of Quaking house with super views across to Wiveliscombe (see photo above), down through the woods and past the old lime kilns to take a little break on the edge of an enomous field of elephant grass, but at least this farmer had shown the courtesy of providing a wide path through. A little road work was followed by a stiff climb across a muddy field to Quaking House Lane and back up for a second look from the view point before crossing the fields and paths back to Milverton where our arrival was greeted with our second shower. | ||
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