| Sun. 29th May. Huish champflower, Clatworthy & Whitefield | ||
| A sunny ,warm
afternoon is always welcome ,but especially on walks with
an outside tea option afterwards,and this was the case on
Taunton Deane Ramblers’ walk out from Langley Marsh
on the last Sunday in May. Eighteen walkers and a dog set
off from the pub, where several had enjoyed the
hospitality ,and soon were turning off on the quiet lane
up to Whitefield (so named because of the predominance of
the outcropping milky quartz there). |
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| Sun.
15th May. Nynehead, Weekmoor & the Grand Western
Canal (photos Roger Conway) walk stats 5.75 miles 186ft of climb |
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| What more could you want, a warm dry and bright afternoon, a walk that took in the wonderful countryside and panoramic views and a hefty dose of local history. The 20 walkers started from the entrance of Nynehead Court, once an exclusive and admired Stately 'pile', now an upmarket residential home and took to the fields by the side of the school, where there is a reproduction of a typical levels mud hut (see above left). The gentle climb up to Weekmore gave super views of the Blackdowns, the Quantocks and the Brendons, repeated again on the way down. A quick return to the village before looping south to the route of the Grand Western Canal and several little history lessons along the path before the route turned north and back across the River Tone and there was still enough time to visit the Ice house of Nynhead Court (more history) | ||
| Sun.
15th May. Cerne Abbas Giant (photos Dave Patten) |
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| Ten stalwarts enjoyed bountiful bluebells as they wended up from admiring the Rude Giant to the Wessex Ridgway. After two miles along there, they crested Telegraph Hill and the superb and unusual view of Ham Hill and Montacute as seen from the south on the horizon. A rapid descent down led to a grassy meadow for lunch. Hastening on and skirting the less appealing car dump at Lyon's Gate, the group climbed back up to the ridge, the hot pace forcing one of our members to expose an ample expanse of torso.The final two miles led back gently, then precipitately, down over carpets of cowslips to the car and welcome tea in the village. | ||
| Fri to Sun. 13th/15th May. Pembrokeshire Coastal Path | ||
| A group of 8 members recently completed
their second weekend walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal
Path. This leg was from Angle to Sandy Haven. The group
was based at the East Trewent Farm House, which has been
converted into very comfortable holiday accommodation. On the first day (Friday) the walk from Angle to Pembroke Dock is described in the guidebook as the ‘least interesting’ part of the coastal path. However, although stretches were along roads much of the walk was through fields and woods laden with bluebells. At one point the walk went through a small nature reserve where members of the Prince’s Trust have constructed walkways over the marshland. The route went through Pembroke and around the impressive castle. The first day ended after crossing the Cleddau Bridge. Day two got off to a slow start when the party reached Neyland which had been built in the 1850s around Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s South Wales Railway terminus – there was so much to see that the group spent longer than had been planned in the town! The walk to Milford Haven was through pleasant farmland and a short stretch of beach walking – although oil refineries were nearby, they were largely shielded from view by the hedgerows. The day finished at Sandy Haven with a walk along the long sandy beach. The final day was used to complete a part of the coastal path that had been closed last month when the group spent their last weekend in Wales. This was the stretch from Elegug Stacks to Broad Haven around the Castle Martin firing range and an area in complete contrast to that walked on the previous two days. The coastline comprised very high, steep cliffs and had wonderful rock formations of arches and bridges. As it was a clear day many climbers were making use of the rock face. Soon after the walk started we came across a large colony of guillemots and razorbills densely packed on top of a small rock off shore. Also flying around the area were fulmars, curlews and choughs. A slight detour was taken to visit St.Govan’s Chapel, which is built into a cleft in the cliff face and where the rare green winged orchid grows in profusion on the grass above. From Broad Haven the group walked along the lily ponds of the Stackpole Estate to Bosherston car park and the drive back to Taunton. |
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| Sun.
8th May. Exmoor around Dunster (photos Stewart Owen) |
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| Long walk around villages of West Somerset taking in Grabbist and Withycombe Hill. Lovely weather | ||
| Wed. 4th May. Around Clatworthy Reservoir | ||
| As the walkers left the car park to walk round Clatworthy Reservoir the sun came out and gave an added fillip to what is always a delightful walk. The hills and trees were alive in the their new green liveries and spring flowers were beginning to fill the banks and meadows. We soon found bluebells and orchids in the sunnier positions. The water birds seen included a pair of great crested grebes, tufted duck and several pairs of canada geese including one pair introducing six newly hatched goslings to the water. Near the end of the walk a group of workmen by the waters edge turned out to be archaeologists from Exeter University trying to find evidence of Roman iron foundries. Earlier evidence had suggested this site together with the fact that a farmstead in the now drowned valley used to be called Cinder Farm, cinder being the old Anglo-Saxon word for iron slag. We were shown some recent finds from their trenches, which included some large lumps of iron slag and pieces of decorated Samian ware, evidence of Roman use in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. We returned to the car park through a new plantation of tree planted in commemoration of the lives of several people and we wondered whether a better place to be remembered in could ever be found. | ||
| Sun.
1st May. Rogation Sunday around North Curry (photos Stewart Owen) |
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