| Sunday September 26th Dartmoor, Around Cothelstone Hill | ||
| The skies were cloudy with the sun occasionally breaking through and there was a light wind blowing across the hill. Twenty-eight eager ramblers and two dogs gradually appeared and gathered in Cothelstone Hill car park; even Wagg, the club talisman, made a guest appearance looking fit and raring to go. In response to the Ramblers' Walking Week programme, a family of three and a couple joined the group to experience the pleasures of walking. The leader harangued the group and extolled the highlights of the walk including Cothelstone Beacon where signal watchers were stationed when England was in danger of invasion in the 16th and 17th centuries and on which a folly tower was built in the 19th century. He told the walkers that they would pass St Agnes Well, one of the holy wells of Somerset, as they went down the hill towards Cothelstone Manor; this was named after Agnes Cheyney who wed Edward Stowel the local squire in the 18th century. The ramblers made their way up Cothelstone Hill to a height of 332m at its summit and admired the views of the Channel with Steep and Flat Holms just visible and identified Burnham and Minehead on the coast running either side of the hill; in the other direction the Vale of Taunton could be seen with a patchwork quilt of fields covering it. The walkers followed the hill down through Paradise Wood until Cothelstone Farm was reached passing St Agnes Well on the way and turned off over the fields towards Toulton. Here the group encountered a bull with his harem of cows and our valiant leader readied himself with ' cape to the fore'; but the master of this kingdom continued to munch grass ignoring the intruders to his private domain. On the way to Toulton a party from Evesham was encountered following the Channel-to-Channel Walk but were slightly disorientated. After consultation their position was re-established on the map and they continued happily on their way. From Toulton our intrepid ramblers pressed onto Cushuish blackberrying on the way and started the climb back up the hill along Ball Lane turning off to Iveyton Farm; they passed pheasant rearing pens with scores of young pheasants strutting around feeding off the seed corn spread liberally on the ground. From Iveyton Farm the walkers attacked the path up the hill until its summit was reached and there enjoyed the view with Tetton House in the distance. The group then made their way through Buncombe Wood and back to Cothelstone Hill car park from whence our gallant band retired to the Pines Café where they drank copious amounts of tea while consuming large slices of cake. | ||
| Sunday September 26th Dartmoor, out from South Zeal | ||
| The 23 Ramblers who
assembled at South Zeals car park did not know how the
weather would turn out as both sun and rain had been
experienced on the way down to |
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| Walking week round-up | ||
| The walks offered in a week promoting
walking provided a varied selection of the wonderful
countryside found round Taunton Deane. Walk leaders
reported several new walkers had joined them despite a
rather uncertain period of weather! The week culminated
in a short Sunday walk starting on Cothelstone Hill with
28 Taunton Deane Ramblers plus 5 new to the group.
The skies were cloudy with the sun occasionally breaking
through and there was a light wind blowing across the
hill. Setting off from Cothelstone Beacon, where signal
watchers were stationed when England was in danger of
invasion in the 16th and 17th centuries and on which a
folly tower was built in the 19th century, the walkers
made their way to the summit and admired the views of the
Channel with Steep and Flat Holms just visible, and
identified Burnham and Minehead on the coast. The walkers
followed the hill down through Paradise Wood passing St
Agnes Well on the way, one of the holy wells of The following Wednesday 23 ramblers met in Curry Rivel for a walk across fields to |
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| Friday
September 24th Windmill Hill, Ashill & Broadway (photos Roger Conway) Walk Stats:- 4.4 miles, climbs 315ft |
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| On a mild bright evening on the first day of Autumn, 18 members (plus another who kept popping up at various points on the route) set off from the Square & Compass. firstly taking in the Windmill that gives the area it's name and then over the fields to Ashill and it's hamstone Church. Shortly afterwards we were accused of being spys by the team building a carnival float in a farm barn. Sweet talking our way from that we re-took to the fields to Broadway Church, where the assembled were informed of the reasons for the church being half a mile from the village. Up through the village and onto the track leading us back to the start, but not before passing through the dank, dark wood . The final section as the light started to fail, was along the road. 17 took an excellent supper in a warm and friendly pub. | ||
| Thursday
September 23rd Hankridge to Creech (photos Roger Conway) Walk Stats:- 4.8 miles, climbs 92ft |
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| Apart from one short sharp shower we escaped the rain and even enjoyed some warm sunshine on a leisurely stroll along the canal, with plendy of swans, ducks, morhens and other wild life to see. A short drinks break at Creech (see photo) before the return to Hankridge along the river bank and the history lesson about the Chard Canal viaduct and Railway Bridge. | ||
| Friday September 10th Churchinford & Otterhead |
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| "Indian summer" comes to an end The glorious hot weather in early September came to a close for the Friday evening walk from the Blackdown Hills village of Churchinford. Despite the poor forecast, twenty-three hopeful Taunton Deane Ramblers turned out for this easy, but brisk paced three and a half mile walk. Walking east from the village, with the misty hills looking autumnal, the group passed Royston House, before turning north towards the Otterhead lakes. Those who thought the forecast might be proven wrong, had their hopes dashed by the time the walkers reached the lakes, as heavy and steady rain set in. Donning a colourful collection of waterproofs, the walkers soon circumnavigated the two lakes, with the swans and ducks looking quizzically on. Leaving the lakes behind, the group took the narrow lane past the pretty little church at Otterford, before turning south at Church farm. Crossing three fields to Beech farm, the rain finally stopped and the walkers took the minor road back into the village, just beating an early dusk. A warm and snug York Inn welcomed seventeen of the group; their clothing dampened but not their spirits. With a hot meal inside them, the buzz of convivial conversation and a good drying out, the rain was soon forgotten by all. There are only seven more Friday evening walks left in this year's calendar, but "Welcome to Walking" week starts on Sunday 19th September, with a walk laid on every day. | ||
| Wednesday
September 8th Stonegallows, Comeytrowe, Trull &
Dipford (photos Roger Conway) Walk Stats:- 5.5 miles, climbs 284ft |
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| 27 members gathered in the Secretary's garden in bright sunshine; and the pre-walk briefing mentioned that there might be a few stiles. On this delightful stroll across the rolling countryside to the south west fringes of Taunton there were stiles of every type, from a super new 'squeeze' gate to a devilish double, complete with barbed wire and backward sloping timberwork (see photo). Tony obviously liked that one as we went over it twice! A nice mixture of fields, tracks, country lanes and urban linear park paths that ended back in Tony's garden where the assembly were treated to tea and cake on the lawn (see picture above). A super way to spend a late summer afternoon. | ||
| Friday September 3rd. North Newton, Hedging & Outwood | ||
| The sun was shining and the weather was warm with no wind, perfect conditions for walking. Thirty-seven eager walkers and Nell (our honorary daschund rambler) gathered in the car park of the Harvest Moon P.H. at North Newton. The leader first listed the meal requirements of the assembled company and then liased with the Pub. landlord for their provision later in the evening. Having taken care of the inner man (or woman as the case might be) the leader informed the walkers of items of interest that would be encountered on the walk such as the Anglo Saxon Church of St Michael which was once part of the Maunsel Estate, the 13th century Maunsel manor house bought by John Slade in 1772 and now owned by Sir Benjamin Slade, a descendant, and the Bridgwater/Taunton Canal built in 1827 to link the two towns to the sea but finally closed to commercial traffic in 1907. After imparting such pearls of knowledge to his flock, the leader led his party from the Harvest Moon by road and footpath to St Michael's Church; it was near here that the Alfred Jewel was found in 1693 and is now residing in the Ashmolean Museum. The walk continued past Maunsel House, progressed through the village of Hedging and on to the Outward Canal Swing Bridge where the party stopped for refreshments and indulged in a spot of blackberry picking. On the way the leader had possibly a slight lunar aberration (although some of the group did question this) and unconsciously deviated from the footpath but a friendly farmer came to his rescue and allowed our gallant band through his farmyard for access to the canal. Suitably refreshed the ramblers left Outwood and followed the canal to North Newton via Maunsel Lock and Coxhill Bridge, admiring a lovely red sunset as dusk closed in. While walking along the canal four cygnets were seen and clucked at with appreciation but the hen swan hissed a warning so the party retired gracefully. The ramblers returned to the Harvest Moon where twenty-seven diners were served hot meals that were consumed with relish and great appetite and then washed down with copious amounts of real ale. | ||
| Thursday
to Sunday September 2nd to 5th SWCP - Lulworth to South
Haven Point (photos Ken Burgess) (see also Latest News page) |
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| On
Friday 3rd members walked from Ferry Bridge,
which is at the Weymouth end of the causeway linking it
to Portland. The initial two-mile section was along the
road and through the outskirts of Portland but this was
followed by a short but significant climb to West Weares
from where the entire length of Chesil Beach was clearly
seen stretching out towards Lyme Bay. There then followed
3 miles of pleasant cliff top walking for a lunch stop at
Portland Bill during which the paddle steamer ‘The
Balmoral’ passed near by. The return was at a lower
level bordering the sea until a steep cliff ascent
returned walkers back to the top of the island and
restrictive urban development. An open-air bus ride
returned walkers to Ferry Bridge. Of contrast Saturday’s
walk was much more demanding and the severe grading was
justified and reminded walkers By way of exhausting trips
to West Devon and North Cornwall. After walking around
the pebble beach of the cove the way earlier ascended to
Pepper Point and a cliff top walk through the restricted
area of the firing ranges passing the fossil forest en
route to Mupe Rocks (photo above) from where the severity of the rest of the
walk was clearly visible. At Warbarrow Tout the party
briefly divided, while some members electing to have a
swim the main group continued to visit the lost village
of Tyneham, which was taken over by the army in 1943. The
residents were compelled to leave their homes and life
style and despite promises to the contrary have never
been allowed to return. Parts of the deserted village are
now a museum. In the church there is an exhibition of the
geology and history of the area and the school is set out,
as it would have been in 1920. The party re-grouped for
lunch on Cad Cliff before descending to Kimmeridge with
its oil well and ‘nodding donkey’. After
ascending Hen Cliff walkers enjoyed the less strenuous
cliff top section as far as Egmont Point. From here the
path descended steeply to Chapman’s Pool before
rising up Emmett’s Hill and descending and rising
steeply again to Saint Aldhelm’s Head for a brief
visit to the Norman Chapel before continuing to Winspit
Beach and the inland detour to Worth Mattravers and for
some a welcome end of walk beverage After again staying overnight in Swanage walkers returned to Worth Mattravers and down to the coast for a much easier section along the cliffs passing Dancing Ledge before entering Durlston Country Park, visiting the lighthouse at Anvil Point and the globe at Durlston Head before rounding the bay to Peveril Point and then amid the holiday makers along the promenade through Swanage. The ascent of Ballard Down was easy compared with the previous day’s efforts and was also notable because it was the last significant climb on the entire coast path. The walk along the down gently led walkers down to Foreland Point and the much photographed ‘Old Harry’ rocks. After a brief rest the path continued down to Studland village where the sands were crowded with sun worshippers whose attire was a stark contrast to the boots and clothing of the walkers. However the final length was a two-mile walk along the beach at the end of which is the marker to confirm that the end of the coast path has been reached. Or five members of the group this was a significant moment. The 630-mile trip that had started out from Minehead in August 2001 had been completed and the celebratory drinks and cakes were enjoyed with a touch of melancholy. After many day trips and week ends away their ambition of walking the entire South West Coast Path had been completed. An achievement not accomplished by many. |
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