South West Coast Path - Monday 24 June

I think I may have saved a life today. I emerged from the tarp just after 5am and close by was a fox and a pheasant. On seeing me, the fox legged it, leaving the lucky pheasant blissfully unaware of its good fortune. I was away by 5.45 and within minutes was ascending Golden Cap, at 191 meters, apparently the highest point on the south coast. It certainly got the blood moving.




Golden Cap

The view east from Golden Cap

Then down to Seatown, where I stopped to chat to a man who is a carpenter and does work for the National Trust, making wooden signs and he has also made a large dresser that is in use at Montecute House. He was carrying a gun and was pleased to have ended the career of a fox that had killed up to eight lambs.

Seatown

The views each way along the coast were stunning and far reaching and remained so for much of the day. On then to West Bay, the setting for some of the scenes in Broadchurch. The Trailblazer guide recommended Ellipse, an Italian bistro (which also featured in Broadchurch) where I had some excellent coffee and a full English which set me up for the day. It was actually my second breakfast.

East Cliff, West bay

Looking back to West Bay

West Bay is nothing but a resort, packed with fish and chip and similar eateries but I rather liked it. The next few miles were flat and undemanding towards Abbotsbury. Passing by the Swannery, I began to think about a wild camp later on. The loos at the Swannery are to be recommended for water and posh pink liquid soap. I found that a Dyson Blade hand drier is no good for the face. Even though it was only mid afternoon, with water on board, I knew that I could pitch later wherever I wanted. 

At 7pm I stopped and cooked a meal as an energy boost. I felt pretty sure of finding a pitch and then a couple of good sites appeared but then I found the perfect one. A few dog walkers have passed by but, apart from some cows in the adjoining field, there's just birdsong. Walked 19 miles today. Tomorrow is Portland and Weymouth, which, with an early start, shouldn't be too bad.

East Fleet

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South West Coast Path - Sunday 23 June

Woke early and was on my way at 5.20am. I diverted briefly to see the Weston Flats, an abandoned area in part of the undercliff which, until the middle of the last century, was used for cultivating vegetables and daffodils. The land having slipped, it benefited from a micro climate which made favourable growing conditions but was abandoned when tourism took off.
As I followed the path in, a badger was scampering just ahead of me, unaware of my presence. He shot off when I said, "Hello, Mr Badger". Then down to the shingle beach at Weston Mouth and back up again to the cliff top path which was level for a couple of miles to Branscombe Mouth where I breakfasted by the Sea Shanty Beach Café (which was closed until noon). The path then ascended again and went round Beer Head dropping gently into the village of Beer. I explored the main thoroughfare before continuing on to Seaton. Here, the Trailblazer guide was out of date already as the main route of the trail was closed due to a landslip and there was a longer road diversion. There is still a beach alternative route at low tide but walking on shingle is hard work. East of Seaton, the trail drops down and follows the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve, the result of a number of landslips in the 18th and 19th centuries. The slipped land has been left to its own devices and is a veritable jungle, almost tropical in its density, although with a good path through it, albeit quite muddy in places. Plenty of ups and downs and tree roots just waiting to catch the unwary.

 About three miles into the Reserve, I came across my first backpacker. This was April, from Canada but living in London. This was her first backpacking trip for several years. We walked together into Lyme where she stopped to while away some time on the beach before heading for her camp site at Charmouth. I went straight on to Charmouth, an unremarkable place where the path has been diverted but the first sign I saw was only after I'd gone nearly to the sea front and was then signed back almost the way I'd just come. Following the diverted route out of the village, I was concerned that I had very little water for the wild pitch I hoped to find. However, I passed a little gate leading into a campsite and only a few feet in was a water tap. I filled up and headed back to the Coast Path. I'm now camped in a field corner looking up at Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast. That'll warm me up first thing in the morning.

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South West Coast Path - Saturday

The walk this coming week from Sidmouth to Poole has been short in the planning but long in the mind. Back in, I think, 2001 my daughter, then aged about 18, and I, backpacked from Lee Abbey (where she was at a summer camp) to St. Ives. The next year she and her then boyfriend and I continued from St. Ives to Plymouth (although she, having just returned from her gap year, dropped out at Gorran Haven). I think it was then in 2003 that I walked alone from Plymouth to Sidmouth, so this last stretch has been waiting ten years for me.

Earlier this year I was asked to review the new edition of Trailblazer's Dorset and South Devon Coast Path by Henry Stedman and Joel Newton for the Backpackers Club. Here was a golden opportunity to finish what is Britain's longest National Trail.

The journey to Sidmouth by trains and buses was easy and I arrived late afternoon, starting walking at 5.15pm. Much of it was quite strenuous, just a taste of many ups and downs to come. I assumed I'd walk until quite late but the weather started to close in. I found a very secluded cliff top spot off the main path overlooking the sea and only managed to get the tarp half pitched before a heavy shower came by. It's a bit breezy but it'll do although there's the odd ant around. Hope there aren't too many.

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Cotswolds weekend Monday - 19 miles walked

The temperature dropped to freezing again last night; the tarp was crusted with ice - and this is the tail end of May! I woke at 5.45am and shortly after I saw the sun rise. Tried to take a photo but couldn't capture it well enough. I must explore the settings on my camera to see if it's possible.

I was camped by Long Barrow at SP143207 and went over to have a look. Just a raised area of ground, tree covered. I was walking by 6.45am following the Macmillan Way through a quiet Lower Slaughter, filling my water bottle from the river flowing through the middle of the village. Then on to the Gloucestershire Way/Monarch's Way, followed by a stretch of the Heart of England Way to Lower Swell. There I saw an interesting use of a defunct telephone box. Inside, instead of a telephone was defibrillator equipment. Then on to Upper Swell and across to Tesco at Stow-on-the Wold to get some food for second breakfast. It may be signed as a "superstore", but there was no café there, otherwise I'd have been tempted by a full English.

Out of Stow to Maugersbury down to Icomb where, shortly after, I joined the Oxfordshire Way. The weather was so nice here that I spent an hour over a leisurely lunch, eating, reading, snoozing. On then to Bledington, taking the Diamond Way north. The mud at SP243245 was so bad that, after two attempts to get round it, I gave up and took an alternative route to reach the bridge over the railway at Daylesford. It was a pleasant walk through the grounds of Daylesford House and Daylesford Hill Farm, then through Cornwell and so home. A really great weekend.

Cotswold weekend Sunday - 20 miles walked

Woke at 4.20 and was walking by 5am. A chilly morning but dry. I continued on the D'Arcy Dalton Way, stopping on the trail for breakfast just before reaching Great Barrington, then through the village around 7.00am where all was quiet. Then on to Little Barrington over the River Windrush and on to the village of Windrush and then Sherborne. I'm glad I don't know of tearooms and cafés in advance. That way I'm not too disappointed when I find them closed. Here in Sherborne is a combined village shop, deli and tearoom. There wasn't a free table in the garden so I sat inside to down my pot of tea and bacon sandwiches - proper bacon too. Hiker jet fuel to power me on my way. The shop and café were a real find.

Little Barrington

Little Barrington

Bridge by Windrush Mill

The Mill

From Sherborne to Farmington was a road walk of about three miles but the Windrush valley is beautiful and the sun was shining. In fact, the day was heating up to be a scorcher. Northleach was next and how I managed not to fall into a pub I don't really know. I just wanted to get more miles behind me I suppose. I went on through Hampnett and then Turkdean where I deposited my little bag of rubbish in Steve Winwood's wheelybin! I think he was away. Through the open gate, I saw a swimming pool with people around it and the (very good) music was VERY LOUD.

My next village was Cold Aston where a pint of Otter bitter in The Plough was calling my name. Following the Gloucestershire Way towards Bourton-on-the-Water, I've found a quiet pitch in the corner of a field. After getting on for two hours here, no-one has passed by. Apart from a bit of traffic noise from the A436, all I can hear is birdsong.

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Cotswolds weekend Saturday - 8 miles walked

This weekend's outing was supposed to be a 64 miler from Sutton Coldfield to Chipping Norton following what I think would have been an excellent route but at the last moment it didn't work out (don't ask).

Instead, and with no planning, it turned into a circuit of the Cotswolds. Starting from Churchill church, I headed across to Sarsden on the D'Arcy Dalton Way, a long distance trail that starts at Wormleighton Reservoir some way north of Banbury and meanders south to end at Wayland's Smithy, on the Ridgeway.

Stone memorial seat near Sarsden - Lord Moreton d. 1920 

On then to Bruern. At 6.45 I stopped to cook up a meal. This was the first outing for my Caldera Cone with Gram Cracker "stove", a miniscule titanium thing which weighs nothing and burns Esbit fuel tablets (or similar). I'll do a review of this some time. My first impressions are very favourable.


I carried on walking, going through Fifield. I was needing to top up my water and found a tap in a little alcove in a wall opposite the church. Lovely. Crossing the A40, the path crossed a field to pass by Tangley Hall and then a wide grassy path around a copse, dipping then into woodland. In here, and by a stream, I found a small crescent shaped secluded meadow and that is my pitch for the night. Lots of birdsong, an owl and (a short while ago) a noisy deer crashing through the undergrowth.
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SWCP Day 4

It was a good pitch last night in Embelle Wood. Underneath trees with a grass covered network of thin raised roots but not too bad. I lay down on it before pitching to make sure it would be reasonably comfortable. During the evening, I heard the squawk of an approaching pheasant and then a squawk of alarm as it veered away. I was in the only clearing, obviously Pheasant Aerodrome. Later, without warning of its approach, there was a flurry of wings when a pheasant came in to land and saw me and careered upwards. After that, I wasn't disturbed. I could see lights on the Welsh coast from where I lay.

It got a bit windy in the night but later calmed down and I was awake shortly after 6. The sky in the east was a vivid red so maybe the rain forecast for tomorrow may arrive today. I packed waterproofs at the top of my pack! I was away at 7.30 and had the wooded path to myself all the way to Porlock Weir where I stopped for coffee at the Ship Inn. On the way, two young deer crossed the path just ahead of me and I called in at Culbone church, tucked away in the wood. Most of the headstones were of members of the Red family, including Ethel Red (really).

 

 After Porlock Weir there was a flat walk on field paths to Bossington and then a long climb up towards Selworthy Beacon. I took the "rugged" SWCP alternative here but kept the sea views. Then a descent through woodland into Minehead.

A good few days. Great walking weather and no rain.
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