I slept very well and wary of early morning tractors, packed up and left by six hoping to get to Bridgewater quickly for breakfast. Despite a few wrong turns and wet boots from walking through long grass, it was an easy and enjoyable early morning stroll, involving a lot of cows. I arrived in Bridgewater at 7:30. This early not many cafés were open, but I spotted the highly rated Delano’s café should be open, according to Google. It wasn’t. Damn you, Deano’s cafe, you don’t get five stars from me. I retraced my steps to coffee republic where I wrote my blog and waited for proper cafés to open where I could get a proper fried breakfast. At 9 o’clock I transferred to the bridge café and ordered a very large English breakfast. I also stocked up with blister plasters at a local pharmacy. Bridgewater may not be the most picturesque of towns (note the note the lack of photos) but it had everything I needed to sort myself out.
My plan for the day was to cross the Somerset levels and reach the Limestone Link beyond Cheddar. If I could that I’d have made up some time. I now had lots of power in my power bank so the other priority was to dry my tent and wash out my socks. I was onto my last pair of dry ones.
Leaving Café number two I set off confidently past Deano’s café (still closed, damn you again Deano) and along the main road for about half an hour. Checking my map I realised I was walking in completely the wrong direction. I took this setback philosophically, turned around and headed off once more.
When planning this trip and the mileage I could walk what I hadn’t taken into account was the inevitable detours, either to campsites or off path to pubs for refreshment and of course navigational errors. These detours, if avoided, would have resulted in me being bang on schedule rather than 15 miles behind. I resolved to do better and press on.
Leaving Bridgewater, I met two sisters, Jackie and Cynthia and had a lovely chat. One or both of them were training for the run for life, walking 2 miles a day, working their way up to do a bit more every week. We all have our personal challenges. They were approaching their challenge with good humour as I was attempting to with mine. I headed off into the countryside expecting an easy walk, this was the Somerset Levels after all. I was, however, thwarted by overgrown pathways full of stingers and by the occasional barred gate, where I had to stop to find an alternative. On one occasion the gate was not barred, but a sign reading bull in the field made me be pause and think. The bull, pictured above, was staring directly at me. Perhaps he liked the look of my rather red Patagonia Baggy shorts. I didn’t ponder for long, I replotted my route.
It was hot. I collapsed into a field of buttercups to rest and dry my tent from the night before. I lay there too long probably before finally getting up and walking the remaining mile to Bawdrip. A kind woman I passed refilled my water bottles for me which was a relief. All the water on the levels is saline so with no shops or pubs for miles she did me a very great favour on such a hot day. Bawdrip was pretty and had a nice church, but I walked on through quickly along the disused railway line to Cossington. From Cossington. I crossed more fields and then along backcountry roads on the way to Westham.
The roads and pathways were easier walking now and my pace picked up as I paused only briefly to look at the very beautiful, wide expanse of the Huntspill river as I crossed the bridge . At about 6 o’clock I was close to Westham, a village adjacent to Blackford and the pub, the Sexey Arms. I followed the route laid out in my book which agreed with the data on my app and made my way up a grassy steep hill. I came across a ditch, typical in the levels, and I could see that people before me had jumped across at this point, so I did too, rucksack and all. After another couple of hundred metres I came across a gate which was barred, again on the path indicated so I climbed it and continued. As I reached a road, one gate remained. This was also barred and covered in wire mesh making it impossible to climb. I was trapped. There was nobody about so I had no choice but to turn around and walk back a mile on a slightly different route avoiding the leap across the ditch this time. Again I looked at my map to find a new route. At this point I had walked 22 miles, but only 15 in the right direction, so I was going to come up short on mileage today, let alone catching up. I I could see there was a campsite 2 km past the pub so I decided to give them a ring once I got to the Inn. I could do with a shower. The next three days we’re going to have to involve some epic distance walking.
However, my misfortunes weren’t quite over for the day. Passing a farmyard,dogs ran out, barking away as dogs do. I proceeded up the long track which led to the main road, but one of the dogs seem to take a liking to me and followed. I assumed he would return back at some point but 400 m later as we both crossed a cattle grid, with the main road 20 metres ahead of us, I realised I had no choice. I took off my pack left it by a ditch and walked all the way back to the farm with the dog. I knocked on the farmhouse door and returned the dog to a very apologetic farmer. 20 minutes later and I finally made it to Blackford, with no further delays.
A couple of pints and a packet of scampi fries later and I’m feet much better . I met some lovely people at the Sexey Arms, in particular an ex para called Taff, who said that he missed the regiment and the camaraderie. I think he approved of my walk although he did say it would be better to have done it with somebody else (safer that way). Unfortunately, I don’t know anybody else foolish enough to join me.
A half hour walk to my campsite later, some food, a shower and everything was good in the world. The next few days will be on well marked national trails so hopefully there will be no further false turns and I’ll make some time up. At the campsite, I also met my first other end to ender, an American lady called Annie. Somehow she had managed to get the weight of her pack down to 10 kg. These are the sorts of things that long-distance hikers talk about.
Day Summary
Sheep, dogs, stinging nettles and a bull. Twenty four miles walked, 18 in the right direction.
Discover more from Henry’s very long walk
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Looks like I asked too soon about the quality / viability of paths ! Oh dear.
I used to happily walk through fields of cows but have now got rather fearful (and read too much on the rare but present dangers). But you definitely did the right thing in avoiding that bull. He was mighty!
He was magnificent, but probably deadly