Mendips

 The Mendips

March 2024

The Mendip Hills (the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel in the west to the Frome valley in the east, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Chew Valley and other tributaries of the Avon to the north.

The higher, western, part of the hills has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which gives it a level of protection comparable to a national park.

Tuesday 5^th March.

 

On arrival from our 3 1/2 hour journey we had lunch at the Ring O’Bells in Wookey village. I had a massive blt chiabatta at £8.95 (the price of 2 cappuccinos at Costa) washed down by a pint of the excellent local Butcombe ale. We noted that the Wookey Hole Inn which would have been conveniently nearby wasn’t available for lunch. It's certainly worth checking before you visit any lunch provider these days.

We then set off on a 4.5-mile Ebbor Gorge walk which took in Wookey Hole, though we didn't linger, and bypassed the caves. We parked at the nature reserve picnic area, off the minor road to Priddy, and walked clockwise past Ebbor Wood and Ebbor Gorge. It was very muddy in Ebbor Gorge though with splendid views of Wookey hole below and Glastonbury Tor in the distance.

We stayed at the Woodborough Inn, Winscombe and had supper there. We were made very welcome – good food and comfortable rooms.

 

Wednesday 6^th March.

 

Cold but clear, warming as the day progressed and as we climbed higher. This was a 6-mile circular walk up (and down again!) to Crook Peak. For example, see Walk in the Mendip Hills: Crook Peak - A Dragon's Escape (adragonsescape.com) 

This cheered John as it fulfilled a long-held wish to summit Crook Peak.

We parked just off the A38 south of Winscombe, so we could have lunch at the New Cross Inn on the way back to the car and not far from the end. Lunch offered a wide range of dishes divided into starters, small, sharers, baguettes, specials, favourites … almost too much choice! But very good.

We briefly also visited the redundant Strawberry Line railway station in Winscombe featuring a 2000 year timeline on brass plates along the old platform. It's now a handy walking and cycling track.

Supper was at the Star Inn at Winscombe. A good range of menu options sensitively and imaginatively presented.

 

Thursday 7^th March.

 

Walking World 7087 describes a 7.2 mile route via Chew Valley and Blagdon Lakes, Ubley and Compton Martin, where approximately half-way round the route, there's the Ring O'Bells for lunch.

This was another muddy route, especially around the many narrow kissing gates. It's worth noting that in some areas this has been the wettest February since records began, though in fact our four days were free of rain and mainly mild outside of a chill wind.

We paused at St Bartholomew's Church which had an interesting barrel vaulted ceiling.

So lunch was at the Ring O’Bells at Compton Martin – not to be confused with the other Ring o'Bells in Wookey. This was comfortable, though a curious tiled flooring gave the impression of an Italian cafe. I chose Stornaway black pudding scotch egg with tamarind ketchup. No ordinary pub grub (though cheesy chips are available!)

Our final supper was in the New Inn at Cross. Good beer, excellent sausages!

 

Friday 8^th March.

 

This morning's walk (WW8258) was a Winford to Felton circular.  4.8 miles. Lunch was at the Prince of Waterloo in Winford: https://www.p-o-w.co.uk/food-drink/ It has an appealing menu and magnificent black stone floors, not great for spilled plates …..

…and then home, in a round about way thanks to delays on the M4. Fridays can be tricky driving days ....

Barrington, Cambridgeshire

February 2024

This circular walk of about 5 miles starts and finishes at the excellent Royal Oak pub in Barrington, which makes this a worthwhile stroll.

Described as a Riverside Walk and signposted as such just outside the village, we must have arrived at the worst time of year as the path led through thick mud, dug up by cattle, and several streams that spread across the track. Eventually plodging through that, the next stretch was a narrow corridor of overgrown trees where the track often ran parallel to the river but was constantly crossed by fallen trees. Some of these needed crossing over, some crawling under, so an uninterrupted stroll this was not.

After that the route was on easier tracks and some minor roads through Shepreth (listen out for animal noises as you pass Shepreth Wildlife Park) and eventually back to Barrington. For more detail view Stapleford Strollers walk description.

This is interesting and varied countryside so I recommend it as a summer walk in dry conditions

- but only if a man with a chain saw has been out to clear the fallen trees!

Newport, Essex

 November 2023

Newport is a short trip ride from us so John and I walked straight off the platform at Newport station and on to this very pleasant walk through Essex countryside. Good views, field edges and tracks, orange glowing leaves and a bit muddy but hey, it's November!

The walk we followed was published in The Times of October 21st 2023 and heads east along the Saffron Trail continuing on to Debden Church and Debden Park, briefly on the Harcamlow Way and westwards back to Newport. Here the Coach and Horses is an ideal place to conclude a brisk 6 mile walk through autumn countryside.

The church at Debden Park.

North Elmham

September 2023. North Elmham is a village  north of Dereham, which is west of Norwich in Norfolk. There you will find the King's Head Hotel, where we were made to feel welcome - and it wasn't their fault that there were power cuts on two successive nights!

John and I made our way via a circular 4 mile walk around Brisley starting at The Bell for lunch. This walk was clockwise from the Bell towards Tuttle Farm, up to the edge of Horningtoft eastward to cross the B1146 and on to Harper's Green then south back to Brisley.

 Mark met up with us at The King's Head later. Sadly Tim was laid up with knee problems and missed it all. 

The weather was hot and humid, in the middle of a stretch of six days in which the temperature climbed above 30 degrees C. Not quite Death Valley but hot enough to discourage long walks. Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that ....

With electricity off we relax in semi-darkness and gladly accept the kitchen's offer of a ploughman's meal, which needs no cooking. Together with a couple of pints of Wherry we feel well fed.

Still warm in the morning after 20 degrees overnight, we march out for a circular walk around Elmham, Including St Mary's Church ...

not forgetting Bishop Herbert de Losinga's Chapel (now just a ruin) ...

... and the partly dismantled but still proud Mid Norfolk Railway, where enthusiastic supporters repair and maintain the station at County School. Though the rails and their sleepers have seen better days and no trains run from North Elmham yet, the railway does safely connect Wymondham and Dereham and there are still running days when trains chug up and down (for dates see their website).

Too warm for walking in the afternoon so extended quiet time until evening, when a visit to The Railway Arms on the other side of town (extensive menu, rather too much echo in the dining room but good food) concluded with a walk through the dark brought about by our second power cut. Early beds again ....

And on our final day we took a river walk around Swanton Morley where the churches of All Saints,... 

and in Bylaugh St Mary's, took our fancy. We like box pews.

Altogether good walks abbreviated by the heat but this is a grand yet little known area for pleasant river and field walks. We enjoyed it!

Finchingfield

 August 2023

We started from the delightful and very popular village of Finchingfield and took a circular walk of 4-5 miles along many field boundaries, dry underfoot, returning to The Fox on The Green - an attractive 16th century coaching inn overlooking the village duck pond and the green.

Good menu, limited range of ales, all better when the music was kindly turned down (at our request).

Elsewhere the Guildhall (ancient, renovated, now a library, museum and wedding venue) and the church, St John the Baptist, were both well worth a visit.

In the car park of The Vine at Great Bardfield, we found one of Trotters original three wheeler cars as used in Only Fools and Horses. Oh, how we laughed!

Thaxted

July 2023

Thaxted derives from the Old English thoec or þæc combined with stede, being a "place where thatching materials are got" and indeed even today the town is bristling with thatch and many coloured pargetting.

Wayside Cottage - with infra-red filter

Church Steeple and nearby thatched cottage

John guided us round a pleasant varied and comfortably brief route of 4-5 miles which included passing the remains of the Elsenham and Thaxted Light Railway (opened 1913, closed in 1953 and currently having its remaining loco shed and water tower renovated as a private dwelling.

Loco shed and water tower c1951

 

Loco shed and water tower 2023

We had a very good value lunch at The Swan, which is opposite the impressive church and just up the road from the famous Guildhall.

Houghton Mill and Meadow

 June 2023

The longest day of the year, and one of the warmest so far, found us at Houghton Mill (National Trust) between Huntingdon and St Ives. Several road works and some re-routes meant a slow start and we weren't able to extend our walk of about 4 miles with many possible extensions. Nevertheless we made a very pleasant circuit of Houghton Meadows and looked around the village itself before heading off to Godmanchester to the White Hart for lunch. Very good food (soup or paté, sea bass or steak pie) and beer (Broadside on tap, oh joy!).

Cottage in Houghton

Houghton Mill