Dulverton to Marsh Bridge Circular

Distance: 5.4km

Terrain: Some very steep climbs but the latter part is relatively flat, although there is a narrow path with a drop to the river.

Amenities: Park in one of the town car parks (charges apply) and start the walk from the church in the centre. Plenty of options for food and public toilets in the town.

Original walk guide: see this original walk guide which starts the walk on Northmoor Road.

Dulverton is one of those small quaint country towns that is actually little more than a village, and is the perfect place to go to make you feel like you are on holiday but are actually quite close to home. This walk is one of the nicest we have done recently.

At the church, we took the path to the right in the churchyard, which is narrow and steep, to a T junction, where you turn left towards Broford (the signposts all look fairly new). The lane turns abruptly right and uphill at the old school, and continues a steep climb for quite a while, and still it goes! The path underfoot is quite rocky but at the top changes to a wider grassy, muddy mix as you pass fields on either side.

We continued until we reached a bench on our right, ignoring all other turn offs, which was just before a gate across the lane. At this point, we followed the signpost on the left to Marsh Bridge. This section is a steep decline and again quite rocky underfoot. The woodland provides a lot of interest and probably welcome shade in Summer. Continue all the way downhill to the road.

At the road, cross carefully in a vaguely right/straight on direction to the two bridges. One is a little packhorse bridge and the other is Marsh bridge. Sadly, the tea room mentioned in the original walk seems to no longer be in existence.

After crossing Marsh Bridge, head up the road until you see the public footpath sign on a bend to your left at Kennel Farm. Traverse through this section and into the woods, crossing a small ford in the process.

The walk continues through Burridge Woods following the River Barle and is very picturesque. As you come out of the woods and onto the road you will spot the town bridge below and to the left, so head downhill to it and retrace your steps into the town. Reward yourself with a Covid friendly takeaway lunch from The Copper Kettle like we did, or pick up some delicious chocolate brownies from Tantivy (the whortleberry jam is also worth paying the eye-watering sum for)!

Dunster (Gallox Hill, Bats Castle) Circular

Amenities: Parking at Dunster Steep (main car park on entrance to village). There are toilets at this car park and further on at Dunster Castle. Lots of places to buy food or stop to eat in the village.

Distance: 4.3 miles

Terrain: Quite hilly but nothing really too steep. Combination of well worn tracks and moorland.

Walk details: A PDF of the walk details can be found on the Best of Exmoor site here.

Dunster is such a pretty village and has an iconic 17th Yarn Market right in its centre. It also boasts a castle (National Trust) and a working water mill, both of which are worth a visit in their own right. Being wedged between Exmoor and the sea, it is a real tourist honey pot, so you may want to pick your moment before having a go at this walk. It is also rammed with very pretty little cottages.

From the car park, we headed into the village, past the Yarn Market and up towards the castle, before turning right and through some gates onto West Street (this essentially cuts the corner off what is a very busy and tight bit of road with no pedestrian walkways).

The next turning left (into Mill Lane) could take you down to the working watermill (also owned by the National Trust, and where you can buy flour milled on the premises), but we took a right through Mill Gardens, then left towards Gallox Bridge, which is a delightful pack-horse bridge.

The walk continues upwards on the main track slightly right. If you are following the guide linked above, it somewhat confusingly mentions there being three other routes to ignore (when there are only 2). Don’t go through the gate. There is a fair section of the walk now along a forest track. Follow the instructions to end up at a fenced off area which says “Iron Age Life”. You can go through the gate and continue straight ahead onto Gallax Hill which is a Roman settlement.

If you are lucky, you may spot some Exmoor ponies. Continue right across the top on the grass path heading for the trees on the other side, and then up to Bats Castle.

It’s great to be able to see right out to sea. I think you can probably see Flat Holme and Steep Holme (although I may be wrong) in the sea in the distance.

At the far end of Bats Castle, you pass through a gate and head left downhill down a track which is lined with Beech trees. Eventually, a signpost points left to Dunster, which you take and go through a gate.

You will be able to see Dunster Castle ahead to the right.

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Continue in a straight line until you reach the cottages near Gallox Bridge that you passed on the way up, and return back to the car park by retracing your steps.

This was a really lovely walk which took just under 2 hours (which may have involved stopping to ogle at pasties and outdoor clothing in the village)!

Wimbleball Lake Perimeter Walk

Amenities: Parking at several sites around the lake, but main car park is near the activity centre. There is a parking charge (only in cash – about £4 a day). Cafe and public toilets here and plenty of space for picnics or barbecues.

Distance: 9 miles

Terrain: mainly fairly level with a couple of moderate hills. The path section between the activity centre and the dam is accessible for bikes and probably wheelchairs too but beyond this it is very uneven and narrow in places.

Last Sunday, we walked the perimeter of Wimbleball Lake, a local (-ish) lake that we have visited many times over the years, and even camped there when the boys were younger. It is a great local attraction where you can walk, cycle and hire a rowing boat. We have never walked further than the dam before, and this is one of those walks that I put on my “40 things to do before I am 50” list.

We decided to start the walk from the cafe/main car park and walk anti-clockwise – psychologically I needed that dog leg or the Upton Arm out of the way! We arrived at the car park at 9:00 on a Sunday morning and were the first car there – by the time we completed the walk 3 hours later, it was really busy, so it seemed a good time to start.

The track between the main car park and the dam has a couple of bird hides and it is actually a great place to stop and take in nature. We saw lots of swallows darting down to the lake and back. After the dam you take a left in order to walk right next to the lake, or you will end up on the not so picturesque cycle path. The lakeside path is very gnarled, narrow and uneven though. We were surprised to be overtaken by some runners along this stretch – how they didn’t trip I have no idea!

As you come back down the Upton Arm you have the choice of taking the summer route down to the lake or continuing on round – we chose the latter as it isn’t summer and I wasn’t really sure why it was unsuitable in other seasons!

A lovely spot for lunch at Cowmoor Bay, perched on some grass and tucking in to an egg mayo roll – just the ticket. It was warm in the sun, but only 2 degrees when we had set out! We could see some fishermen in small boats and in the distance some paddle boarders.

There is quite a boggy area after Cowmoor Bay which is dealt with in the main with a bit of boardwalk. It has been relatively dry here in the South West for weeks now so I can imagine in Winter you would want some long boots to do this walk.

The stretch between the bay and Bessom Bridge, and actually just after the bridge has many anglers who didn’t seem too bothered that there were walkers behind them when they were casting their lines. And then on to the final leg back to the car park, which by this point (3 hours later) was fairly busy.

A lovely walk and glad to have ticked it off my list!

Milverton Circular

Parking: On street parking near the church or municipal car park off of Fore Street

Terrain: Hilly, muddy in places. Some country roads.

Distance: 7.5km approximately

For this walk we mainly followed the Circular Walk Five – Milverton published by Taunton Deane Borough Council (now Somerset West and Taunton). However, I can no longer find any trace of a linkable pdf.

From your parking spot head towards High Street which is left if you are going up the hill between the shop and the church. There are some lovely houses and cottages on this road. Continue on this road (past the sign which says No Through Road) until you reach Milverton Court. Take a deep breath as you traverse through Milverton Court as it grows a lot of herbs and smells amazing. Bear right on the track, through a gate and uphill through a field keeping right near the fence.

Field past Milverton Court

At the top of the hill go through a farm gate and turn immediately right, and traverse two fields (keeping the hedge on your left) until you get to the road. It can get a bit muddy here in Winter.

Turn left and go downhill on the road with the Quaking House to your right. Shortly past this there is a gate with a sign saying “Friends Burial Ground’ which is a dark and eerie little place, and a bridleway sign. Take this path. It can get quite overgrown with nettles and brambles in Summer, but not so bad in Winter.

Just before reaching the road take the footpath on the right (also quite brambly and overgrown in Summer).

Lime kiln

There are a couple of lime kilns on the right which you can investigate. Continue onwards past the quarry (also on the right) into a field. You still need to walk straight ahead, to a gate (don’t turn off left towards the barn).

The quarry

Once through the gate, head downhill keeping the hedge on your left and through two fields and onto a little bridge. Lovely big oak tree in the middle of this field.

Looking uphill between the two fields before the bridge

Still keeping the hedge to the left, continue part way through this next field until you reach a stile in the hedge about half way down. At this point turn right through the field. The path is quite neatly demarcated through the crop. At the end you will reach a little track towards a farm. Just before you get to the farm yard, there is a footpath off to the right (essentially just diverting you around the farmhouse), so turn immediately left and follow the hedge and turn left again back onto the road.

Continue on the road up the hill, past the farm buildings. At the top of the hill, take the first gate and walk uphill with the hedge to your left. The hedge then ends but it should be clear that the path traverses slightly right uphill to a stile next to an oak tree. In the next field, the path veers slightly left.

Looking back towards Wiveliscombe

At the road turn right and walk uphill until you reach two gates next to one another. Go through the second gate and retrace your steps back down to Milverton Court, then through the High Street to where you are parked.

Washbattle Bridge Circular

Parking: A small amount of spaces on the Wiveliscombe side of Washbattle Bridge on the left

Terrain: Very steep in places. Combination of wide paths, fields and a whole lot of mud.

Distance: Approximately 3 miles

If my photos seem to capture both Autumn and Winter in the same glorious walk, it is because I have combined them from the couple of times I have done this walk. The walk was followed as part of Circular Walk Number 1 in the Wiveliscombe Circular Walks book (ISBN 0955285100) published by said parish council.

Just metres from the parking spot, we spotted this hair ice which seems to have been all over the countryside media in the last few months, but something I have never actually seen for myself.

You may be forgiven for thinking that this is a wonderful flat walk when you start down by the River Tone with the forest on either side and game birds aplenty (we saw a grouse one time – another first), but it will get steeper! Walk all the way along the flat until you reach Bulland Ford. There is a road (uphill) immediately to the left which you need to take. Keep walking up (and there is a nasty false summit there) along this quiet road until it bends to the left and starts to decline. The second time I did this was three weeks post Coronavirus and it was tough.

Look for a footpath on the left between two hedges. Continue on this track until you get to a section with three farm gates. Turn left after the third and then take a right into the next field.

The walk is relatively flat again as you traverse a few fields, next to a lovely old hedgerow, where you can see sheep in the next field, and in the distance the Quantocks.

When you reach the end of the series of fields, take a left onto a track and walk uphill for another short section. At the end, the path turns left. There are some great views to be glimpsed to your right. This area can get really muddy and wet…

The path looks like it peters out, and can be quite overgrown, but push forward and go through a gate into a field. I suspect this is the same field that we had already been through but I can never quite be sure. A very short way through the field, there is a gate to the right into another field.

The field is surrounded by woodland. You need to walk in a vaguely diagonal direction to a gate in the bottom right section which leads onto a forest track. This is a pleasant steep decline all the way back to the main road. Take a left at the bottom and you are back at Washbattle Bridge.

Two Walks Near Ivybridge: Longtimber Woods and Ermington Circular

A long awaited short trip away to Devon to belatedly celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary was just the tonic we needed after however many months of lockdown. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved the comforting familiarity of doing lots of local walks, but I have been craving fresh scenery like I long for land after a long sea voyage. Our night away was booked at the Plantation House Hotel in Ermington, and if you are a foodie you would not be disappointed – the food is exquisite!

Longtimber Woods, Ivybridge

Parking: At Watermark Community Centre (first 2 hours are free), although there is on street parking closer. Follow the signposts from the carpark.

Terrain: Mostly good footpaths, but some uneven ground and wet slippery areas to traverse.

Distance: 2 miles linear

Amenities: Public toilets and food available in the town. Picnic benches on the walk.

It still feels a bit like wandering into uncharted territory when you go anywhere new at the moment, so our planned activities were walks. Our first walk was Longtimber Woods in Ivybridge.

The walk was so cool and shaded and the rush of the water babbling over the boulders down the River Erme was very enticing (not quite enough to have me paddling though).

There are two aspects of the walk that really appealed to me: the industrial heritage (there is a huge viaduct which spans the river) as well as a mill which looks as though it is currently being renovated and a raft of new houses too, and the woodland itself. The walk is fairly straightforward and traverses slightly uphill heading away from Ivybridge. There are lots of areas of interest, such as spurs to look down on the river and shallower pools. A great walk for a hot day!

Ermington Circular

Parking: No car park but should be able to find a spot in Ermington village

Terrain: Fields (probably quite waterlogged in winter), uneven paths and road. Mostly flat but some hills

Distance: 2 miles circular

Amenities: Pub in Ermington called First and Last

View of Ermington from walk

We were fortunate that the walk began literally opposite our hotel (Plantation House Hotel) off the A3121. Head over the stile and there is a short path down to the river heading right. Continue across the fields (there were cows grazing but they weren’t interested in us) following the river all the way to the hump backed bridge.

You have to walk along the road to cross the river via the bridge, which can be quite busy, but it is very short. Then enter the fields and head back on the footpath towards Ermington. The footpath is well marked. There is a short uphill section and another through some woodland.

When you emerge onto the A3121 turn left and head back to your starting position.

Plantation House Hotel

Long Compton to Rollright Stones

Walk Details

Distance: Approx. 6 miles

Terrain: Fields, paths, country lanes

Amenities: Red Lion pub in Long Compton is highly recommended (so good, I went there twice)!

Link: Viewranger Walk

A very therapeutic bank holiday weekend was spent in Long Compton with my friends from university, in a lovely old thatched cottage. Alongside the glasses of wine, hours playing board games and catching up, we also ventured out on a circular walk to the Rollright Stones – route linked above.

 

The walk began at a footpath to the side of the village hall, through a couple of fields of sweet spring lamb and continued upwards through fields of crops. Some of the houses in this area are seriously lovely – I think we all chose one that we would like to live in!

As we walked, we pondered on how old we have all become – favouring walks and nights in over partying out! I’m at peace with this – it is so good for my mental health to be outside in the fresh air soaking up nature.

We encountered this tiny church, St Philips at Little Rollright in a very isolated position. It was a short walk from St Philips to the Rollright Stones, which was quite a popular destination for families on Bank Holiday weekend.

The Rollright Stones are actually several groups of stones. Above is the Whispering Knights and is a portal dolmen burial chamber. At the head of the page is the stone circle itself – the King’s Men, a circle of 70 stones erected 2500 BC. It is a really fascinating and atmospheric site. There is an interesting website about them here.

I spent the whole weekend laughing so much – it was such a wonderful tonic, and hopefully one to be repeated again.

Greenwich Point, Connecticut

Distance: Approx. 2 1/2 miles

Terrain: Sand beach, paths, boardwalk and shell beach

Access: Residents of Greenwich are allowed free to the point, visitors must purchase a pass during the peak season – see here for more details and for opening times.

I’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to visit family in Greenwich, Connecticut which is near enough to New York to pop into for the day. On our first day, we drove to Old Greenwich to Greenwich Point for a fantastic sunset beach walk, with distant views of New York. This was exactly what the doctor ordered after a 4 am start and long flight (neither of which I particularly enjoy)!

The point was originally called Monakewago meaning shining sands by the native Indians. It was later bought and developed and the owners granted access to the people of Greenwich.

Local dog owners were making the most of the beautiful February day and the fact that no pass was required to exercise their canine friends. And other walkers were strolling listening to audio books or pacing it with their friends.

There are lots of walking trails within the point itself, as well as shell fishing areas, and clam bake sites. The trail we followed was heading due East from the main car park following the sandy beach and then the perimeter path clockwise as seen on this map.

As we walked around the angles of the point especially onto Long Island Sound, the sand and rocks gave way to masses of shells.

A beautiful walk.

Walk 1000 Miles: January 2018

I finished January having walked 61 miles. By my reckoning, I should be averaging 2.74 miles a day so am currently about 24 miles behind. But, I will not get despondent – it’s only January and longer days are ahead!

Views from the Bridgwater & Taunton canal (Bridgwater end)

I have done a fair amount of pavement pounding and what I would term “functional” walks, for example, walking to the shop rather than driving. I try to get out in my lunch break, but this doesn’t always happen. One of the walks I do over and again is what I call my Lunchtime Canal Circular which begins at Bridgwater docks, follows the canal as it loops around Bridgwater before cutting back to work.

From the Nynehead Circular I frequently do

I have increased my miles by parking on the outskirts and walking in to work and this is something that I will try to continue to do because it forces me to “get my walk in” whatever the weather!

The moon – my camera doesn’t justify how bright it was this week!

I have come to the conclusion though that I don’t even mind walking in the rain too much, as long as I have the right coat on!

Blackbury Camp and Knapp Copse Nature Reserve

Distance: 2 1/2 to 3 miles

Terrain: Steep and boggy

Amenities: Small car parks at both Blackbury Camp and Knapp Copse.

Our intention was to walk at the wonderful donkey sanctuary near Sidmouth (see here for a walk we did two years ago), but were seduced by the English Heritage sign for Blackbury Camp before we got there. We knew it was a hillfort, but that was all – it is actually Iron Age.

It is a stunning location, and you can clearly see the ramparts as you drive up to the car park. The ground is scattered with flints which were used to both build the ramparts and as tools. If you are interested, you can read more about the history here.

We had a little wander around – no obvious walks signposted, but we had not brought a map so didn’t want to go off-piste! It’s a very pretty area, perfect for picnics and small children. I am definitely planning to come back in the spring when it is reputed to be awash with bluebells.

Heading back on the main A375 road towards Honiton, we stopped off at Knapp Copse Nature Reserve to see if we could get a proper walk in. I think we got more than we bargained for!

Knapp Copse is at the site of a former council tip which ceased in the 1980s and has been a nature reserve for about ten years. The East Devon Way passes through the nature reserve.

We started to follow the circular route, with blue waymarkers not knowing how far the circular route was. We decided that if the route didn’t seem to be turning back on itself after half an hour, then we would retrace our steps. The actual route we followed was the permissive path (marked in an orange dashed line here).The car park is at the top of a hill, so we descended diagonally down into the valley through fields which were becoming ever boggier. The water collecting in the mud had frozen in places so it felt as though we were breaking glass with each step. Despite the waymarks, there was no obvious path.

At the bottom of the valley, the blue signs disappear and in their place, several other footpaths are marked. After a little retracing of our steps we turned right along the bridlepath before crossing the stream and picking up the path again.

If we thought the first part was a steep descent, this was nothing in comparison to the ascent of the other side of the valley. Let it be said here, that I am no mountain goat!! Again, the ground was very wet – so wet that there were some boardwalks in place – and I am sorry to say that where there weren’t, the only grip I could get was by treading on the rushes. As much as I moan about the hills, these were very pretty parts of the walk.

At the top of the hill, there is a short walk right along a track on the edge of the nature reserve before descending again and meeting up with another track which is the short hike back up hill to the car park.