Day 23: Wedmore to Mendips (17.8 miles)

Today was quite a walk both in length and exertion - Cheddar gorge is quite a climb!

I’d slept well as my 7am alarm woke me up - for the first time I’d not woken of my own accord. The usual routine followed minus tent and most of the packing - such a luxury. The view out to Glastonbury Tor is very special.

Ready for the off, I heard the sound of summer - twittering of swallows or house martins whilst I did a final check that all was left tidy in the shepherd hut. A good night’s stay on top of a great evening catching up with Rollo.

As I left, a couple of Heron flew over head with their rather prehistoric look and cry whilst a whitethroat called from the hedge as I walked down a green lane. As my 20:20 vision decreased through my fifties and into my sixties, and as my long distance walking has begun in earnest, I have come to learn to identify birds as much  and more by their calls as by their appearance. Two apps I find invaluable are Chirp-o-matic and British Birds (Collins). I need to get ones for butterflies and for flora. My books are all sitting on a shelf at home.

An enclosed path took me forward between the Stoughton villages and here it was very clear I was in limestone country - I was walking on bedrock. I found myself walking through meadows with young wild geranium growing - this will be a picture in June.

I’d been walking 2 hours and could feel my energy flagging. An instant porridge and a bacon buttie from yesterday was clearly not enough to sustain me through to lunch which I hoped to pick up in Cheddar. So early elevenses. As I contemplated the scenery looking over to the Mendips I noticed the heat shimmering off the grass. I don’t recall noticing that off vegetation before, only off hard surfaces.

The stiles without steps were quite a challenge to balance a cross when carrying a backpack! While along Brinscombe Hill ridge I disturbed 3 female roe deer who went springing away, their creamy white tails bobbing up and down as they disappeared over the brow. A number of buzzards were clearly taking advantage of the thermals off the hill but the rooks, crows and a raven were all busy harassing them.

I was back into territory I know from Martin, mine and Maria’s times at Bristol. I was overlooking Axbridge/Cheddar reservoir where Martin and I used to sail his fireball… until I slipped a disc one sail just before our wedding. A microdisectomy the following April eventually put me to rights after an excruciating attempt at pain relief with an epidural into the spine.

As the path circled around the reservoir I remembered Mum and I had walked around the reservoir while I was recovering from the op watching my father trapezing on the fireball, something I had always loved and watched with envy. Martin however couldn’t resist doing to Dad as he so often had with me, dunking him in the water when he capsized the boat …. And he did that to me during our courtship days! 

Coming back to the present, I had to grin when I heard the starter horn for a race. Those were the days! I wondered if Martin was sailing at the local club today ……? I know the family are all meeting up tonight at home and firing up the pizza oven - cheek of it they wouldn’t consider a deliveroo to me in the Mendips!!

A delight to see so many swans again - either grazing in the meadows or more commonly today swimming in the small Cheddar Yeo. I had understood that they had been badly affected by avian flu. I hope perhaps naive-fully that the population is recovering.

I walked into Cheddar continuing along the River Yeo at 12:30 - beautiful clear water revealing the stream-bed and a return to red soil at the outskirts of town. The village has certainly expanded with lots of new housing and large storage units - possibly distribution centres from the look. 

Cheddar was buzzing today but I was still able to easily get a cream tea at the cafe Maria and I had used on a circular walk of Cheddar and the Mendips.

I had intended from there to go up Jacob’s Ladder BUT - I hadn’t realised that you have to pay £25 to go up that way. When the attendant realised I was walking for charity he pointed out the route on the west side up Lion Rock: National Trust and free.

It was a great walk and I enjoyed a leisurely late lunch that I’d picked up at Sainsbury’s before heading down to Blackrock. My next path was unfortunately blocked off because of ash die back so I had to turn around and try another - otherwise I would have to go via Charterhouse. 

A parallel path took me towards the aerial masts as I’d planned and to the county boundary; goodbye Somerset, hello Avon. Leaving the fields into a small woodland path I came across wood anemones and what looked like wild strawberries in flower. 

Gradually I climbed up to the aerial masts with views back to the Bristol Channel and the Brent Knoll on the coast. Coming off the road having descended from the aerial masts an old Roman fort was armed on the map to my right as I dropped down to the nature reserve which apparently was an excellent base for adders. I walked through some beautiful oak and beech woodland before coming to a plantation I had hoped to camp in. It was firmly fenced and so was starting to worry when I descended steely into natural woodland. But then found the perfect spot overlooking Chew Valley Lake.

All set up now with the addition of a silk sleeping bag liner and foil blanket which is wrapped under the mattress and around me. Hopefully this works - it’s already cold!