Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: September 2019

Fleetwith Pike

An old favourite which was done in beautiful sunshine with not a cloud in sight. I parked up at the top of Honister Pass and trudged up the old tramway used for bringing down slate from the mines high up in the fells in days gone by. Once at the rock cutting, known as Drum House, I veered right which brought me into close contact with the ugly quarry workings, one of which is still being used.

Standing in such a wasteland makes it hard to comprehend that just half a mile away stands a cairn which gives one of the most beautiful and iconic Lakeland views in my opinion; the one looking down over Buttermere and Crummock Water with Pillar and The High Stile Range to the left and Dalehead in front. For good measure, you have Haystacks, Great Gable and the Scafells behind you and the Helvellyn Range in the distant left.

The path across the fell top frequently gives enticing views of the grandeur of what is to come once you gain the summit. One in particular is a view down a gully to the Honister Pass road far, far below. A good head for heights and a clam day is needed to get the best photo opportunity but unfortunately it was blowing a howling gale so I kept a safe distance from the edge. The wind was so strong and gusty, it nearly blew me off my feet a couple of times and that is no mean feat I can assure you!

Once on top I found a nice spot in the lee of the wind and had my lunch. A few people came up the ridge from Buttermere but found it too windy to hang around for long, most just took a photo and carried on. One person who did stop for a chat was the author of the Cicerone Press Lakeland Fells Guide books which are an updated version of The Wainwright Guides. The more we spoke the more I got the impression that the only reason that stopped was to blow his own trumpet and plug his online blog!

Thankfully once he had gone I was left with the fell to myself again and took the photos for this blog. The walk back to Honister was by the awful mine road which was very steep and just seemed to go on forever. It kills my hips and thighs every time I walk it and so it was with relief that I finally got back to the car.

All in all it was a grand walk but I had been very surprised and caught out a bit by the gusting wind on the top. It just goes to show that you can't take any walk in the fells for granted, no matter how low and short the walk is. Nice days often have a sting in their tails.

Quarry Working on Dalehead

The Old Tramway

Quarry Waste heap

Quarrying Relics

Old Quarry Workings

Looking down on Honister Pass

First glimpse of Buttermere

Pillar and High Crag

Haystacks and Pillar

Close up of Pillar

Quarry Workings

Quarry Road to Honister Pass

Honister Pass Visitor Centre

Rusty Relic

Old quarry Shed

Somerset Holiday - Final Evening Walk to Kentsford Farm and St Decuman's Church, Watchet

After finishing dinner, Sal decided that she wanted to go for a final walk up the Mineral Line to Kentsford Farm and then pop up to St Decuman's Well and Church. It was a gorgeous evening so I asked if I could go with her as, from the start of the holiday, the one thing I had really wanted to do was to join her on this trip down Memory Lane. I think she rather hoped I would ask as well because, deep down, she wanted to share it with me too.

There's not really any need for any great narrative for the walk as the photos tell the full story but what I will say is that it was the most enjoyable thing we did together the whole week. In future, when I am down in Kiveton and Sal's family are recalling their holidays in Somerset, I will know exactly what they are enthusing about and that makes me feel good.

We finished the evening and holiday off nicely with a drink at The Esplanade Club on the harbour front.

All good things must come to an end though and our holiday had certainly been a good thing. I loved every minute of it, we visited some beautiful and interesting places, drank in some fine pubs together, visited some great coffee shops together and had some tremendous laughs together. Even the weather played ball. The house we rented played a big part as well, it felt like home as soon as we stepped through the front door and contained everything we needed for our stay.

Watchet may not be a place many people have heard of, in fact the only people I've ever heard mention it are Sal's family but it suited our needs down to the ground. Most mornings and evenings I went for my "constitutional" down to the harbour and marina, meeting some local character and seeing some amazing sunsets in the process. I felt very sad to say goodbye to the place.

One thing is for sure, this won't be the last time I visit Somerset and dear old Watchet. It won't be Sal's last time either.

The old Mineral Railway Line

Kentsford Farm Entrance

Track to Kentsford Farm

Washford River, Kentsford Farm

Bridges over Washford River

Kentsford farm Outbuilding

Old Motor, Kentsford farm

Woodland near St Decuman's Church

Lynchgate, St Decuman's Well

St Decuman's Well

St Decuman's Church

Final Drinks at The Esplanade Club

Harbour Bar, The Esplanade Club

Summer Holiday - Bampton, Dulverton and Winsford

We had originally intended to go to Illfracombe and Woolacombe on our last day in Somerset but I thought that, after our days in Lynmouth and Minehead, we needed a quieted day. Sal agreed and so we went for a drive in to the Brendon Hills which gave us the chance to tick off the final two on her wish list.

Every day should start with a good coffee so I took her back to the cider farm I visited the day before. On the cake front, we were spoilt for choice but we plumped to share a slice of cider cake. I think that basically it was the Somerset name for a fruit cake but it it still tasted delicious.

After buying a selection of bottled ciders we continued on our way to a small town called Bampton which lies just over the border in Devon. It had a lovely 12th century church standing at its highest point which doubled up as a visitor centre. We watched a short video of the town's history and I think we were both a bit surprised on how important it had been to the surrounding area. It had a busy railway running through it which served the many quarries in the area. It also has quite a history from the Romans to its early Saxon origins, a Norman Castle and a thriving wool and pony trade.

We then crossed back over the border to Dulverton which has the oldest medieval bridge on Exmoor spanning the River Barle. It was another beautifully laid out Medieval town crammed with shops, cafes and hotels and quite busy. We escaped in to The Bridge Inn (which is surprisingly situated next to the ancient bridge) for refreshments and then went down to the river to sit and eat of lunchtime sandwiches.

The last place on Sal's wish list was another thatched village called Winsford and this may have been the prettiest of the holiday, setting aside Selworthy which was essentially a model village. The only downer with Winsford was that the local inn, The Royal Oak, was closed, which was a shame as it looked so beautiful from the outside.

Winsford was also the home to Labour statesman and politician Ernest Bevin who Sal got mixed up with Aneurin Bevan, the founder of the NHS. Sal being Sal meant that we had to go in search of a blue plaque but we couldn't spot one anywhere. However on the drive out of the village I spotted a plaque on a wall and screeched the car to a halt, narrowly missing a wall. It was only then that Sal realised her mistake but she was still thrilled at the outcome. It reminded me of the hilarious time she got Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the police force, mixed up with John Peel the famous fox hunter whilst we were Caldbeck.

Our journey back to base was uneventful in comparison and, even though this was our last day, we were both still in high spirits as we reflected back on a very enjoyable day.

Torres Cider Farm

Cider Farm Pears

Bampton

Dulverton

River Barle at Dulverton

Bridge Inn, Dulverton

Signpost at Winsford

Tearoom at Winsford

Winsford Ford

Thatched Cottages, Winsford

Royal Oak at Winsford

Winsford

Somerset Holiday - Cleeve Abbey and Minehead

Another day of blue skies, the weather Gods were really looking after us on this holiday. Today me and Sal split up, but only for a short while. She rode her bike along the old Mineral Line from Watchet to Cleeve Abbey whilst I went and bought some cider from Torres Cider farm at Washford, grabbing a quick cappuccino in the process and then meeting up with her. She'd been enthusing about doing this ride for weeks and I'm just glad she got to do it in fine and sunny weather.

Cleeve Abbey is run by English Heritage so, at the ticket office, I was given the usual hard sell. They do the same at Lanercost Priory in Cumbria as well. Instead of just letting you buy a ticket, they have to try and pressurise you into becoming a member and if that fails they then offer you a discount and don't even get me started on their guide booklets etc selling. In the end I laughingly said he was worse than a double glazing salesman and I think, at that point, he got the message and just took my money and moved on to the next customer.

Most of the Abbey was intact and I did find it thoroughly enjoyable to walk around. The dormitory and cloister had both been restored and an annex had been added to house a large section of the original flooring. The buildings round the cloister were still roofed and habitable and many of the rooms retained their vaults. Among the most important preserved rooms was the chapter house and the refectory with its magnificent arch braced wooden vault. Lunchtime butties were then enthusiastically consumed in the car before moving on.

Below is a bit of background information about the Abbey :-

On 25 June 1198 a colony of 12 monks led by Abbot Ralph arrived at the site from Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire. The official name of the abbey was Vallis Florida, (Latin: 'Flowering Valley') but throughout its history it was generally known as Cleeve after the nearby village. The initial funding for the foundation was increased by land and money from the family of William de Mohun of Dunster, 1st Earl of Somerset and the Beckerolles family. In addition to various landholdings with produced rent for the abbey they held the Right of Wreck, which meant they could claim shipwrecks washed up on the shore of their lands. Cleeve Abbey, while never very large nor prosperous, survived without any major incidents until the abrupt closure in 1537, as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries instigated by Henry VIII. The abbey later saw use as a farm, but now most parts are, after relatively limited restorations, in the same condition as when the monks departed. The monastery was originally encircled by a moat, of which a few traces remain, including to the north, and the east, though most of this section was filled in when the West Somerset Mineral Railway was built through the Washford Valley in the 1850s. The abbey was founded by William de Roumare, Earl of Lincoln.

Our next destination was another delightful Somerset village called Luxborough, one which Sal had also visited many years ago. On the OS map its called Kingsbridge but I think Luxborough sounds much more romantic and it is the name which seems to be generally used. It's another village littered with thatched cottages and has the infant Washford River, which runs in to The Bristol Channel at Watchet, meandering through it.

Pride of place though goes to The Royal Oak Inn which has been at the heart of the village for over 600 years and still retains some of the building's original features eg. original flagstone and cobblestone flooring, stone walls and open wooden beams. There is also a courtyard in the centre of the inn which is used as the beer garden. This looked very inviting but unfortunately we didn't discover it until we were about to leave.

We chose to sit outside the front entrance to soak up the relaxing and peaceful countryside atmosphere. All was going well until the local council's drain cleaning lorry turned up, causing absolute chaos because the lanes were far too narrow for it to manoeuvre properly. I'm sure it kept reversing down peoples driveways just to let other cars past or turn around. Still, it kept us entertained for a quarter of an hour or so.

Our final destination for the day was Minehead which I both liked and hated at the same time if that makes any sense. I liked the harbour area and the general feel of the place however I absolutely hated the Butlins monstrosity which seems to have taken over one half the town.

We had a nice stroll up to the harbour and then back along the prom before returning back to our childhoods by spending half an hour on the slots in one of the arcades. Poor Sal got the hump because she fed the money waterfall machines and then I went along and took out everything she'd put in. Needless to say, I didn't help the situation with all my gloating. We can be so mature at times!

We didn't spend too long in Minehead as parts of it weren't to our taste but we were both glad that we paid it a visit. On our way back to base we called in a pub I'd seen the previous day, the White Horse Inn at Washford which was yet another of Somerset's lovely Olde Worlde inns.

We sat out in the beer garden and planned our last full day in Somerset.