Day 23 Still in Somerset

Today has been a day of Royal Oaks (3), fords (2) and green lanes (several). There was a gate challenge and a fall, and several flapjacks but we’ll come to those.

I started off at the Royal Oak at Withypool, which I can highly recommend, especially if you have a dog, they are very dog friendly. I had a good dinner (venison pie, mash and veg -I’m having a week off chips- and lemon tart) and an equally good night’s sleep. Breakfast was muesli, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and toast with Tiptree jams and Marmite. I thought long and hard, but in the end went for blackcurrant jam. Best breakfast spread choices so far.

I left about 9.40 and didn’t patronise the village shop as I knew there was one at Winsford (not the Cheshire one, I’m sure they have plenty of shops). Unfortunately the shop in Winsford didn’t have a lot of stock. I had hoped for lunch, a couple of apples, and a biro. Failed, really, but I bought some flapjacks-for a rainy day-and headed to the tea rooms. Shut. I was talking to a local lady who told me that business wasn’t that good so they had reduced their hours and now only opened Thursday to Sunday. Today is Wednesday. On the other hand there was a ford.

There were no other villages on my route until Luxborough, home of the third Royal Oak, so my lunch was now looking a little disappointing. There was a lot of road walking again today, which with the empty roads around here enables one to power through the day.

There were also quite a few green lanes-bridleways and restricted byways-to give a bit of variety.

The problem with green lanes is that they tend to be a bit damp. Particularly if there are a lot of springs… Yes, I slipped and landed bottom first in a stream. Mind you, I was wearing quick-drying trousers so when I got to my destination they were not only dry but unmuddy too. After the green-stream-slip mishap there was another ford before the road headed uphill and became noticeably drier.

The road carried on uphill until I reached Lype Hill, the highest point of the Brendon Hills. Yes, I’m still in Exmoor National Park, but not a lot of moor today. Here, I stopped for my lunch (three flapjacks, they were quite small), and admired the view. I know I keep saying I’ve had my last view of the sea but… today I could see the Bristol Channel to the north.

It was slightly chilly on the top of Lype Hill so I didn’t linger, but made my way downwards towards Luxborough. And I met, for the first time in two days, another walker. She was coming towards me, walking the Coleridge Way. Buoyed up by this brief meeting (she was a bit worried it would rain so didn’t stop to chat much) I too followed the Coleridge Way down to the Royal Oak where I am staying tonight hampered only by a broken gate. Couldn’t climb over at the hinge end, couldn’t budge the opening end. Of course, eventually I did budge it, although it took quite a bit of effort on my part.

I arrived early at the Royal Oak, but checked in, had a wonderful bath, and have had a restful afternoon. I’m just watching the local news about preparations for the G7 summit in Carbis Bay -which seems a long time ago now. Dinner soon, will I be able to keep up the No Chips rule? You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.