Day 36 Back in the saddle, Bristol again

Today I headed back to Bristol, with a different friend, Penny. Matthew drive us back to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and we set off. It was a cool morning and another short day of eight miles.

We would be following the Community Forest Path through Bristol. It started off well. We climbed up past the Observatory ( but didn’t feel the need to investigate the cafe) and walked along Clifton Down until our route took us along Pitch and Pay Lane. Pitch and Pay Lane is so named because in the times of plague the country folk would pitch their wares over (presumably) some sort of gate and the potentially infected people of Bristol would pay them. Again I’m guessing they tossed the money over the gate but I’m sorry to say I didn’t read the notice board very carefully. I also think it might have been a Roman Road. Today it is a rather nice walk with a very lovely phone box which is also on Instagram @friendsofthephonebox

We carried on, over a golf course, across a road and up a hill to a defunct footbridge over the road. Back down the hill, cross road, up hill to reach other side of footbridge. From then on we walked through the Kings Weston Estate-easy walking, benches, a Roman fort, a castle (no photo) downhill again, a grotto, past another cafe-Bristolians know how to live-to a car park.

And there we got a bit lost. Not much, just a bit. Sorted ourselves out, walked past a church, got lost again, walked past Aldi, and the footpath stopped. Not before leading us through some very long grass. Rethink route, sort it out again, breath a sigh of relief when we saw our footpath heading out of the housing estate into open countryside.

We crossed the M5 -on a bridge- and made for our country house hotel. There are people having afternoon tea in the lounge and the garden. We have a sitting area in our room although I am typing this on the bed as my feet have not taken kindly to more walking, and I fear I might be about to lose a nail, or possibly the end of my toe… and on that cheery note I’ll sign off for today.