Crowcombe to North Petherton

For some reason I'd supposed today was going to be a gentle stroll of only 10 miles, not the 13 it turned out to be. I guess my map measuring skills are not up to much. Also, as they say in racing circles, the going was 'soft'. Narrow lanes previously visited by bikes, horses and cattle made for a good mulch but slowed my progress.

Despite a restorative bath I was still feeling the effects of a long day on Monday after a long time away from walking, so uphill straight away was not the easiest start. Enlivened though by some startled highland cattle ( no idea how they can see anything through that fringe)

and I was soon up onto the top of the Quantocks, with these amazing avenues of ancient trees

This is The Drove Road

I have been very lucky with the weather, though not for tomorrow I fear, and the views are of course stunning. There's no way to do justice to them but I've added one here anyway. this is looking roughly North but it's also possible to see clear to the Blackdown Hills and the Wellington Monument, Butlin's tents at Minehead, Exmoor of course, and Hinkley Point - with the world's biggest crane and lit up all night.

The hilltops here are very popular with walkers, bikers and the hunt so there are numerous tracks and it's very easy to pick the wrong one. I had to use OS maps online and paper plus a bit of compass work and accosting some strangers for information to make sure I stayed on course - I didn't want to make yesterday's mistake and retrace my steps again.

I'm very aware that there has been as much rain here as most places but the infamous Somerset Levels haven't reported any major floods this time around. Part of the answer is in the extensive work that has been done to slow the water run-off and this newly formed pond was an example: very sensible

The route started to get lower and the trees more sparse so although there were still some trails like this:

it became rather gentler and the woods smaller and thinner. So beautiful to walk through I forgot to keep track of the route and had to make a couple of small backtracks

By now I was really in the foothills of the Quantocks and the route was mostly farmland, with a few bits of wood

this particular view revealed a curious secret when I got there: a Country Dog Hotel and Spa

If I'd thought the going was easy from here on I was in for a surprise, with tracks like this

which could have been straight out of Geoffrey Household's Rogue Male (set, interestingly, in Dorset - near Symondsbury) and this

See my opening comments about soft going... It's like walking in snow with ordinary shoes. I was startled out of my musings by a 'hello' behind me. I'd heard nothing approaching so was doubly surprised when I turned to find a horse and rider on my tail! Clearly the going was quiet as well as soft.

The last section leading into North Petherton was down a lovely open (and later wooded) valley. I was adopted for about a mile by a very excitable but slightly camera shy dog

Although this was a straightforward route it had been very popular recently with the local cattle herd so I rather squelched my way into North Petherton reputedly the largest village in England and one of the few to have been lit (until 1931) by acetylene gas. This is the end of the Quantocks and the start of the Somerset Levels.

Tomorrow is across the Levels to Street - they're wet already, rain is forecast all day and I'm expecting it'll not be easy. But at least it isn't hilly...