Chesterblade - Sheep, Steam Engines and Squaddies

Almost a month has passed since we set off on our weekend adventure to Somerset, in pursuit of yet another Chester, this time Chesterblade, a hamlet just a few miles south of Shepton Mallet, the main town in the Mendip hills.

This was our second trip to Somerset, having visited the more famous Roman settlement of Ilchester in April 2014.  As with our last trip to Somerset, it was more convenient to get the bus than the train, so we found ourselves at Hammersmith bus station, after work on Friday evening, queuing up eagerly for Berry's coaches and our great journey to the West!

We've become very fond of Berry's coaches - the staff are really friendly and the bus driver kept us entertained as we trundled through the dark and barren landscape of Salisbury Plain.  We arrived in Shepton Mallet around 9pm and then followed the High Street towards the busy Bath Road and our accommodation at Mendip Lodge campsite.

Shepton Mallet High Street

Lodgings and victuals

I've stayed in yurts before, when I travelled to Mongolia in 2015, so I was quite excited to stay in a yurt again, but this time in England.  Mendip Lodge campsite was very quiet, because of the time of year, so there weren't actually any campers (quite cold to be in a tent).  We had some difficulty finding it in the dark, but the friendly owner, Maureen, guided us by phone until we found the entrance to the farm and our lodging for the night.

Candlelit lanterns at the yurt in Shepton Mallet

Maureen's husband Colin had prepared a fire in the yurt's stove, so it was very cosy when we arrived and the yurt looked absolutely magical in the flickering candle light.  We didn't have any victuals, as such, as we'd both eaten earlier, but we shared a bottle of wine and caught up on our respective lives, before preparing our beds and settling in for a good night's sleep.

Shepton Mallet inside the yurt

We absolutely loved the yurt, although it's by a busy road, so not as tranquil as we imagined it would be.  Yet, waking up in the morning, with late autumn sunlight streaming through the top 'window', then preparing breakfast in the nearby kitchen - it was a great adventure and brought us close to nature, whilst maintaining a level of comfort that is important at this time of the year!

Shepton Mallet yurt

Mendip Lodge campsite to Newman Street Farm (2.6 miles/4.2 kilometres)

We set out on our walk directly from the campsite - picking up a public footpath that brought us into a field which had some cows, lurking menacingly in the distance.  Rather than engage with the cows, we followed the footpath to Yellingmill Lane, then followed this lane way until it met up with Bolter's Lane.  We could see Beacon Hill and the Mendips, not far to the north, but we turned off Bolter's Lane at the curiously named Wagon and Horses Hill, before following the King's Road and then turning off on a track leading to Newman Street Farm.

Farmhouse near Shepton Mallet

Our path crossed the Fosse Way, a major Roman road from Exeter to Lincoln and one we've met, not only in Ilchester, but also in Leicester, when we walked there precisely four years ago.  The name fosse comes from the Roman word for ditch and it is little more than a track now, so it was barely noticeable, as we focused on the route I'd mapped out on my Ordnance Survey app.

Somerset countryside

As we walked, we talked about the recent visit of BAM (Best Aussie Mate)'s relatives from Australia and how wonderful it was to spend time with them.  Australia seemed like a very long way away, as we turned down the King's Road, with a picturesque corner of Somerset spread out in front of us and grey clouds scuttling overhead.

Sign post for East Mendip way

Newman Street Farm to Cranmore (3 miles/4.8 kilometres)

At Newman Street Farm we picked up the eastern part of the Mendip Way, a 50-mile walk from Weston-super-Mare to Frome.  We spoke briefly with a very friendly farmer at Temple House Farm, who pointed us in the right direction and we crossed a small lane and headed up along a slight incline in the direction of Cranmore Tower, a 19th-century folly, that was built on the site of a Roman settlement.

View towards Cranmore Tower

We didn't actually make it to the tower, as our path turned downhill again, along Dallimore Lane (more of a ditch really) to reach the houses at Dean, on the busy A361 road, the longest three-digit A road in the country.  As I have my fear of cows, so BAM has her fear of walking along busy roads, so it took a little bit of persuasion to get her to follow the A361 for 50 metres, until we picked up another public footpath on the far side of the road, which led us over a small hill, through a field, until we reached the village of Cranmore.

Walking towards Cranmore

Cranmore to Chesterblade (1.7 miles/2.7 kilometres)

We had a rather pleasant lunch in the churchyard of St Bartholomew's at Cranmore.  The name Cranmore means 'crane lake'.  We didn't see any cranes as we ate our lunch, but we could hear the huffing and puffing of the East Somerset steam railway, not far from the church.  By the time we'd finished our lunch and made it to Cranmore Station, the steam engine had vanished, like an illusion and we were left standing on the bridge, peering into the distance and wondering whether or not it had all been a figment of our imaginations, or a ghostly echo of times past.

St Bartholomew's Church in Cranmore

Cranmore railway station

From Cranmore, we followed the country lanes to Chesterblade and had another quick break in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, a very still and tranquil place that has a long history stretching back to the 12th century.

St Mary's Church in Chesterblade

Tree in churchyard of St Mary's Chesterblade

Chesterblade is one of the smallest Chesters we've ever visited and it seemed like a pleasant enough place, although there wasn't much going on there.

Commandment on Church wall in Chesterblade

Sign post for Evercreech

Chesterblade to Chelynch (3.2 miles/5.1 kilometres)

From St Mary's Church, we headed downhill along the Chesterblade Road, in the direction of Evercreech.  Less than a half a mile down the road, we reached the floor of a very small valley, where we looked for an ill-defined public footpath, taking us through some wildly overgrown fields until we reached Holcombe Farm and Holcombe Lane.

Countryside near Chesterblade

As we followed Holcombe Lane, across Brottens Road and under the railway bridge along Merryfield Lane, I told BAM all about my latest writing project.  We paused all conversation, as we carefully crossed the A361 again and made our way to Chelynch village.

Chelynch to Shepton Mallet (2.4 miles/3.9 kilometres)

At Chelynch, we picked up the Mendip Way again and followed this all the way back to Shepton Mallet, over Ingsdons Hill, where we could see Glastonbury Tor in the distance.  Not surprisingly, given its name, Shepton Mallet was famous for its wool industry, although we didn't see any sheep on our walk, just another herd of cows, who huddled in the corner of their field and looked at us wearily, as the rain came on.

View towards Glastonbury Tor

By the time we got to the railway viaduct at Shepton Mallet, it was raining heavily and we were keen to get back to our yurt and into some dry clothes before heading out for dinner. Someone stopped us in the street in Shepton Mallet to have a chat about life, travel and Northern Ireland, which would have been lovely, except for the fact he was quite drunk and it was raining heavily.

BAM walking towards Shepton Mallet

We also saw three rather drunken squaddies, getting soaked, as they were wearing only T-Shirts, but happily singing their way through a damp late afternoon, as they queued at the Co-op ATM, getting more money out to continue their revelry.

Myself and BAM had a rather less raucous, but arguably more pleasant evening, stuffing ourselves at Blostin's - a slightly expensive, but endearing restaurant on Waterloo Road.

115 miles to London

Access for wheelchair users

Sign post for Batcombe

The country roads and lanes around Shepton Mallet are fairly traffic-free, but this walk, in its entirety, would not be practical for a wheelchair user.  Probably the most interesting route for a wheelchair user would be from Chesterblade to Evercreech, then along Holcombe Lane and Merryfield Lane to Chelynch, although crossing the A361 might be a bit of a challenge.  

Image credits:

All photos were taken by me - please feel free to reuse them under the following Creative Commons license:

Attribution (especially to this blog post)
Share-alike
Non-commercial

Exeter - Canals, Castles and a round of mini-golf

After our last 'Chester' walk through the flooded Nene Valley - it was a relief to have our feet on solid ground again, as we walked down the Exe Valley to Dawlish Warren, on the south coast. 

War memorial in Northernhay Gardens

This was our first Chester walk in Devon and is as far west as we're going to go in this walking series. Exeter was also at the limits of Roman influence in the south west of England.  There are remains of the Roman wall in the city and Roman baths were excavated in the 1970's.  Exeter was also the starting point for one of the most famous Roman roads, the Fosse Way which runs all the way to Lincoln, passing a few other 'chesters' (Ilchester and Leicester) on the way! 

Known as Isca Dumnoniorum in Roman times, it's quite likely that Exeter was the site of a substantial Celtic settlement - the word isca could be related to the Celtic word for 'water' (if you compare modern Irish - uisce, pronounced ish-ka, also the basis for the word whiskey).  When the Saxons arrived, they called it Eascanceaster which became Exeter in modern English). 

Part of Exeter Castle

It's interesting how our walks in modern 'chesters' often involve three aspects of British history; a Celtic root word, somehow incorporated into the placename - evidence of a Roman settlement - the addition of the word ceaster by the Saxons.  There were other important Roman settlements in England like Bath and St Alban's but, for whatever reason, they didn't inherit the Saxon ceaster and, therefore, won't feature in our 'Chester' walks!

Lodgings and Victuals

My Best Aussie Mate (BAM) had spent a few days in Exeter before and is somewhat enamoured with the place, so she acted as my guide for this walk - showing me interesting corners of Exeter, like the Victorian-era catacombs of St Bartholomew's Cemetery or the gorgeous Georgian buildings on Northernhay Street.  We stayed in a grand old building on Blackall Road, which is now Raffles B&B and we had dinner at the wonderful Fat Pig Freehouse on John Street.  I'd recommend the Fat Pig - not only for its delicious, locally sourced menu, but also for their home-made cider!

Cider at The Fat Pig, Exeter

Part of Exeter's Roman wall

Exeter Quayside to Double Locks (1.6 miles)

We started our walk at Exeter's historic quayside - a photogenic place that attracts a lot of tourists.  Exeter has had a quayside since Roman times and this is also the location of a Canal basin for the Exeter Ship Canal that was started in the 1560's - one of England's oldest man-made waterways.  We were following the Exe Valley Way, a 45-mile walk from Starcross (Devon) to Hawkridge (Somerset).  Quite bizarrely, the path crosses the Piazza Terracina with its Italian-style restaurants - the square is named after Exeter's twin-town in Lazio.  Both Exeter and Terracina suffered heavy destruction during World War Two, so I guess the town-twinning was recognition of this common experience.

Exter Historic Quayside

The path from Exeter Quayside to the Double Locks is a pleasant one, although quite busy with other walkers, families and cyclists.  The Double Locks is so-called, because it can accommodate two ships at once.  The lock-keepers cottage is now a popular canal-side bar and restaurant.  I was quite fascinated by the 'snail wall' which you can see in the photo. 

The Snail Wall

The Double Locks

Double Locks to Turf Lock (3.7 miles)

This part of England has strong historical connections with Holland and the canal locks on the Exe show some Dutch influence.  Exeter was once an important centre in England's wool trade and, as we were walking along the path to Turf Lock, you could almost picture the ships laden with cargo, making their way to continental Europe, or returning to Exeter after a long sea passage. 

The path gets further from civilisation, finally leaving the city behind, as you pass under the M5 road bridge.  The first section of the M5 was opened in the 1960's and it runs all the way to West Bromwich, just outside Birmingham.  Myself and BAM were glad to see it go, carrying all of those noisy cars with it, as we passed underneath and strode out into the proper countryside.

Open countryside near the Double Locks

 In the 19th century, a decision was made to extend the Exeter Ship Canal an extra two miles to Turf Lock, where the Exe estuary carries a distinctly sea-perfumed breeze.  On the other side of the river lie the lands of Countess Wear and a village called Topsham, with its Dutch gable houses.  An erstwhile rival of Exeter, Countess Wear is named after a real countess, Isabella de Fortibus, who tried to sabotage Exeter's influence in the 13th century by building a weir that would divert trade to Topsham.  Vivien Leigh had local connections to Topsham and, although we could only see it at a distance, I'd love to visit the village properly, including the local museum, which holds a collection of Leigh memorabilia.

Swan at the Topsham Ferry lock

View of Topsham, across the river

Like the Double Locks, Turf Lock was once a lock keeper's cottage, but is now a very pleasant pub and restaurant.  They also offer accommodation and have a campsite, which seemed really busy with late-summer holiday-makers. 

The Turf Lock Hotel

Turf Lock to Powderham Castle (1.8 miles)

Passing Turf Lock, the Exe river begins to take on some of the grandeur of the open sea and is fully navigable, evidenced by the local ferries that criss-cross the river at this point.  This area is great for spotting migrating birds and waders and we saw a few 'twitchers' along this stretch, excitedly clutching their cameras and binoculars. 

As the Exe opens out to the sea

The path continued, with some disruption because of repair work, now paralleled by the inland railway line, which runs along the coast from Exeter to Plymouth.  We eventually crossed the railway line and found ourselves on Church Road, named after Powederham Church, the so-called 'church without a village'.  The road was relatively busy with cyclists and cars, so perhaps not the most pleasant part of the walk. 

Last view of the coast before turning inland

We could see the stately Powderham Castle in the distance, home to the de Courtenay (short-nosed?) family, the Earls of Devon.  It's not often that the Norman history intrudes on our Celtic-Roman-Saxon walks and Powderham Castle is a good reminder of the inherited privilege and wealth that still exists in England, having been handed down from generation to generation.  It looks like a stunning building and the interior has been used for filming movies like Remains of the Day. 

Powderham Castle hidden amongst the trees

The current (18th) Earl of Devon is the Oxford-educated British peer, Hugh Courtney.  He got into trouble in 2009, when he refused to let Powederham Castle be used for civil partnerships (state-recognised union of same-sex couples), citing religious objections.  This incident led to Powderham Castle losing its license to hold both marriages and civil partnerships.  Needless to say, BAM and I strongly disapprove of Lord Devon's narrow-mindedness and we believe in a world where people are shown respect, regardless of their sexual orientation. 

Powderham Castle to Starcross (1.2 miles)

Just before Starcross, we joined the even busier A379 - the railway line commands the coastal route at this point and I tried not to feel envious of the railway passengers enjoying the view of the Exe estuary, as we trudged along the inland roadside.  I had extremely high hopes for Starcross - not only, did I envisage comely villagers doing star-jumps on the village green to welcome us, but I also imagined balconies full of Shakespearian teenagers, declaring their eternal love.  Unfortunately, the reality was a lot shabbier and it seemed as though the most exciting thing happening in Starcross involved mini-golf (although, admittedly, at quite a reasonable rate!). 

But not a whisper of star cross'd lovers!

Starcross to Dawlish Warren (2.4 miles)

Starcross is the official starting (or ending) point of the Exe Valley Way but, as we'd made it in good time, we decided to extend our walk further south to the next railway station at Dawlish Warren, just opposite Exmouth.  Despite it's slightly embarrassing name, Cockwood was a much more picturesque place than Starcross and, as we walked by, we watched holiday-makers enjoying sundowners in the Anchor Inn, beside a small river estuary flowing into the Exe. 

Cockwood village

We followed a path that runs for another couple of miles alongside the Dawlish Warren road and, even sooner than expected, we were in Dawlish Warren itself, a not-unpleasant seaside resort full of caravan sites and bucket-and-spade shops.  As we caught the last rays of summer sunshine, we had time for a leisurely late-afternoon meal, before hopping on the train back to Exeter and on to London. 

The beach at Dawlish Warren

Access for Wheelchair Users

Anyone for mini-golf?

I'm pleased to say that most of this route was accessible for wheelchair users.  Certainly, I'd recommend the first few stages from the Exeter quayside to Turf Lock.  There are several parallel paths, but a great cycle path which is accessible for wheelchair users or others with limited mobility.  As far as I can remember, the bridge that crosses to the Double Locks pub is inaccessible, however, there seemed to be an accessible bridge crossing the canal at the Turf Lock, which would make a sensible end-point for a wheelchair user.

Beyond Turf Lock, the path was obstructed by repair work and inaccessible, but I presume this is a temporary situation.  The rest of the walk to Dawlish Warren was accessible, but with lots of road walking/wheelchairing, so watch out for traffic and cyclists!


Image credits:

All photos were taken by me, please feel free to reuse, under the Creative Commons license:

- Attribution (especially to this blog post)
- Share alike
- Non-commercial