Thursday 25 June 2015

121.Cheddar up Mendip way (11 miles )

9.5/10 !!

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Parking @ Edmunds Way, Cheddar BS27 3PD




A simply great walk can be walked either way we choose to follow the West Mendips way towards Draycott Sleights Views everywhere and on this gorgeous day they were stunning !!


Its a steep path but if you stop every few minutes to look around you'll be rewarded 


A small tree for a banana stop provided shade a another view 


Glastonbury Festival start today no sign of the site yet !

  
Looking into Draycott Sleights a Butterfly heaven ,we saw Marbled whites,common blue,large skipper and many meadow Browns.


Glastonbury ,Poldens,Exmoor its all there !


solo plane takes of from Draycott Sleights Gliding club


A number of these little beauties about ,Common Spotted Orchid


A lot of cows and Bulls around,3 fields we had to cross but all good,these with Crooks Peak,Brean down can be seen behind .


This picture taken by me on the walk Priddy walk in the mist 2012 !! 


Bit better today !!


 The Penn Transmitter Seen many times on many walks .

  
Oh Bullocks !


After crossing the field with the bullocks in and walked a 1.6 mile quiet lane you come to Yoxter Training Camp it is a British Army training area and camp owned by the Wessex Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association


Then at first thought it was a shoe lace in road but it was Grass Snake ! Dead rear end flat but still stunning ! @ around 10 inches long


My next one hope to be alive !


Now into Velvet Bottom and old minneries now lovely  with  little flowers covering the floor
Common St. Johnswort the yellow one not sure of the Purple one ?


a mile or so on we come to Black Rock also Minnery with its old Lime kiln can still be seen


Next the Gorge with more great views in to and on to Somerset levels and beyond although weather turned a bit cloudier now.


Cheddar Gorge Rock Face ,the green kind 


Tiny ants around 244 meters away .


The half point was dropped because of this path :( so nearly a 10/10 !
but this after 11 miles hurt the knees.


Cheddar ahead the last footpath of the day.


But a Mr Whippy was calling and a slush puppy for the Puppy !


While the ice cream was devoured the Cheddar Yeo Was the end of  a excellent walk RECOMMENED !


Check back next week for more Ramblings Thanks for looking 

Wednesday 17 June 2015

120. Blagdon to Burrington mini Maw (6 Miles)

7/10

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Parking @ Blagdon,Fallowfield BS40 7TN


A Mini Walk but a High scoring 7.
 Starting in The village of Blagdon and heading up hill through woods,Bird life about with 4 Treecreaper's,Robins,Tits all juveniles even 2 Indian Runner Ducks as you leave woods behind.
This View as we headed up to Beacon Batch,Sorry iPhone shots only this week.


Another Looking back towards Chew Valley Lake


And Beacon Batch Appears @ 325 m (1,066 ft)


Beacon Batch First time we've seen it 
Been up here many times always seem to miss it .
Not this time ,Tick !


Our Dinner Stop,More like Brunch But nice place to watch Birds from 
Linnet,Meadow Pipit and Heard 2 Cuckoos !


Trinia glauca (Honewort) Rare Mendip Plant .The distribution of this species has not changed since the 1962 Atlas. It persists at one alien site in N. Somerset.


Rickford Ford ,A Surprise to us But A very quiet place to stop.




This has been closed for a while after lorries going through it smashed up the bottom. Problems with delivery drivers going through, and also off-roaders whose vehicles are covered in mud from driving through the mud tracks in the Mendips .....


Just as we where thinking of the score for this great little walk the dreaded sign appears !! But Brown and white cows seem to be much nicer walking companions ,With the Bull not even bothering to get up !



Then we Noticed Coombe Lodge ,It was commissioned by the Wills family, who ran the W.D. & H.O. Wills Tobacco Company in Bristol. Constructed from Bath stone, with a Cotswold stone roof, Coombe Lodge is now Conference & Wedding Center .You can rent it for Saturdays £3,600 Sundays to Fridays £2,925.




That's All for now Folks,
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