Thursday 24 March 2016

142. Dilton Marsh & Black Dog( 10 miles )

 6.5/10




A walk this week starting at Beckington,Wiltshire and taking in Farmland and some of Black Dog Woods ,Through Dilton Marsh and returning crossing the A36/A361.

First Picture after crossing the A361 Road to Frome.


Newlands Farm looking towards Frome.


GWR Main Line and the EWS 66169 


Inside Black Dog woods, nice rope swing 


View from A3098 Dilton Marsh to Frome Road


Water Tower Chapmanslade


Lake and Dinner Spot,Godswell Grove Lake


A Ram looking Splendid in the now sunny conditions.


We cross the very empty,Rare, A36 


Looking up hill to Warminster 


Westbury White horse some 3.5 miles away.


Ploughing or rolling land ready for sowing 


Another sandwich stop overlooking Fairwood Junction and Class 66- 66546 Freightliner


 Passing Rudge some very dodgy footpaths here ,wrong signage and landowners changing  the rights of ways !! The Alpaca very Curious ! 


After more fields and not a lot else pleasant but nothing else, we come to White Row Farm and the end of Walk after .

  
crossing the busy A36,A361 junction  I say busy but luckily we hit a gap and run across ! then returning down the old Warminster Road to end.


Thanks for looking 

Wednesday 16 March 2016

141.Cheesy Cheddar (9.25 miles)

 7/10


Parking @ Cheddar Rd, Axbridge, Somerset BS26 2DL


A walk in the Mendips this week,bad weather the last 2 weeks so glad to be out walking again! 
Starting from Cheddar Reservoir,Plenty of parking here and leaving res behind we are soon on to Axbridge hill and up towards the Transmitter which is to right of the picture.
A hard slog for some who haven't been out walking mentioning no names Andy !!
Think a bit of Gorse Burning on top going on, we didn't see anything from top ?


This the Path going up and up and Up !


Through the Wooded Glades of  Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill its actually only 1.6 miles to top but the panting behind me made it seem further !!


Just before top we heard the siren sound and seconds later a blast from Callow Rock Quarry,a Quarry worker,Lookout ! was surprised to see us and asked us how we got there as he looked down path before the siren !I told him parachute he seemed happy with that and we carried on not before looking into a real life working quarry !!


So Deep with huge lorries rumbling far below,a scar on the earth for sure !!


Once we left Quarry behind the Mendip hills quiet now showed their real beauty,with this view looking on across the Bristol Channel on to Wales.Even a Owl box.


After a few miles we come this Rowberrow warren, the eagle eyed will spot some cyclist heading up through woodland.


After turning the corner we are on to the West Mendip Way,But on the corner this view out again over Bristol channel with Weston Super Mare and Cardiff across the Water.


This small Stream seemed like a perfect spot to have some lunch.


This path goes on to Beacon Batch done that on a previous walk .


Now on 7 miles or so we start to head down and back to Cheddar reservoir,but this view looks across to Axbridge Hill where we started.


From the top before we descend Cheddar res and the lump in distance is Brent Knoll,
Done that aswell!


Came across at least 15 Goats the wild goats that roam Cheddar.
 A good job they do too !


We now pass through Batts Quarry nicely signed footpaths making sure no one wanders where they shouldn't ! 
This Earth mover was  Huge !


We passed these teenagers on way down hill.
It seems they've found a great vantage point !


A view for sure if not a bit dodgy !


After leaving quarries behind we travel along a small part of the now gone Strawberry Line and the Somerset and Dorset Railway Line then on to the Cheddar reservoir Path.
Wouldn't be Cheddar res without stopping to check out the Birds. Of which it was mostly Black Headed Gulls,Crook Peak just in background.


A lovely walk with classic Mendip hills, views and even a couple of Quarries

Till next time Thanks for Looking