This England: Rick Takes a Hike -- A Guest Post

While I was admiring the magnificent architecture and glorious peace of Wells Cathedral, Rick took advantage of a beautiful day to do a hike.

 

Here's another guest post by Rick (actually, his Facebook post of that day) to give you an idea of the beautiful countryside as seen on foot.

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Those of you who are following our trip already know that Jeanie and I split up yesterday. She went to Wells and I went on a hike. When we compared notes at the end of the day, each of us were envious of the other so I guess it was a good move.

 

There are trails all over England and several right outside our door. Some are abandoned railroads and others are just walking trails that go over the countryside. I know the rail trails are well used as I have seen MANY people on them. I didn't go on any of the trekking trails so I don't know how well used they are. But I can say they are not overgrown so that tells you something.

 

 

My hike was in two legs. The first was on the two tunnels rail-trail to Wellow. It's the same trail that goes to Bath and links up to the trail to Bristol but in the other direction. It was a cloudy but dry day but unlike in Michigan where people say that if you don't like the weather, it will change in five minutes. Here, it really does change! It goes from cloudy to sunny to rainy all the time. There is no predicting it!

 

 

The sign said Wellow was 2 away. I don't know if they are miles or kilometers. Most everything here is metric but I have seen "miles" on a few signs. Given the travel time, I would say they are miles but who knows. And who cares? (Note: Later we learned that these are miles.) 

 

The trail itself varied from tree-canopied to wide open. It sports a gentle, but very noticeable grade and it was all up hill to Wellow. At one point the trees cleared and revealed a most magnificent vista. A cycling couple were enjoying the view on the bench and I asked if I could use them as a prop with the beauty in the background. The clever gent corrected me and said the beauty was in the foreground. 

 

 

To cover, I said I get foreground and background mixed up all the time! A very friendly pheasant walked along with me for a while. He must like chatting with foreigners.

 

 

The moral of this story is to keep walking! I reached Wellow and thought it was nothing but a horse stable and cyclists' cafe. Had I done my homework, I would have known it is a charming little village with a pub and all the assets of any thriving small community. I only learned this when I was showing Jeanie my route on Google Maps.

 

The second leg of the trip was from Morgan's Forge to Limpley Stoke on the Avon River and the twin waterway, the coal canal. Most of this trip was on "roads", meaning that they are designed for cars. But only small cars and one car at a time. Two cars cannot pass in opposite directions - one has to find a passing point, pull over and allow the other to pass before proceeding. My one car driveway is wider than most of the local country lanes. They are made even narrower by the shrubs that line and overhang them all.

 

 

I reached the canal and followed it for a mile or so to the Dundas Aqueduct. That's the one I took the lousy picture of the other day saying it is an overpass of the Avon River. 

 

My last leg was back to Midford via Monkton Combe. I have done this leg several times and I always enjoy it. Monkton Combe is home to a boarding school and more famously, the final resting place of Harry Patch, the oldest WW I soldier when he died. I had hoped to snap a picture of his grave but another five minutes had passed and it was raining pretty hard at that point (so here is one Jeanie took a different day). It was not ever supposed to rain yesterday.

 

 

Jeanie got back at around 6:30 and we wandered a hundred yards down the hill to the Hope and Anchor Pub for dinner. They were very happy to see us again and we are now best friends with the proprietors who happen to be Canadian. 

 

 

They even have poutine on the menu but I understand they don't sell much of it.

 

(Our time in Midford/Bath is nearing an end, but we have another lovely walk for you next time!)