EMW3
East Mendip Way- Day 3
SUNDAY 28TH MAY 2017: On the road early today as I know I have a long day ahead. Also the weather forecast is one of those interesting ones – humid with rain expected in the afternoon with possibility of thunderstorms and major rain in places (disruption/flood warnings etc!). On the plus side, I survived the night sleeping on a really terrible mattress. I had visions of waking in muscle spasms!. I know these Guest Houses can be a bit basic – no soundproofing, bathroom squished into something the size of a wardrobe, TV’s the size of a postage stamp etc, but surely a decent mattress is not too much to ask.
My initial walk takes me to Wells and the official end of the West Mendip Way (although again no sign of a plaque – obviously this walk is top secret) but this leads straight into the East Mendip Way. The EMW was an extension put together in the early 1990’s to add to the original 1979 WMW trail to allow the full length and variety of the Mendip hills to be fully enjoyed. The EMW does not generally have the high hills of WMW and sees more farmland and forest.
Wells is dominated by a very impressive cathedral and the central area could be explored more but I have a mission and that involves moving on. After skirting the Bishops Palace and moat I am soon out of town and into green country. This starts in Tor Hill Wood, but really, call this a hill…I conquered Crook Peak!. Overall day 3 has nothing like the ups and downs of the previous, it has generally gentle slopes, with a couple of steeper gradient – lucky as my knees need a bit of kindness after the prior rigours. I still get the odd panorama, so looking back I see Cheddar reservoir and off in the distance Glastonbury Tor, even to some extent following the line of the hills all the way back to my origins of a couple of days ago. Soon that disappears and I move into farm country with a smattering of forest. Farmlands means fields and fields means cows…more later!
Some of the fields have high grass and many of the paths are overgrown (including lots of nettles) and my legs are getting rashy. Really I need long trousers rather than my shorts but I am not ready for my wet weather over-trousers so put on my gaiters for a bit of protection, removing them as I come up to Shepton Mallett so I don’t look ridiculous in the high street!. I take a short diversion from the trail into that high street, which is very picturesque but empty but manage to find a shop open and stock up on drinks as it is humid again. On leaving Shepton Mallett there is a very striking viaduct, I assume disused.
I had highlighted Chelynch as a pit stop for lunch (only real one on route) and the Poachers Pocket pub is a temptation, however, I make do with snacks rather than a full meal, conscious of the impending weather – to that point it had been fine, generally sunny and warm…but surely those storms can’t be far away.
I had made good time so far but I am slowed by the “attack of the cows”. Climbing over a gate into a large field I see a herd of cows grazing at the far end, nothing unusual about that. What is unusual is a large, coffee coloured cow then stands up and starts to walk towards me, followed in similar fashion by all the others. Hmmm, I think, not sure about this. It is a large field and my gut is the trail goes straight across but I am not going to try that with a dozen cows bearing down on me. There is another metal gate to my right so I head for that…at a slightly quicker pace as I am sure the cows have upped theirs! The cows come right up to the gate and look at me. I assume they think I am bringing them food, I can’t think of any other reason they would get up, they were not threatened and there are no calfs. Nevertheless I am not going to mix it with them. However, where to go! I am in another field which leads nowhere, the only entrance /exit being the one guarded by the cows!. I know roughly where the trail is on GPS but how to get there. I spy a possible gap at the top of the field, so hop over the barbed wire (by hop I mean very carefully stepping over, thankful for long legs) then fight my way through the edge/trees/brambles/nettles/stuff to the next field. Unfortunately, this
doesn’t get me anywhere useful, so I need to do the same again….only this time there is a huge ditch between fields. It must be nearly 10 feet deep, with steep, muddy sides. Again I hop over barbed wire and using trees as
a brace slide not very gracefully to the bottom. Getting up again is not so easy as I just slip in the mud and everything I hold onto is rotten and just breaks. Eventually I force my way up and out…only still not there. One more hop and crawl/fight through forest and I finally feel I am in the right place. Sure enough, gate and waymark are discovered, with some relief. So, a bit dirty, scratched and stressed I survive. But that is the problem with farmers fields, your natural routes and paths are barriered off with obstacles and if you go off the trail or are blocked it can be hard to correct.
I must admit these events did freak me out a bit and although I am always nervous around cows I am now even more cautious. Soon after I come across another field and a sign saying “beware of the bull”…I take the long route around!. Then soon after I come to a gate and the cows are all gathered nearby. I have nowhere else to go so just have to do it. I climb over, ready to get back if they move, but they all just stand there (and stare), so I briskly move on muttering about how much I hate cows.
At this point, if finally starts to rain but my rain-mac is only on for 5 minutes and then off again and that’s it for the rain for the day. Result! After ‘cowgate’ things settle down a bit into fields & forest pattern, but becoming more forest as time goes by, the last section of the walk mainly this (with a small river/stream). Given it is still humid the forest is cooler, so perfect really.
By this time it has to be said I am feeling fairly tired with another nearly 20 miles in the legs. The last 3 to 4 miles are a bit of a slog as I am ready for the finish line, so it is one foot in front of the other. As I approach Frome I have one last view of distant lands and hills as I look around it is a reminder of what is so good about the great outdoors.
A final trek through the finer parts of a very picturesque Frome leading to Market Place and my hotel (not a Guest House!). I thought this the end of the trail (per guidebook) but the waymark arrows continue until they get to a carpark and then disappear. No plaque that I can find…it is a mysterious beast the Mendip Way!
Back at the hotel some last-minute drama. They can’t find my booking, then the room key, then my bag, then when all that sorted we go to the room and it is occupied. Still, as apology they give me a free cider, so I sit at the bar and sup while all this going on. When sorted and showered I go around the corner to a bar/restaurant recommended and have a ‘hero’ burger (appropriate don’t you think!) and cider and reflect on the trip.
Back at my room, I am done in. After 24 miles (on top of previous 40), all the drama, 2 ciders, an anti-histamine (for the rashes) I am zonked.
Snooze land at 9pm!
MONDAY 29TH MAY 2017:
Up early and out before anyone else up (it’s a Bank Holiday). Wander through a quiet Frome to the train station, about half mile away, and catch the 8:00 train to Bristol Temple Meads. After some breakfast I catch the Flyer bus to the Airport and home.
