Day 10 Nether Stowey to Cossington: A Workaday Walk

Canola (Rapeseed) Field East of Nether Stowey

For an OS map of today's walk click here.

This was a somewhat unremarkable but fairly long walking day, as we were leaving Exmoor and the Quantocks behind and needed to get some miles under our belts as we headed east towards Wells, the next day's destination. For these two days we would be leaving named national trails and recreational paths behind and traveling on fieldpaths, bridleways, and lanes that Ken has linked together to get us across this part of Somerset.

We first took a quick look at Nether Stowey church, and then Ken's fears regarding his chosen route were confirmed with the first footpath we entered: very few people walk these paths and so the farmers just ignore them and plow whither they will. Later we found better paths---with a little help from man's best friend! We were pathfinding and were unsure at what point to cross through a hedge. A black lab farm dog came through the hedge to our side and then walked back to his side, looking for all the world as if he wanted us to go through right there. We did, and he had led us correctly.

Lofty Cannington Church

At Cannington we experienced some traveller's mercy as we entered a pub and, although they were not yet open so couldn't serve us food, they let us use their facilities: three cheers for the King's Head, Cannington! Also in Cannington was a garden that we had seen featured in a DVD we borrowed at our local library, but alas, we did not have time to tour it, and it was very chilly anyway—definitely not good weather for garden viewing. We ate our packed lunch in the church porch to try to warm up as again the wind was cold. We very much liked the church, which had some attractive modern carvings and a strong and particularly lofty perpendicular style for a village church. The arches were unusually high and the roof was beautifully painted. As was to be expected in such a building, the acoustics of the church were excellent. We sang "Amazing Grace," likely heard by an unseen person in an office at the back of the church.

Cannington Church Reredos

The part of Bridgwater that we walked through wasn't attractive, but we hadn't expected it to be. On the way out of town we had to walk on the A-road, but here the value of Google street view was proven conclusively: while researching the route Ken had noticed that there was a pavement (i.e., sidewalk) running the length of our walk on that busy stretch, so we knew we would have a safe place to walk.

Approaching Bawdrip, we lost the path and had to wade through tall grass. Then the public right-of-way went through someone's property who didn't seem all that accommodating to walkers. There was electric fence tape on either side, powered by clicking and buzzing car batteries. There was a stile that you had to squeeze yourself through horizontally between the wooden bars—like doing the limbo sideways with a pack on your back. Ken went first, and put his hand into a gooey bird deposit on the fence. That wasn't the landowner's fault, but it felt all of a piece.

St. Michael's, Bawdrip

St. Michael's Church, Bawdrip offered a good resting place. It was also very interesting in that, unlike most English churches we've visited, it is almost a true (Greek) cross shape, with the pulpit situated under the crossing below the tower. I imagine that if the church were full it would be a challenge for a preacher to look in several directions to address the congregation!

We then located a disused railway-turned-bike-path with fun millennium-project sculptures placed along the way, and followed it to Cossington and from there to our farm B & B. (We often find the farm bed and breakfasts to be our favourites.) On arrival our host Sue served us tea and homemade coffee cake, and made us feel welcome and at home. Later she kindly drove us to the next village's pub for dinner, since the nearest pub was closed that evening. The Crown Inn, Catcott was fantastic. We sat in a cosy room with a roaring wood fire (certainly needed on such a cold evening), and there was a friendly and convivial atmosphere about the place. We enjoyed really great food—the broccoli cheese soup I had was outstanding. We also had our first meringue for dessert: a "fruit bomb" with a brown sugar meringue topped with ice cream, cream, raspberries and strawberries. After a long day of walking it was a sweet conclusion.

37,957 steps, 28.467 km, 1, 214.6 cal
OS getamap measured distance: 14.00 mi (22.53 km)