Day 2 West Buckland to Challacombe: Fun with Friends and Frustrating Forests

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

Today was special because we were joined by Helen, Amos, Torin and Kieran for the morning part of the walk. Torin, age 11, offered to carry Ken's pack for a ways—we would be happy to have any other volunteers who would like to offer a similar service! The boys also informed us that they had "emergency Pringles," so we all felt well-equipped for the walk. Torin found some good walking sticks along the way, and Kieran found a beetle with a beautiful iridescent blue underside. And then another, and another. He eventually had quite a collection in his hand by the time he set them free! We walked through forest lined with bluebells. It was a peaceful walk, though we did see a cow standing in the river, clearly having gotten out of its pasture. It ran down the stream and up the bank, but was on the wrong side of the fence.  It let out a bawl, and all of the other cattle in the field came over to their side of the fence and stood in a row, looking sympathetically at the stuck cow. I had never seen cow solidarity in action before.

We found a place for lunch just after Newtown Bridge, in the forest. After lunch Torin said, "Since it's only the second day of the walk, I suppose you haven't yet been lonely." But after we said goodbye, Ken and I felt quite down—it having been so good to share time with friends we hadn't seen in years.

We continued through the forest which is owned by the forestry commission, which means trails everywhere that don't have waymarking. I am following the Anglican Book of Common Prayer services for morning and evening prayer, and I hadn't thought in the morning when I prayed "forgive us our trespasses" that it would turn into a literal need. We got lost on the wrong trail and came out at Higher Hall Farm, walking gingerly through the farmyard hoping no one would see us, rather ashamed at resorting to trespass to escape our predicament. (By the way, Ken would like it known that, although lost in the forest, when we emerged he knew *exactly* where we were!)

Exmoor will have to wait...

We then decided to walk on the road to Challacombe rather than our original route, which involved a path through more forest followed by a longish climb onto the moor and then back down into Challacombe. Because of our forest wandering we were late and still had a long way to go unless we altered our route. So the moor will have to wait until tomorrow; we road-walked the four miles north to Challacombe.

After all that road walking, we arrived at Challacombe footsore and thirsty only to find the pub closed. A sweet elderly lady who lived across the road offered to bring us a cup of tea, but as we had water and were only resting awhile we turned down her offer—afterwards we thought we perhaps should have accepted. We then trudged up the hill to Twitchen Farm, our bed and breakfast, Ken still dreaming thirstily of his lost pint of lemonade (not the nightmare of pouring it into his backpack!). Later in the evening he finally got that pint at the pub, and we both had a nice dinner after the crowd of loud stag partyers left. A peaceful walk up the hill through the fields, and we were home in our cosy and tranquil Radworthy room. While I rested Ken took some pictures, the sunset turning everything to gold...

29,254 steps, 21.940 km, 856.7 cal
OS getamap measured distance 10.64 mi (17.13 km)

A Challacombe Sunset from Twitchen Farm

Beautiful Twitchen Farm, Challacombe

Twitchen Farm, Challacombe—Can you spot the man emerging from a bush?