B2B Day 11 North Petherton to Catcott--Blocked at Every Turn

For an OS map of our (frustrating!) walk from North Petherton to Bridgwater (2.9 mi; 4.7 km; 20 ft total ascent) click here.

For an OS map of our (much happier but much hotter) walk from Westonzoyland to Catcott (5.3 mi; 8.5 km; 375 ft total ascent), click here.

Sara at the bus stop

We had a lovely breakfast of fruit and granola before leaving Kate and Richard's and setting out on the day's walk. Ken had pored over the map trying to find a logical place to cross the River Parrett to get to Westonzoyland. There were very few crossing places, and we planned to make our zig-zaggy way across. One of the most direct routes was to use the A-road from North Petherton to Bridgwater (which had dedicated walking and cycling lanes), and then cross the Bridgwater-Taunton canal and the Parrett in quick succession before heading east to Westonzoyland, a village with a notable church and battle site. The forecast called for lots of sun and heat, and it was already hot as we walked out of North Petherton. Along the way we heard a gentle "beep" of a car horn, and it was Kate in her van driving to work. That was fun.

We attempted to walk to where we would cross the river, and the road was closed. We looked to see if pedestrians could cross through, but it didn't look like it. We walked back down that road and tried to cut through a medical centre parking lot to the other side, but were blocked from exiting the facility. We then walked around the block to the next road, tried to walk down it, got as far as the "canal side" businesses, looked towards where we needed to walk and saw heavy machinery digging. We started to venture towards one of the workers, but he motioned us back and said, "Sorry!" So we knew we weren't getting across.

Having tried three times, hot, and frustrated, we decided to give up and take the bus to Westonzoyland. We caught a bus nearby to the Bridgwater bus station, where we had a 45 min. wait for our next bus. We went to the store right there, which was an ASDA, basically the same store as WalMart. Somehow it felt surreal.

The bus got us to Westonzoyland, where we went into the church there.

Inside, there was a man named John who was fixing the dishwasher in the little kitchen that had been installed at the back of the church. He was an interesting person: he was a retired engineer who was commissioned to inspect church towers in Somerset, was a bell ringer, and helped set up the Battle of Sedgemoor exhibit in the church among other things. He offered to take us up the tower--we've learned to always to accept such unique offers--and he showed us the bells and the clock. It was a tight spiral staircase, and made our legs a bit stiff going up the 131 steps.

John and Sara on top of the church tower

We enjoyed the view, and went down and took a break for lunch at the Sedgemoor Arms pub, which was serving "light" lunches. We then went back to the church and looked at it, including the amazing carved ceiling.

The amazing carved ceiling of Westonzoyland church

We also looked at the informative and well-crafted display about the battle of Sedgemoor, the last civil battle fought on English soil during the Monmouth Rebellion. Sara found it helpful for understanding a bit more of the politics behind the eighteenth-century poet John Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel," which is an allegorical account of the rebellion. We concluded by singing "Amazing Grace" in the church and agreeing with the rector Chris that "It's all about grace," before setting out again.

We started out along a road near a small airfield, then found the footpath. A few fields later, the footpath wasn't evident, but Sara thought she could discern one through the middle of the field. The grass was incredibly long, and it was like wading through water to get to it.

Ken wading through grass to get to the footbridge (on the right you can see the tall reeds where the ditch is)

The landscape in this area is crossed with ditches and drains (rhynes, which we found were pronounced "reans"). We got to the centre of the field only to find that there was no footbridge across. We waded through grass to the side of the field to find the footbridge, and later Ken discovered that there was an actual path which Sara had assumed was yet another ditch! Walking was much easier after that.

We crossed a footbridge over a larger body of water, and rested on the bank for awhile before continuing. We passed through a field of friendly cows who were almost cute, and they followed Sara for awhile.

Friendly cows

We walked on the road after that, crossed an A-road to a public footpath, and had to climb the gate to get out at the end because the stile was so covered with nettles that it was impossible to navigate.

We arrived at our absolutely lovely B & B, which was a self-contained suite, to be greeted by a bouquet of fresh flowers and a restful atmosphere. We relaxed before walking to the Crown pub in Catcott, which we had loved before in 2013. It was still a great place to eat.

Sara and Ken in a cozy corner at the Crown

We had a friendly publican who chatted with us and took our photo, and people came to sit in our area who were also friendly. We talked a long time with a couple who were camping nearby. When it came time to say goodbye to them and leave, Sara almost walked out the door without paying for the meal! All in all, it was a satisfying conclusion to a challenging day.