Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Land's End to John O'Groats - 2010

Overview     Planning     Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures
Day: 013
Date:

Saturday, 15 May 2010

Start:

Roadwater

Finish:

Bridgwater

Daily Kilometres:

37.1

Total Kilometres:

400.7

Weather:

Mild and sunny all day with light winds

Accommodation:

Hotel (£20)

Nutrition:

English breakfast, peanuts and energy bar snacks and an ice-cream during the day, beef & ale pie and vegetables and sticky toffee pudding for dinner.

Aches:

One new blister and very tired feet

Pictures: Here
GPS Track: Here
Journal:

After my 8am English Breakfast, I left the very pleasant and good value pub and headed out into a bright sunlit Saturday at 8:45am.  I knew I had some climbing in front of me for the day, so the views would be good and I had managed to dry out my shoes and clothes from yesterday, so was feeling quite chipper.

My route quickly ascended to some high pastures where the views to the distant Quantocks, that I would be crossing later in the day, were spectacular.  It's spring and there are sheep and lambs everywhere.  The route passed through an old country estate, Nettlecombe Court with it's stately home and it's own church, not to mention park-like surroundings.

My feet felt a bit better today, with the sore heel from yesterday gone, but a new blister between my two biggest toes on my right foot.  At my first break, at 10:30am, I got out the pen-knife and cut the deep blister open.  I knew it would hurt for the rest of the day, but with a smearing of antiseptic cream, it should gradually improve.  Maybe it's my hiking socks that are causing some of my feet problems.  They are Thorlo hiking socks, and I have always been a fan of Thorlo socks, but the merino weave is quite coarse.  I'll get some inner socks to try with them when I get a chance, but that may not be for a couple more days.

Anyway, I carried on, revelling in the perfect spring weather and the constantly changing views.  The fields were mostly a rich green, apart from the odd golden crop, and wildflowers abounded along the lanes and footpaths and field edges.  I reached the picture-book village of Bicknoller at noon and debated whether to detour a few hundred metres to the only pub to get lunch, or take my chances that the only store  in the village, which was on my route, would have sandwiches of pasties.  I chose the latter option and regretted my choice as soon as I entered the tiny shop staffed by and elderly couple.  There was virtually nothing that appealed to me and I settled for a bag of peanuts and and ice-cream with a few cans of drink.  Nevertheless it was pleasant sitting in the sun at a picnic table outside the adjacent village hall watching the world go by.  On such a beautiful Saturday, everyone was out and about, and a few mountain-bikers whizzed through the narrow village streets on their way somewhere.

After lunch, I enjoyed the gradual climb up a valley to the crest of the Quantocks, a range of low treeless hills (~400m) providing great views in all directions.  The route followed the crest for several kilometres and I met lots of hikers, mountain-bikers and some teenage camping groups, all enjoying the weather and views.  From the eastern end of the Quantocks, my route descended towards Bridgwater, my target for the day, but before getting there, followed a labyrinthine course of little-used public footpaths and rights-of-way across farms (and through farmyards) which, while scenic, were hard going.  The footing was often rough, the nettles high and painful, and I was tired, making it all quite onerous.  The last hours passed very slowly and I was very ready to call it a day when I finally reached the streets of Bridgwater, a fairly unprepossessing town, at 7:30pm.  I headed towards the centre, determined to take the first accommodation I could find, and ended up at a virtually empty pub, offering me a basic room with ensuite for just £20 (actually, when I went to pay after going out for dinner to a nearby pub serving food, the girl in charge told me there had been a mistake and since I had an ensuite, the room was £25...I countered that the TV didn't work, so we agreed to keep it at £20!).  I have since discovered that the pub was empty because the night was still young.  Now, as I write this, the whole place is reverberating and the bar even had a disco ball in action.  Maybe I'll go down later and show them some of my moves....

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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