There were just 6 of us on our walk today – the rest simply don’t know what they missed. Having said that, this walk was not for the faint of heart, but was certainly suitable for anyone wishing to lose weight (myself included). There were some long steep climbs, especially the section of the old Fosse Way path from Dunkerton up to Odd Down in Bath, but it was worth it for the spectacular views. The photo below was taken at the Millennium Viewpoint just before we got back to Southstoke. From here, we could see all the way round the route we had taken, across the valley at one side, and back across the other.
One of the most interesting parts of the walk was the section along the old Camerton Coal Canal, now just a dip in the landscape. This included walking along beside the locks at Combe Hay, which have been restored. One of us noticed just how much narrower the locks were here compared to those on, say, the Kennet and Avon Canal.
To liven things up a bit, we had one or two mildly scary moments – like this snake, for instance, which one of us nearly trod on.
We thought it might be an adder and were glad none of us were bitten by it. In reality (after a quick search of the Internet) it turns out it is only a grass snake. But it gave us something to talk about, as did the close encounter with a herd of cows, which were curious and a little bit scared of us. Although those hooves were quite big, and none of us felt like being trodden upon, we were really in no actual danger (some might disagree with me).
Finally, a post like this can’t end without mentioning the weather: not too hot, not too cold, sunny mostly, occasional light drizzle, and a bit of wind here and there. So, nothing to moan about really, which some may find disappointing. But we thought is was good.
Lovely walk. Really enjoyed it. Thanks to the leaders.
Sounds great