Thatched Cottage in Selworthy, Somerset, Exmoor
She Said:
Today we took our first good walk in Exmoor, and it was great.
We started at the tiny town of Bossington (too cute), and walked most of the day on National Trust property - the Holnicote Estate (big).
Of course, the obligatory country chapel - in Lynch, the Chapel of Ease.
1530.
Bossington (Lynch appears to be in Bossington which is pretty funny as Bossington only has about 10 cottages, so to have another whole named place inside it is odd) was part of the Abbey of Athelney since 920 (old).
After the dissolution of the monasteries (Henry VIII), the chapel was used as a barn. Greater minds eventually prevailed and the Chapel resurfaced. Teeny, tiny, sweet.
Today's trails started out quite well marked and maintained.
We climbed easily (lots of switchbacks) to such beautiful views - long views down a green, green valley, with fields bordered by hedgerows and stone walls.
Around one corner we came to one of those "only in the English countryside views" - from the top of Bossington Hill we had spectacular long views over the Bristol Channel to Wales, down to Bossington Beach (with a couple of WWII pillboxes still standing sentry), wide channel flats, more bordered green fields, wooded hills, and views up a valley to the Exmoor moors.
Breathtaking.
We had a nice chat with a couple who meets regularly at a spot equidistant between their villages for a hike and a tea at the end. As usual, when folks realize we are from the States, talk to turns to Trump and the craziness of it all. No one can believe it (us, included).
Though right now, the Brits have their own kookiness with the BrEXIT crowd wanting out of the EU and the RemaIN crowd wanting to stay in. I guess political wackiness is ubiquitous everywhere!
At that point, we watched several horses grazing. At first, I thought they were wild (like we had seen on the Cornwall Coast), but they had brands, so someone owns them. Still, they were high up in the middle of nowhere and they certainly had a wild and beautiful look about them.
We walked down to Selworthy Green, and into a clutch of Anne Hathaway-esque thatched roof cottages. Really, like something out of a Shakespeare play.
Yet, people live in them (quite happily, I imagine).
The rest of our walk was reminiscent of our other countryside walks - somewhat vague directions necessitating R's excellent navigational skills. (Crossing field after field, with no real path defined. Sheep and cattle our constant stinky and poopy companions!).
Wonderful as wonderful can be.
We finished early, so had a nice tea in a darling Tea Garden while we waited for our driver to pick us up and bring us back to our Luttrell Arms Hotel.
What a great day!
Maybe rain tomorrow, but, who cares?
Total Mileage:
8.08 miles (Bossington to Horner)
He said:
This was our first day of walking in Exmoor, and our first day with actual uphill and downhill. I'm glad we did the Exmoor walking after the K-A canal walk; now we are warmed up to be able to handle the distance, the uneven trails, and our feet are more durable.
I finally got to use my navigational skills today, because there were many paths to choose from. Our path directions were good, but I needed to consult the Ordnance Survey map many times.
We meandered through a few very small villages taking our time to see the most we could. Then we found our path that gradually climbed up perhaps a thousand feet in elevation mostly under the cover of trees. Nearing the top, the views down the Exmoor coast were inspiring. The weather was good, but not great for viewing over such large distances.
The plants are stunted above 1000 ft elevation; gorse and heathers mostly, no trees. I thought it had a bleak look to it, but that made descending back into the world of green plants more dramatic. We like our greenery and comfy surroundings.
After navigating through grassy fields with no visible path and many gate crossings, we made it to our destination of Horner.
To see more photos from May 20, click here
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