Mendip Way 2014 Day 1

Thursday 7^th August 2014

After breakfast (and donating a footie mag I had bought to the B&B owner’s grandson) I got a rid into Frome.  My journal mentions I did not have a guidebook, but now in 2020 I see one sitting on my bookcase, and I remember the frustrations of the last day of the walk when the guidebook was my only, and completely useless, means of navigating.  I think it’s odd that in the journal I said: Without a guidebook and initially no way-markers (later few), it was a tricky beginning.  On closer inspection I see the guidebook is only for the West Mendip Way, and I did both East and West, which explains my “no guidebook” comment.  Eventually I found my way to the outskirts of the town and finally find a way-marker to point me in the right direction.   

Much of the walk was double-checking the map and using a compass to find where I was.

Much of the trail was overgrown and disused.  At one point I was partway through a wood when I came across a sign telling me the trail ahead was closed.  It had obviously been used by some 4x4 vehicles and there were deep muddy ruts everywhere, which explained the closure.  For me to backtrack and detour, it would take hours and require a bit of road walking so, despite the “closed” sign, I decided to push on anyway.

I got lost a few times.  A guy on a bicycle suggested I stop at Cranmore Tower for the cream teas, but when I got there, there was no one about.

Glastonbury Tor?

The day’s walk took longer than I had expected, then I arrived at the B&B in Shepton-Mallet with a case of hay-fever.  

I sat with the owner, Jez, to chat over a cider for a bit.  After a shower it was a wander to a nearby pub for another cider and a lamb & mint pie.  Apparently, the pub owner had been rushed off to hospital at 2 a.m. and the second in charge seemed a bit frazzled.

Day 2