Carymoor Nature Reserve

Sat 31 May 25. DH, TO, PCL, PC, DL, JB, JS, Albus & Maisie

Following a very poor attendance (nil) the previous week, (well it was a sunny Bank Holiday weekend for a change) I hoped for a bit of a better response this week as I sent out the details on Wednesday morning as usual. I’d planned a route starting at North Barrow but it wasn’t until 24hrs later on checking the details that I had got mixed up with my North villages and sent the RV as North Cadbury. Thankfully the mistake was spotted in good time and new location map sent. Maybe Richards Episcopi mistake the last time, it was easier to make that I had given him credit for. Or was it his divine retribution for me taking the micky in the subsequent blog?

There were three cars required to get seven of us together this week, and it would have been a good marketing opportunity for the Japanese car company as three Hondas parked up nose to tail outside of the village hall at North Barrow as we met at the earlier summer start time of 0830. It was another warm morning with no need for coats but there was a split on trouser vs shorts and long sleeve tops vs short sleeved. The one point we all agreed on though was the need to keep the sun off of the thinning hair with 100% going for the favoured floppy hats.

Todays walk was going to be an anti-clockwise loop with the possibility to extend or shorten on the later stages depending how we were doing. As we set off eastwards an open gateway provided a great but unusual view of the Castle Cary & Ansford, with the dog food factory and rooftops appearing to be on more of a gradient than we normally see it.

No sooner had we set of, on the other side of a gate by the village church we spotted first one and then two more alpacas watching us. John had to try his best Dr Dolittle impression by getting closer but the black one was having none of his approaches and quickly backed off. Before we could even get going again we became aware of a loud throbbing engine getting closer, which very quickly materialised in a low fly past of the Navy Wings Fairey Swordfish from nearby RNAS Yeovilton. Now around 90 years since the much loved ‘Stringbag’ first entered service, this was one of only two which played a vital part in the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-45)that are still flying. With my untrained eye I’m not sure if it was the Mk1 or Mk2 out for a run today though.

We headed down the road and through the few houses which comprise this quiet village which is normally well off the beaten track and battled through nettles and brambles in a gateway to enter the field before the small North Barrow brook, (which feeds into the River Cary to the north). It looked from the map that the footpath crossed the water within the field but a quick glance soon confirmed that to be incorrect, so battling through the nettles again we headed back to the road, over a small bridge before finding the right gateway. At the next gate down a farmer was leaning on a large gate keeping an eye on his new mums with their six youngsters, and no doubt an eye on us too. We tried our best to give them a wide berth but a couple of inquisitive ones came a bit closer to check out this group of old men and their dogs.

We headed across a couple more fields, towards a crew working a combine harvester, before we veered right and came back out onto the road again at Chestnut Farm having saved ourselves a few hundred metres by cutting the corner. We now had a good mile along a quiet country lane heading all the time closer to Castle Cary. We only had to step to the edge to let a couple of cars through as we upped the pace for twenty minutes. We crossed over the River Cary and after a short stretch alongside the Cary to Taunton railway line we turned left onto the Cary Moor drove and another section of the Macmillan Way West. The drove is mentioned in Doomsday records as a route to the hundred acres of meadow belonging to the Castle Cary estate, presumably the area used in the last century for Dimmer Dump.

The modern day drove is a stone and gravel trackway of vehicular width and it was good to be in the shade of the overhanging trees as we made our way along. After around 500 metres we came to the edge of the Cary Marsh Nature Reserve, and a large sign explaining the history and also a large map of the area. Cary Marsh is a relatively new addition to the Cary Moor created from two previously agricultural fields by the Boyer family between 2006 & 2010. To the north of it is the Cary Moor Nature Reserve, 75 acres of former landfill site which is now a flourishing species rich environment and one of just a few upland wet areas in the south of the country. It is now run by Carymoor Environmental Trust and includes an educational area for schools and families to share in the work of many volunteers. The site is not open to the public but it’s well worth attending one of the organised events to see what has been achieved at the ‘old dump’.

We continued along the track, by the side of a dry ditch and where the bushes were low or thin we could catch a glimpse of reed beds and ponds beyond. We came to a gateway where our current route led across open fields, but also hidden on the map I could see a dashed green line almost obscured by more ditches that would keep us in the shade and along the edge of the Nature Reserve for a bit longer. We navigated around and over a grass bridge to find the pathway which was almost obscured by the vegetation, but a narrow path was visible between them heading into the dense undergrowth. We set off in single file and for the next 500 metres or so we brushed past the many bushes and stepped over nettles and branches before we came to a major change of direction, where we had to find the path and stile that would lead us out of the area. Thankfully we all made it out unscathed and once back in the sunshine stopped for our well overdue weekly lollies, thanks once again to Deryck.

With time ticking on and knowing we had a ten minute drive afterwards to get to breakfast for 1030 so I decided it was time to turn for home if we wanted to be back at the cars in good time. With the church of North Barrow just visible through the trees we headed south, back over the River Cary and started a steady climb back up onto the ridgeline. The grass was semi long and it was not a well walked path, so it necessitated a couple of stops on the way up, to admire the views. When we reached the top of the climb I managed to gather everyone for this weeks Group photo, with Glastonbury Tor just about visible behind us. It was then just a short distance through the side of a property and we came out just opposite the cars. A good walk of 3.7 miles completed in just under 2 hours.

Todays refreshments were to be taken at Mabel’s cafe, at the far end of the Galhampton Country Stores compound, so it was a short drive along the narrow lanes and up Galhampton hill. Space was tight in the car park but once all parked up, and not forgetting Albus from the car boot, we settled on a table in the far corner. This was first visit for a few of the group but the waitress was quick in providing the menus and with a good selection to choose from, we soon had our orders in. Despite the doors been open it soon got quite warm as we waited, not sure how bearable it would be in a much warmer weather, although there are some outside tables around the side. Our drinks and meals were soon delivered and everyone was pretty happy with what they had chosen. Tempting as they were, we all avoided the option of a take away cake as we settled up, although the toffee apple cake looked exceptionally good. All in all a very enjoyable walk around a new area not far from home again.

Cyclemeter route