8th January 2022 , RW, TO, DL, AC and Bill and Scrumpy
The first walk of the New Year and sadly we were without our leader and several other walkers were excused games. Deryck as our man on the ground in Wincanton volunteered to provide a walk and so we gathered in the Memorial Hall carpark rejuvenated by a Christmas break and eager to walk off the effects of excessive eating and drinking. Deryck advised us to stay well clear of the flat ground to the south of the town – sure to be a bog following the heavy rains of late. True to his word, he lead us up the steep little alley called Flingers Lane and along a quiet road way in the general direction of Bayford. We have followed this route previously with Dave in charge (see previous blogs).
There was an option to follow the path of the Monarch’s Way past a familiar old dead tree, but we stayed high with Windmill Hill to our left. The main planning assumption was that we should avoid the “claggy” conditions under foot – one of Deryck’s dialect word for “sticky” associated with mud or damp weather conditions. Well, we soon experienced a period of sustained clagginess as we worked our way downhill behind Windmill Farm. The track deteriorated to a slippery struggle for any progress as Adrian and I gradually fell behind the powerwalking Trevor and Deryck. Our estimated time to complete the walk of an hour and a half was looking hopelessly optimistic until Deryck selflessly handed over his Nordic walking pole and this provided improved stability in the quagmire.
Barbed wire to one side and brambles to the other threatened to tear Richard’s brand new Christmas coat – great care was required. We crossed the upper reaches of the Cale at this point – normally a trickling brook but swollen to a turbid brown river. A sturdy bridge with well-maintained stiles gave us no challenges and we turned roughly northwards rather than follow the Monarch’s Way to Church Farm. Conditions under foot were improving as we regained height and the weather continued mild with rain threatening for later in the morning.
We came off the open fields onto Rectory Lane which provided firm walking back in the general direction of Wincanton race course. As Brian’s absence was due to duty at the races for the day, we had hoped to give him a wave…but the onset of drizzle suggested poor conditions for photography and we suspected Brian was more likely inside having a hot toddy. We turned onto Old Hill and made our way back into town, spurning the option to extend our walk out along Verrington lane. There was enough surface water thrown up by passing cars to wash out any lingering enthusiasm. We gathered our forces at the site of the new-build bungalows whose design brief reminded me of the nissen huts in films such as The Great Escape – perhaps the local planners had baulked at the barbed wire and watch towers.
The Cale was in spectacular spate at the waterfall – I have included this rather cheery photo from another season as our cameras would make nothing of it in poor light
On the other side of the road stands Shad Well (otherwise Shatter Well) which is a nineteenth century structure giving access to a spring which had once been a holy or sacred site. Deryck explained it once provided relief for horses dragging carts and coaches up the hill towards Bruton as there is no easily accessible water source between the two towns. The present site was constructed as part of the course of the now defunct Somerset and Dorset railway line.
We took the footpath past Waterside Road and onto the bottom of ancient Mill Street heading past the back of the Miller’s Inn towards the Cale Park Kitchen and a welcome breakfast. We were made very welcome, dogs included, and called Dave down to join us for a social cuppa and coincidental lift back to the car.
“Claggy” also means “full of clots”… I think that’s a pretty suitable description of our group.