Ladies on top

Sat 26 Apr ‘25. DH, RW, PCL, AC, DL, CH, DH, SW, CCL, RC, ML, DH & Scrumpy

Three times a year we invite our good ladies to join us for a short walk and a spot of lunch, and as last Christmas’s walk was cancelled due to high winds and we never managed to find a suitable date during the summer, today would be the first walk in which they have joined us since our coastal walk from West Bay last April. Having been to the coast the last couple of times, and with Adrian & Ruth making the move towards the Bristol Channel sometime soon, I opted for a walk on one of the many open areas of the Mendips, that maybe we can use as a mid way point when we arrange to meet up from time to time once the move is completed. Richard and myself carried out a quick recce of the walk earlier in the week so we were confident it would be suitable for all and close enough to a good pub for lunch afterwards.

The RV was the lay-by at the top of Burlington Coombe by the Burrington Ham nature reserve at 10.00, although we had to wait a few extra minutes for the Bruton car to arrive, after they had had to make a last minute detour to Castle Cary to pick up something for a surprise presentation after the walk. So it was around 10.10 once everyone was booted up and ready to start. There was much debate about how many layers were needed, was it worth taking a coat or even just a lightweight waterproof jacket, so it was a mix of jackets and jumpers that set off over the road and up to the bridleway by the side of Ellick House for the steady climb up to the northern most Mendip high ground of Black Down.