Saturday 23rd December’23. DH, RW, BFS, TO, AC, PC, DL, JB, Scrumpy & Albus
With Christmas fast approaching and plenty of jobs waiting back home for us, a short walk around the roads of Wincanton and back for our final breakfast of the year was in order. John had made the short walk to the RV as those who had driven assembled at the top end of the recreational ground of Cale Park, where there was immediately plenty of banter about some of the choices of festive attire. Christmas hats were perched on heads and excuses were quickly issued for some of the festive ish looking jumpers, but Dereyk certainly had the grandest of attire in the shape of a festive covered unbuttoned waistcoat, which we are assured did fit him at some point previously. We headed out by the newly finished and open for business retirement home and worked our way carefully through the maze of pathways around the locally named Beirut area of this tightly packed development before climbing a seemingly endless set of steps which eventually brought us out on the main road mid way up the hill. We climbed up Atkins Way and came OU on West Hill opposite King Arthur’s school.
From here we crossed the main road and headed along Dancing Lane which gave us a great view eastwards over the town and up towards Alfreds tower ahead of us. At the point where it changes into Verrington Road we paused to look at the new roadway leading into the residental development to the rear of the houses and at the sign on the grass, basically saying that the grass won’t be getting cut too often! We then headed towards Verrington hospital and down the now pedestrian lane dropping out onto the Shepton Montague road where we turned right and down to Old Hill passing by the remains of a bridge over the road on the S&D line as it made its way from Wincanton towards Pitcombe and beyond. On the small estate at the bottom another house was being built tight against the edge of the plot, and the comparisons to the old bridge wall, even with a good flow of water seeping from between the old bricks, and the neighbouring gabion wall couldn’t have been more stark.
Before we set off this morning I knew that Pete wouldn’t be able to stay for breakfast due to a festive get together he had planned for later in the morning, and also that Dereyk needed to get Albus to the vets at 10.00 or arrange a suitable location where he could be collected by his daughter. So having paused briefly at Shatterwell falls and the old pump station which for those not aware of their local history the following is copied from an online article about the towns watercourses and mills - The Cale flows down the slopes from the north to enter the town at Shatterwell or Shadwell (the name said to be derived from St Chad, patron saint of wells). It spills over a weir in the grassy grounds of Shatterwell House in a crash of white water, dives under the road and flows on to where it used to drive the mill wheel. Just across the road, a stone arch houses the pump called Shatterwell shute. Fed by hillside springs, it used to be the main source of water for man and beast, and the placewhere spun flax was washed.
We still had a good 30 minutes before our scheduled time to be back at the cafe so rather than heading straight back to Cale Park, we passed through the gates at the bottom of Cash’s Park and started the steady climb up the steps (parallel to Coneygore Lane) so that we could drop Pete off in town and cut through the alleys and roads to the Southill vets. The climb was certainly steady and tempted as we were to rest on one of the benches we pushed on slowly and steadily to the top, where the views over the rooftops back across to the school and sports centre opened up. As we rested someone commented about the length of the days changing as we had passed the winter solstice and John dug back into the grey matter to come up the theory of Chandlers Wobble. Further explanations can be attributed to the length of the solar day and the axis of our planet which is desribed in more detail here. It was then just a short stretch through Les Rosiers way and past the Post Office sorting office in Carrington Way before we stopped outside of the library by the woolly topped post box, as we bid our festive farewells to Pete.
The rest of us then crossed the High Street and squeezed down Angel Lane where the coping stones have fallen into the lane and out into Balsam Park in good time to meet Kathleen and Maureen at the vets to drop off Albus. It was then across South Street and between the primary (Blue) school and the 1920s alms houses known as David Homes and into Churchfields where we saw the continued changes being made to the former council offices as they are converted into residential flats. Another narrow alley/snikett/ginel or barton took us down to Station Road and across towards the park. They was a short discussion about the former railway pub, station and yard and the bridge and line in the area, but not too many of us actually remember that far back.
The last stretch was up the cemetery path and we were back at the cafe having completed our 48th and final walk of 2023 with a distance of 2.4 miles in just over 70 minutes. We couldn’t reserve a table but fortunately the large one was vacant and we quickly gathered enough chairs to rest as we contemplated todays breakfast menu. A variety of choices were ordered and paid for and it was long before we were enjoying our breakfast whilst we discussed the festive season ahead of us. Another set of clean plates brought to an end our final breakfast and almost on cue Albus made a return to the group, which was perfect timing considering the vets said he needs to shift a couple of pounds. No more sausages for him Dereyk!
All that is left for me is to thank everyone again for another very successful and entertaining year In which we have welcomed John and Chris to the group, completed 3 walks and meals with our good ladies and only missed gathering on just four weekends throughout the whole year. We have found some more hidden gems of local countryside and a few new cafes providing great breakfasts and of course we've had some great conversations, laughs and light hearted banter along the way. Just what the doctor ordered for the mental health!
Wishing you all a great Christmas and New Year and I look forward to more of the same in 2024.
Yorumlar