Saturday 6th August 2022
RW , BS , PC and Scrumpy
Reading back through our blogs, we previously came here in October 2021 shortly after storm Arwen…a very different landscape to the parched fields we walked through on this bright Saturday morning. Generously I thought, we were to meet in Yarlington which would be quite convenient for my two companions from Wincanton. Unfortunately I had not allowed for the road works on the A371 which meant a lengthy diversion for them and so Scrumpy and I relaxed in the car park of the Stags Head Inn, waiting for them to arrive. Sadly the pub was not offering breakfast or we could have given them our custom.
The Church of St Mary rested attractively in the centre of the village where it has stood since the eleventh century.
We set off along West Street , passing the now completed but still ugly new build on our left until we reached Manor Farm. There are substantial buildings here with plenty of concrete laid in the yard which led to Pete’s comment that many of these old Manors and Granges were possibly based on original Roman or even earlier settlements but it was impossible to carry out any archaeology now as it has all been obliterated.
The footpath crossed through the middle of the empty farm buildings (I think Dave and I first walked here two or three years ago and there were calves all over the place) until we reached a gate into a large empty field of grazing stretched along the valley bottom. To our right a hillside called Yarlington Sleights dotted with brambles and gorse gently baking in the morning sunshine. Near the top of the hillside and well ahead of us, three beautiful deer watched us suspiciously and then spooked possibly by the sight of us three, headed off at pace into the distance…still visible perhaps a third of a mile away as they crested the hills.
At the top of this “bottom” we paused and Pete posed for a photo against the background of a beautiful coombe typical of this area.
We turned into Hick’s Lane which combines all three of Monarch’s Way, Leland Trail and Macmillan Way. Heading gently down through this sunken lane gave us some relief from the gathering heat of the morning sun. Where this bridle way joined the metalled road of Stoke Lane we turned sharp right and followed the road past some very well maintained gateways suggesting wealthy landownership. Approaching another, different Manor Farm, we turned off left onto a footpath through some nettles until we met the Leland Trail again. We now recrossed the River Cam or a tributary and stopped to admire a very old and attractive stonebuilt bridge which may have carried a packhorse trail in the olden days.
From this point we followed a more or less straight route back to Yarlington across parched fields. I believe on previous walks a discussion about mangelwurzels had taken place in this stretch.
The whole expedition had been completed without the sustenance of Deryck’s lollies but we were in need of a breakfast and I suggested we try The Orchard Inn at Galhampton, scene of our quiz triumphs in recent days. This meant we drove past Scrumpy’s birthplace where she recently spent a fortnight’s holiday with her mum and various relatives…she didn’t notice as we twisted through the lanes in our quest for breakfast.
The pub garden was very pleasant to sit in and Scrumpy was made welcome with a bowl of fresh water. The food was nicely presented and in good time but all agreed that the sausages were not the best we have tasted in our travels. The hosts were very welcoming but the sausages require improvement.
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