Another version of the Somerset 3 Peaks

Here’s a proposed route for the alternative Three Peaks of Somerset by Tim Down:

 Porlock-Stoke Pero-Dunkery-Brockwell-Wootton Courtenay-Timberscombe-Slowley Farm-Druids Combe Farm-Roadwater-Nettlecombe-Monksilver-Stogumber-Rowcombe Farm-Crowcombe-MacMillan Way West-Wills Neck-Bishpool Farm-Great Holwell-Smocombe Farm-Goathurst-Chantry Cottage-Bridgwater (exit via A372)-Bower Farm-Summerway Cottage-Chedzoy-Stawell-Edington-Catcott Burtle-Westhay-Westhay Moor-Mudgley-Latcham-Rodney Stoke-West Mendip Way-Beacon Batch.

 

There is the beguiling prospect of continuing the route to Dundry and beyond to the Green Man.

 

Have taken an alternative route across the levels – am open to any suggestions but this way takes in a couple of the most remote parts of the levels, it avoids the complexities of the coastal route and also avoids the noisy intrusion of the M5.

 

What in Old English would someone be named who undertakes such a journey

Three Peaks of Somerset

On Sunday, 15th February, a group of us are having a go at the Three Peaks Route that starts in Chew Magna. I made the mistake of calling it the Three Peaks of Somerset to differentiate it form other Three Peaks challenges involving Ben Nevis etc. It was promptly pointed out that the Three Peaks of Somerset ought to be Dunkery Beacon on Exmoor, Wills Neck in the Quantocks and Beacon Batch on the Mendips.

Various point of view have been bandied about as to the best way of accomplishing such a challenge.

Originally, I though that it would be best to start at Porlock to attack Dunkery Beacon, but on reflection, it would be easier to start at Exford, in the heart of Exmoor, which has a car park, a hostel and two pubs.

From Exford, you could follow the Samaritans Way Southwest up onto Exford Common and then switch onto the Macmillan Way West to Dunkery Beacon and on to Dunster – why reinvent the wheeel? The Macmillan Way from here to Wills Neck looks very complicated, so I think it would be easier to cut down through Marsh Street to the coast and follow the coast path to Watchet. Then you could follow the road through Doniford and on up to Beacon Hill and Wills Neck.

From Wills Neck, the Samaritan’s Way provides the quickest route through Goathurst and Bridgwater to Chedzoy and the brisge over the King’s Sedgemoor Drain at Parchey

The next obstacles are the Huntspill River and the River Brue. There is rather a lot of tarmac on the next stretch, but I thik the best route goes through Stawell and Chilton Polden then across Chilton Moor to River House Farm, where there is a crossing over the Brue. Then there are roads and paths to take you through Westham and Blackford onto a bridle path that goes round West Stoughton to Ashton, Chapel Allerton and Stone Allerton, where there is a path down to Weare.

From here, the easiest option is the more easterly of the pairs of bridges over the Axe and the Cheddar Yeo. and then Stubbington Drove and Middle Moor will take you into the outsj=kirts of Cheddar. There is then a route through Barrows that leads to the bridle path round Batts Combe Quarry that leads to Warrens Hill Road and Tynings Farm – well known to all who have done the Mendip Muddle.

From Tynings Farm, there is an obvious route to Beacon Batch, from which there are several routes Down to Blagdon.

It’s about 60 miles if anybody’s interested!

At the Wrington Woodland Run

I took a board covered with information about the Green Man Challenge to the Wrington Woodland Run, one of the Summer pub series put on by TACH. It raised a fair bit of interest. I think there should be at least four more Woodwoses before winter sets in. At least one of them will be the first female Woodwose.

When I was reconnoitring the course up Bull House Lane the night before, it occurred to me that the degree of climb and the conditions underfoot make it are very like a fell run. If I remember correctly, it would be a Medium length grade B fell race if we organised it through the fell runners association.