Back with SPR again today but with me leading the walk, advertised as Cheddar. I had offered to do this as I had walked around the top of the gorge several times with groups of children. Whilst preparing I realised that the route was little more than 5km so not really far enough. Steve had said that the route was entirely up to me but suggested he had walked around the reservoir when he wanted to extend it. That didn’t appeal so I started exploring possibilities of starting south of Cheddar and using part of the West Mendip Way.
There were several ways we could approach this but I decided not to make my final decision until I was certain who I would be leading. It turned out to be Boo and Jenny and they are both good walkers.
Having arrived at Cheddar I asked Jane to drive right up through the gorge and back to give us a better understanding of where we would be later. We then headed down towards Wells and pulled off the main road at Rodney Stoke. We went up a side road a short distance and Jane was able to drop us exactly where I had planned to start the walk. Jane headed back for the car park in Cheddar and we went straight up hill into a beautiful grassy meadow enclosed on three sides by woodland and a chorus of bird song. To our right the woods form part of an International Nature Reserve. The white flowers of hawthorn trees stand our against the intense bright greens of the deciduous trees.
As we cut through the wood at the top of the field we are met with a slight aroma and then an abundance of wild garlic, creating a carpet under the trees.
Over the brow of the hill and across an open stretch and we can see the hillside dip down sharply in front of us, there is a road hidden from our view. The West Mendip Way joins us from the right and we cross the road and up into another nature reserve ‘Draycott Sleights’. We are following a stony track which has impressive trees along one side, almost like the entrance to a big house but we can’t see any evidence of one. A quick snack too as we rise up another hill and then the path begins to have a more downward slope.
I spot an orchid on the track and then we realise we are in a field of them. Pyramidal orchids but two different colours.
There are good views across to the reservoir and just down below – a beautiful English rural scene.
The path continues along the escarpment, sometimes up and more often down. It will takes us all the way towards Cheddar where we will part company from it as we make our bid to go up on to the southerly spur above the gorge. From a distance we can see a heavily wooded area which must be hiding our path. In the end not too difficult to spot and we climb the path up through the wood – popping out by the lookout tower, just before Jacob’s Ladder. This is my usual way on to the top but it is now only accessible as part of the cave visiting package. Lunch calls and we sit on a grassy slope by the path.
A bit further a long I point out some good viewing points, much less nerve racking than taking two children at a time to look! We can look out and see the reservoir again and then over to the other side of the gorge.
I had forgotten quite how rocky it was on this side and much more up than I recall – perhaps making sure that 30 + children are okay takes your mind off of the uphill. We walk past the spot where we often sat and had a biscuit, wrote a poem and had a drink – no need today, and then we start the descent for real to meet the road at the top of the gorge. we are treated to a display of bluebells in the wood, they still look fresher than some.
They have done quite a lot of woodland maintenance and I had forgotten how long the section is before the diagonal path descends to the road. Jenny is striding on using two sticks, she skies and finds the action quite natural. I give in and get one of mine out. I’m concerned that she doesn’t go straight on at the last point as it is very steep but fortunately a combination of my calling out to her and logs across the path averts that situation. A quick drink at the road side we have a short section to walk before our path goes steeply up to the right – not quite the last up!
The path goes up and then turns at almost a right angle and we are met with steps – now these can be helpful or rather a nuisance depending on the height of the steps and the length of your stride. Writing that reminds me that earlier in the day after our snack we had played around with double paces to a hundred metres, twice in fact because Boo forgot to actual count the first time!!
After a couple of lots of steps we are on a flatter section for a while and it is possible to see back over to the side we first walked on. Both agreed that driving up first helped give some perspective to what they were seeing.
A bit of a lull and a grassy meadow before the harsh reality of a steep climb back down through a wooded area with stones and tree roots a plenty. Paths created and destroyed by water running down hill over time. The path comes out amidst an array of tea shops and deli stores. I’ve rung Jane and she meets us just before Boo and Jenny declare an interest in the Cider shop. We did all try and they did purchase and so it was on to the ‘only Cheddar made in Cheddar Cheese shop – where I indulged as well. From there it was back to the car park and then finding out way home – much harder navigation!
We all enjoyed our day, we’re all tired, which is how you should feel after a decent days walking and it was a great place to lead my first walk where I created the route a little further from home. Still only 11km but the ascent and descent more than made up for that!
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 