From: Castle Cary to Beckington
Distance: 17m / 27.2km
Cumulated distance: 305.2m / 491km
Percentage completed: 29.68
Yesterday morning, for the first time on the walk, my body talked to me. Very loudly, very clearly: ‘don’t get up; don’t leave this warm, snuggly bed’. I was really tired and the thought of 17 miles walking was daunting. I was staying in the most comfortable, most beautiful B&B, in one of England’s prettiest villages .. ‘why leave?’.
I’d had a good meal the evening before at The George in Castle Cary’s main street. Walking back afterwards to my bed, all the shop windows were lit up, showing off their wares for Easter. It was delicious window shopping.
Easter windows
I took out the map to try and make sense of the journey ahead. It looked very long and windy if I were to follow just the Macmillan Way, as I’d planned over a year ago. I clearly had a very optimistic view of my capabilities then. I was helped .. well hindered really, by Coriander, one of the house cats.
Coriander telling me it was time to go to bed. This was a princess’s bed .. Eugenie had laid her red head here when she went to Glasto
Dragging myself away from Cary Place http://www.caryplace.co.uk I started the walk up the street, away from Castle Cary. During Glastonbury Music Festival, Castle Cary is a madhouse, being the closest town to the festival with a train station. On my way up the street I came across a house which had a plaque on the wall commemorating Douglas Macmillan, after whom the walk is named.
Should have been an auspicious start to the day
Pastel sort of day
The early part of the day featured lovely tracks over an undulating landscape. The sun came in and out and there was a lot of livestock to be seen .. much of it young, which was uplifting. There were definite signs of spring emerging.
Fruit trees growing in a very tidy orchard
Spring catkins
The little hamlet of Honeywick was very aptly named, with golden cottages which made me think I was already entering the Cotswolds.
Honeywick house
I enjoyed the walk to Bruton, the beautiful small Somerset town. It’s set in verdant countryside but despite its sleepy demeanour it’s actually the home of Hauser and Wirth Contemporary Art Gallery, an internationally acclaimed centre for the arts. Outside the converted barn gallery in the courtyard is a sculpture of a super-sized bucket .. when I say super-sized, I mean double storey height! Fabulous.
Hauser and Wirth’s Big Bucket
The walk from Bruton to Little Bradley Wood was predominantly forest, without sign of habitation. Before I stepped into their moodiness I had to walk through a small-holding with its few animals.
Don’t think they realised they were co-habiting ..
.. nor knew they were living opposite this beasty
I did a little road walking to cover a few miles quickly and from there saw Alfred’s Tower on the horizon, above the woods. It’s a folly at Stourhead Park and is visible for miles around. Henry Hoare planned the tower to commemorate the end of the Seven Years’ War against France. It’s located close to ‘Egbert’s Stone’, where Alfred the Great (he of the burnt cakes), rallied the Saxons in May 878 before the Battle of Edington. A plane flew into it in 1944, tragically killing 5 men. But it’s been restored and looks amazing, with it’s statue of Alfred.
Alfred’s Tower
There was so much to see and discover along the way, but as the day wore on I have to say I became more and more bogged down by the number of miles still to be covered. The forest floor was very uneven and my progress was horribly slow.
Stiles along the route
Great Bradley Wood
Trunks
Logging
Up close
The Macmillan Way takes a route way west of Frome, the main town in the area. I can see why it does that .. it leads you through Nunney, a picturesque village with a picturesque moated castle. But by the time I had reached Nutty Coppice Farm, I was starting to feel a bit nutty myself and decided to make my way through Frome, using quieter B roads and cutting off some distance. I began to feel I was never, ever going to get to Beckington. With wet feet I’d developed a whacking great blister and the pounding across uneven ground in the woods had left both soles of my feet feeling bruised.
When you get this tired or down, nothing seems to help, other than stopping. And the demons in your head take the opportunity to slide through the cracks and start all the negative chat .. ‘you’ll never make it .. why did you even start .. go on, get a taxi ..’. I remember Ivan Ivanisovic talking about his tennis, when he was going through a low patch. He talked about the ‘good Ivan’ sitting on one of his shoulders and the ‘bad Ivan’ perched on the other. He said they would talk incessantly when he was battling, completely exhausting him. That’s how it felt yesterday.
I was thinking back to how I talked about ‘digging in’ during the walk to Hartland Quay, when I found myself in a tricky spot on the top of a cliff. I think it was Day 12. It was true .. I did need to dig deep to get myself through a scary situation. But half an hour later I’d descended off the cliff to the hotel and in truth, felt quite pleased with myself. But this sort of longer term digging in is SO much more difficult. This morning, on my rest day, I should be feeling so much better .. but ‘bad Jules’ is doing her best to convince me to throw in the towel. I doubt I will but she’s pretty convincing.
Gentle reader, please don’t think this is a plea for sympathy .. I think in other circumstances I would not even have spoken about it. But this walk is not only a physical adventure, it is also one of the mind and one of the points of Walking The Black Dog is to raise awareness of mental health issues. I’m convinced that frankness is one of the keys to helping.
Black Dog Tails
Gandalf used his magical powers to sniff out a lost boy scout in USA. What a hero!
I so look forward to your updates Jules.
Thank you, Anna. Means a lot.
You are right Jules. Your frankness and honesty speaking of tricky times is refreshing. While the Blisters are bad enough physically, the mind games are worse. I hope that Bad Jules disappears into the night and that tomorrow is a triumph for Good Jules. Take care.
How beautifully you put that, Olwyn. We’ve never met .. but knowing Andrew and reading your lovely writing, I just know how special you are. Thank you for your message.
Relieved to read your progress. Castle Cary is a lovely little town with great shops. Glad you had a comfortable night there and in Beckington. I do hope your rest day will help to revive you and that you have that nasty blister attended to. I am in awe of your strength and determination. Perhaps you should take two days off? With love, Anthea and Jasper 🐾🐕😇😍🎇. Donation to SANE made yesterday.
Thank you so much for your very generous donation to SANE, Anthea. Very kind of you and hugely appreciated. A day off today will make all the difference, as have your messages. Please don’t worry for my safety .. we have that covered with all sorts of clever electronic devices.
Gandalf might be a hero, Jules, but you are a total heroine in my book. Sorry not to have been in touch the last few days. I’m leaving Milan on Saturday and it’s all a bit manic. Hope your rest day will be lovely and that the pesky blister heals very quickly. Thinking of you lots. Woze xx
PS Love the 🐷
Way too kind, Woze .. but thank you for your lovely words. Hope the pack up and transfer from Milan goes smoothly. xx
Love you Jules. You’ve earned the right to quit any time you like. You’ve already achieved so much. But maybe give it another couple of days and then reassess. You’ve done brilliantly, don’t let a hard day undo more than ayears planning and work. Xx
So good getting your encouraging words, Kate. Thank you. Seeing your boys will be a tonic! xx
Thanks for your honesty. It’s that feeling that accompanies all challenges beyond our normal boundaries that is so rarely discussed but is very real and unpleasant. You will get past it because you have the character to work through it. Meanwhile…rest.
Rest .. you’re quite right .. it can work wonders sometimes. Make sure you don’t overstretch yourself, Helen .. being able to take a couple of days off, I’m realising, is very important.
I really don’t want to sound like a know it all but I have done a lot of long distance walking. I have always had the odd days of doubt and despondency but in my experience i have usually felt like a new person next day and I hope you find the same. You are doing fine and 17 miles is a good stretch in any body’s book. Good luck.
Coming from a seasoned long distance walker, that means a lot. Thank you so much.
Go girl, enjoy your day off and if you need a black dog to make you smile just think of little Millie and your cuddle in the Fox & Hounds. You are truly inspirational and enjoy our lovely countryside, Rick x
You can’t over-estimate the value of a loyal dog’s company .. and Millie is a sweetheart! Thank you for the message. x
Jules, you are brave to open up with your true feelings today and I hope that doing so lifted some of the heaviness. As has already been written, a solid rest (and hydration) will likely make a world of difference.
You’re so right, Silvia. A massage, a rest and a wander through the lovely town of Bath is really helping! Thank you for your message.
Go Jules; you’ve nailed darker days than this. I’ll get Ils to give good Jules a few karate tips on how to kick bad Jules’ arse 🙂
We’re all with you in spirit. In fact, it looks like there’s quite a mob wandering around the south of England with you. You can’t see us, but that’s because we’re all off piste to keep out of your way – imagine how lost and muddy we all are. I saw several late risers blundering around in their PJs yesterday. And those of us who live on the other side of the world are having to do this is the dark!
My usual utter cobblers, of course, but hopefully the image of your inept hangers-on will brighten the gloomier moments.
Much love and admiration from us
That made me laugh so much! Much to the consternation of the other drinkers in the pub. Will soon be referred to as the mad woman who sits alone in the corner, drinking and cackling to herself! Love the thought of you all in the mud too .. although now you’ll realise just how bad my map-reading really is. Thanks muchly.
Jules. You are clearly being very brave. The route has taken you quite a long way east and south. As you start heading north again am sure the progress will feel positive and your momentum will return x
You are very kind, Adam. And you are also so right .. starting to head north in such a positive way has helped reset the compass of the mind! Mojo totally back with me today. x
Jules, I felt SO much for you reading your blog this morning. I think though that there is a pain barrier in this walk and maybe you have reached it. It is a huge challenge getting up every day and trudging 17 plus miles over rough ground. During our chats over coffee I was so impressed by your spirit. I believe you can do this walk. Rest well and see what tomorrow brings and don’t be too hard on yourself as all walkers feel like this at times, even the lovely Robert MacFarlane. xx
Marilyn, it feels so good to know that you understand what I was feeling. You’re right about rest .. yesterday was a real tonic and I’m up early today to get a good start. Thank you for your encouragement. xx
I read your blogs daily Jules and am following your journey on my big map. I’m learning so much about England! Loved the photos with the Easter displays. Reminded me of the movie Chocolat. I hope you felt better after your rest day.
The window displays were just gorgeous, Angie .. good job it was night time and the shops were closed, otherwise my pack may well have ended up weighing a whole lot more! Had a good rest day, thanks .. with massage and rest. x
My Dearest Jules – you are a beacon to all hesitant, slightly doubtful people, to all those who might say “I wish I was brave enough to do that”. I know I am one of them – I couldn’t keep my demons in check for these very situations! My constant is Rescue Remedy – stills my mind when it gets out of control❤️ Although you can’t see us we are all with you – close as close – every step of the way. Xx
Frannie, my friend .. your message was so wonderful to receive. It will make me smile today thinking of you and all my other mates walking along side me. Hopefully you can all do the map-reading for me!! xx
Thinking of you my friend and I am echoing Kate’s wise words , you have earned the right to quit any time you like ( absence of pressure works wonders to perform ) , you have already achieved so much and raised phenomenal amounts for charity . We all support you ! But your feet need attention Jules as they carry you , when Ivanisovic breaks his racket , he just gets a new one , but physical injuries are a different matter and it’s a question of limiting the damage . Hope you got the local doctor to attend to the bruises and more importantly blisters before they get infected xox
Thank you my friend. Deep tissue massage yesterday worked wonders and the blister is well on the mend now with the attention of compede and anti-sceptic. But most importantly, my mind is in a much better place today. Ready to leave at 7.30am so I get to Box not too late in the day. It’s been wonderful getting your support .. on all social platforms. Thank you so much. xx
I too have two different people sitting on my shoulders sometimes – I feel like Pinocchio with his conscience. For me it’s typically when I’m being self destructive, like when I eat the wrong foods – the bad guy wants to eat whatever it is, the creme caramel/chocolate cake etc, the good guy is trying to get me not to – unclear who will win. I’ve no doubt that if you dig deep you will find the reserves to carry on. You’ve planned so hard for this, it’s mind over matter, you can do it. Tomorrow WILL be a better day.
We are all in awe with what you have achieved so far and for the reason for your doing this.
Walk on…..we will continue to walk along with you in this blog.
Your words resonate very strongly, Linda. It feels good to have you and all the other wonderful friends at my side. Thank you. xx
Oh Jules – we love you – you are a beautiful testament to a whole human being – so open, so honest, so brave. As I say to Ella (and myself) there is almost nothing that sleep and water don’t fix.
Water and sleep. Couldn’t agree more! Feeling a whole heap better this morning as I get a good early start. Loved getting your message, Beck .. can just feel your love through your words. xx
Hi Jules,
Thinking of you a lot and following your journey with interest and amazement.
I think you have shown how strong you really are by letting us know your inner feelings .
Your drawings, your photos with humorous comments, your writing, what a treasure!
Why not have an Easter break? ( I am thinking of that blister)
Big hug and xxx
Thank you so much, Petra .. good hearing from you. The rest day worked wonders yesterday with a terrific deep tissue massage. The blister is looking a whole lot better too! I have booked all my 89 B&Bs .. so little room for flexibility, but I do have a short day on Easter Sunday! Big hugs to you too. xx
Hauser and Wirth must be Queenslanders!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia%27s_big_things
What about the Big Merino in NSW though! Or the Huge Pineapple in WA?
Hello Jules, This website is remarkable, let alone the walk. I’m amazed at the beautiful writing, photographs and drawings and the artistry and diligence it represents. Discipline defines this site which is a reflection the entire effort. Thank you for bringing the United Kingdom to me. I do miss you and it and will be thinking of you as you pull yourself out of bed any time now. Love Juliet
You are too kind .. thank you so much. Sending love as you start your day! xx
Hi Jules.
Keep digging in there gal. You’ll get there!!
Loved the smallholding photo….only in Somerset.
See you soon. Tony & Mandy xx
Not long now! Sooo looking forward to the wedding! xx
Jules I think you have a lot of friends in the background who are routing for you and with you in spirit. I for one really look forward to reading your entries every day. Keep up the good fight and don’t let the bad days get you down, you are such an inspiration. X
Jo, you are so right and I derive a huge amount of encouragement from you all! x