If yesterday was a cold but cruisey day, then today was a sunny yet solid one. No more snow had fallen in the night but neither had it started to melt when I set out. But the sun was shining and it was a good couple of degrees warmer with no wind. And I’d had a great night’s sleep .. the only hint of the Monster was the plaintive mewing of the pub cat. My departure was made all the sweeter by Liz, another guest taking the trouble to get up early so that she could catch me and donate to SANE (donation details also on the left of this page).

Simonsbath, where I’d spent the night, is a darling little village in the heart of Exmoor. I was inclined to think it might be a little sleepy. However, there is a fine educational centre in the village, which uses the surrounding moorland to teach school kids about anthropology, ecology and also about the Industrial Revolution and the mining of iron ore.

My planned route was to take the Macmillan Way West, across Exmoor to Dunster. But when I reached the turn off the road it was clear I wouldn’t be doing that ..

Entrance to MacMillan Way West ..

.. and it didn’t look as if the people living at Green Moor Farm would be getting their Waitrose delivery today either

And so it was a day of road walking. But as they looked mostly cleared and were very quiet I really didn’t mind too much.

One beautiful view after another ..

Across the moor

More moor

And the occasional sign which just made me giggle: ‘Public Footpath to Silly Bridge. 1 mile’.

Taking the roads did mean however, that there was little to no chance of seeing red deer, which I was really disappointed about. I think the word must have gone out to the entire equine community as I came across horse after horse and pony after pony all day long.

Horses on the road ..

.. horses wrapped up warm ..

.. ponies with their own coats ..

.. and a White Horse offering sustenance to weary walkers!

The Exmoor White Horse, sitting next to the bridge over the river Exe, is a 16th century inn. The walls are covered in photos of bygone Masters of the Hunt. I imagine it must teem with people in the warmer months as it’s right at the heart of Exmoor and very pretty. The open fire and cappuccino were very welcome today.

Several people have been asking about the kit I’m carrying. I’ve been so pleased with just about everything and it weighs in at around 8kg. Not bad. So, here’s a kit list:

• Osprey backpack. 32 litre I think. Plus cover .. keeps the pack dry and is great for keeping you visible on the roads
• La Sportiva boots. Exceedingly light and mostly waterproof, unless you swim in them
• Black Diamond poles .. where would I be without them. Fabulously light and collapse into 3 neat sections.
• Arcteryx waterproof jacket and trousers. These were my big splurge and they have been totally worth it.
• Gaiters. A present from my mum and great for warm yet muddy days.
• Hats: beanie and water-proof, very ugly brimmed hat (which has made up for its ugliness with its efficacy)
• Gloves: North Face ones that cleverly allow me to operate my mobile
• Neck warmer. An absolute must. It’s ancient but wonderful for keeping out the chill.
• Socks .. I wear thin inners and thick outers. Somewhere I read that this prevents blisters and it seems to work for me.
• Undies .. Brilliant quick dry ones
• Icebreaker thermals: camisole, long-sleeved and leggings (although I made the mistake of packing the leggings off after the last snow, as I never thought we’d get more)
• A couple of long-sleeved middle layer tops
• Solomon fleece which I’ve only needed a couple of days but is so nice to have in the evenings as it’s cosy and warm
• Uniqlo gillet. Weighs less than a feather and has been worn every day.
• Cosy jimjams

I wash one set of clothing each night and use the various radiators, one bar electric fires, Agas to dry.

Safety stuff:

• Spot Gen 3 .. a satellite messaging device. Hopefully I’ll never use it in earnest but I do message various strategically placed friends each night to let them know I’ve reached my destination safely. Expensive but vital.
• Silver survival blanket
• Bicycle light for walking on roads, especially at dusk. (Thank you Mr Light!)
• Head torch
• Couple of battery-operated light sticks .. again, hopefully won’t ever be used but comforting to have.
• Medical kit .. compedes, various meds, bandage, scissors etc

Other bits and pieces:

• My laptop and charger .. I thought long and hard about this one. It does weigh over a kg but I love being able to write the blog on it (rather than my iPad) and it also gives me access to all sorts of other admin files, as I’m still settling the bills etc on my rest day.
• iPhone .. for the obvious and it does take great photos. Again, I thought about taking a camera but decided it wasn’t worth the extra weight. I have a couple of portable chargers which have been indispensable .. especially when the sub-zero temps have chewed up the phone’s battery.
• Maps .. I have all the OS maps strategically placed with various people to pick up along the way. I do have them on my iPhone but being a little technically-challenged much prefer using the old-fashioned paper variety.
• Drawing kit .. pad, pens and pencils
• Lots of waterproof bags to carry everything in individually, including a fabulous one for my phone and an Outdoor Designs one for my map. (This is my only quibble on equipment .. although the map case does its job in keeping the map dry, it bats around ferociously in the wind and gets exceedingly annoying.)
• Toiletries .. really kept to a bare minimum
• Little black dress and heels .. cos you just never know!!

The route today took me up to the highest point of Exmoor: Wheddon Cross. In fact I stopped there for tea, which a very lovely couple I got talking to bought for me. I loved the name of the pub:

The Rest And Be Thankful Inn

Not far from the peak lies Snowdrop Valley, which in February is apparently a picture perfect covering of the dainty little flowers. 

As the day wore on, the snow started to melt and green patches of fields began to break through. 

Patches of green emerging

In the afternoon I decided to take my chances and take a more or less parallel bridleway through Bickham Woods. It meant a bit of climbing but was well worth it for the total change of scenery and the absence of traffic. Easier on the feet too.

Bickham Woods

Not far after the village of Timberscombe I walked past a sloping green field of 300 plus ewes with their lambs. Thinking I was bringing supper they all converged on me, bleating loudly. It was very picturesque but I felt badly that I’d misled them about the menu. By this stage of the day there was hardly a patch of snow to be seen.

Ironically named Cowbridge

I was looking forward to reaching Dunster. A dear friend of mine of 35 years will be waiting for me. She was my bridesmaid and it will be wonderful to spend several days walking with her, particularly as the first one is a rest day! 

Dunster is a perfectly preserved Medieval village with a motte and bailey castle turned luxury country house, at the top of a wooded hill. The town rose to fame largely because of William de Mohun, one of William the Conqueror’s big mates. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Conqueror granted William 69 west country manors, including the one at Dunster. William chose Dunster to build his castle to oversee the admin for the vast array of manors. By 1222 it had its own market, which we now know to be most significant as an indication of wealth and recognition of status.

During the Civil War, Dunster Castle was a focal point of military activity in the west, with both Parliamentarians and Royalists keen to hold a fortress so well placed strategically. After a five month seige the Royalists finally left the Castle in 1646, with drums beating and colours flying. The Yarn Market was damaged and had to be rebuilt and a cannon ball hole in one of the beams can still be seen today.

The Luttell family owned the castle for 600 years, almost to the day: they moved in to the fort in 1376 and moved out in 1976, when crippling death duties forced them to relinquish their ownership. The Castle is now owned by the ubiquitous National Trust and a very fine job they do of preserving the castle and all its history. It will be a lovely place to visit tomorrow.

Black Dog Tails
Another hero from the archives. This is Jet who saved 50 people