{"id":1316,"date":"2018-03-23T00:01:20","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T13:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/?p=1316"},"modified":"2018-03-24T09:29:09","modified_gmt":"2018-03-23T22:29:09","slug":"day-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/day-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 20"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Distances etc” _builder_version=”3.0.63″ background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n

From: <\/strong>Williton to Combe Florey
\nDistance:\u00a0<\/strong>9m \/ 14.4km
\nCumulated distance:\u00a0<\/strong>247.2m \/ 398km
\nPercentage completed:<\/strong> 24.04<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_sidebar admin_label=”Subscribe” _builder_version=”3.0.63″ area=”et_pb_widget_area_1″ orientation=”left” background_layout=”light” saved_tabs=”all” global_module=”1260″ \/][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.0.63″]<iframe src=”https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=1LiHUqycOwfSuZY-SOO1W-uG-DiU” width=”372″ height=”800″><\/iframe>[\/et_pb_code][et_pb_image admin_label=”Donate to Black Dog Institute” src=”http:\/\/testform1234.gofundraise.com.au\/Upload\/385023\/images\/Donate%20to%20Black%20Dog%20Institute.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url=”http:\/\/walkingtheblackdog.gofundraise.com.au\/” url_new_window=”on” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” border_style=”solid” _builder_version=”3.0.63″ \/][et_pb_image admin_label=”Donate to Sane” src=”http:\/\/testform1234.gofundraise.com.au\/Upload\/385023\/images\/Donate%20to%20SANE%20UK.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url=”https:\/\/www.justgiving.com\/fundraising\/walkingtheblackdog” url_new_window=”on” use_overlay=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” border_style=”solid” _builder_version=”3.0.63″ \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Add text + images” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.0.63″ background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”center” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

While the accommodation last night at The White House in Williton was modest, the hospitality could not have been warmer. Kelly would get my vote for the most welcoming host of the year. She was an absolute star.\u00a0http:\/\/www.whitehousewilliton.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Along our way to the Quantocks, we came across some charming sights. Unused telephone kiosks now used as community book-lending booths. Postboxes surrounded by spring bulbs. Ivy-clad gravestones. Accommodating hedges. And best yet, another sign of impending spring!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Place to get the latest Dan Brown<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Pretty planting around the postbox<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Village gravestones<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Rural signposting<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Blossom!<\/p><\/div>\n

The soundtrack to the whole day was the nostalgic whistle of the steam train. The Spring Steam Somerset Gala had eager, anoraked passengers transported between Williton and North Petherton from dawn till dusk. And just for the day we wore anoraks too! We managed to cross the railway track several times and stood thrilled in the cuttings, watching trains power past in a cloud of steam.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Huge excitement as the train chuffs through!<\/p><\/div>\n

But after we’d got over the excitement of the trains, we started our climb into the Quantocks. And promptly fell in love with them. They cover 100 square kms and\u00a0became England\u2019s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956. They’re made up of large amounts of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and some farmland. The fact that the compass was pointing south for much of the day, ceased to be disappointing once we became enchanted by the quietness and beauty of the hills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Looking back<\/p><\/div>\n

Adi continued to charm the wildlife out of their camouflage by spotting a herd of red deer. We stood for minutes admiring them on the hill-slope above us. Photographs don’t do them justice, I’m afraid ..<\/p>\n

\"\"

Well-hidden red deer<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

And as silhouettes at the top of the hill<\/p><\/div>\n

Evidence of activity in the Quantocks goes way back to prehistoric times. Flints have been found in various places around the lower slopes. More tumuli are also marked on the map, indicating Bronze Age barrows. All was quiet for several centuries in the area, except for Alfred building various lookouts at the tops of the hills, to watch out for marauding Vikings. There wasn\u2019t too much action during the Civil War either but the reign of James II was an altogether different matter. James was crowned King of England in February 1685 but his Catholicism made him massively unpopular in the predominantly Protestant country. Trouble was on the horizon as James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, claimed to be the rightful heir to the throne and mounted a campaign to depose \u2018the Papist\u2019. The King was swift to quell the Monmouth Rebellion, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, which culminated at the Battle of Sedgemoor, five months after the coronation. The Duke was despatched to the gallows for treason and his followers received sentences of hanging, which took place in the various market places of Quantock towns and villages.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

None of this was at all evident today as we enjoyed the peace and solitude of this little range of hills. The snow had virtually disappeared and the wind had completely dropped. At one stage we came across wild ponies .. although again, the photos don’t attest to their loveliness.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Wild ponies hiding in the bracken<\/p><\/div>\n

Seeing a good deal of weather on the horizon mid-afternoon we kitted ourselves out with our waterproofs and I optimistically decided that the next footpath heading downhill was the one for us. Big mistake. Just wishing that you’re in a place on the map, gentle reader, does not mean that you are actually there! As we descended down an excessively steep lane we found ourselves several miles away from where I’d hoped we’d be! (Adi sweetly chirps in\u00a0 .. ‘yet another happy accident’!) What a friend.<\/p>\n

The last few miles of the day took us down several pretty B roads and lanes but ended rather wetly in a stream, purporting to be a path.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The dry before the wet<\/p><\/div>\n

It was a good day. Especially as it ended with a fine supper at The Rising Sun in West Bagborough, featuring local gin and tonics with pink peppercorns and freeze-dried raspberry crumbles.<\/p>\n

Black Dog Tails
\n<\/strong>Yoda is 4 year old Liam’s hero dog. Yoda is his seeing-eye dog. Remember you can click on the photo to find out more ..
\n
\n\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the accommodation last night at The White House in Williton was modest, the hospitality could not have been warmer. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1316"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1316"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2952,"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1316\/revisions\/2952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julesforth.com\/walkingtheblackdog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}