Thursday 16 October 2014

Uphill Walk 7 ( Revisited)


Being perfectionists, we decided after the previous weeks tramp, when our map reading skills went totally wrong to do this walk again properly! It also gave us the opportunity to take pictures with a proper camera. Being minus a van until the new year we will have to forgo the 4 wheels and use 2 legs, probably to the benefit of our waistlines and general fitness. We have also been blessed with some fabulous almost Autumn weather and thought we would make the most of it.

For any readers we may have this is the link to the walk.

Uphill Walk 7. Boatyard, Acccommodation Road, Bleadon, Purn Hill.

The walk is 6.5 miles. Leave out the section along the bank of the River Axe as the path is overgrown and very difficult to pass. When I get a moment I will report it to North Somerset Council. The alternative route is to take the road past the Mendip Model Car Racing circuit and continue down the road to the T junction with the A360. Turn right and continue along the main road until your reach Bleadon Bridge. Not as picturesque but less fraught!

We started this walk by taking a stroll past the marina and sitting on the beach for a bit. Public loos on the right towards the beach clean but you need a 20P piece.

The beach was beautiful and it was such a lovely morning we were tempted to walk along the beach to Weston, but that's for another day.

View out towards Brean Down.


Really quiet on the beach today. All day parking P & D £7.00.


View up towards St Nicholas Church which looks down on the marina.

We strolled back to the marina and spent a bit of time watching the Scouts having a raft race. Everyone looked like they were having a great time .


We knew the way we had to go at the start of this walk and the instructions are pretty easy to follow. Lots of dog walkers and a few hardy cyclists at the beginning.



We did wonder what this boat was carrying?

The path at the beginning of this walk is easy but walking boots or stout shoes recommended.


We continued until we got to the Mendip Model Car Racing Circuit. It was really busy and the place was crammed with motor homes and caravans, obviously a popular sport. We stopped and watched for a bit, noisy but obviously great fun! 
Ever onwards, we did the slight detour and eventually found ourselves on the other side of Bleadon Bridge, a slight discussion on route and we plumped for the footpath through the trees, this was the bit we went wrong on last time!


The view from the hill at the top of hill over Bleadon Quarry. After further discussion and a bit of back tracking, map reading and Garmin consulting, we finally found the right path! Easy with hind site, how could we have missed it last time?


Den in front of the kissing gate. From here down hill.

This time we actually found the right church. 

Bleadon Parish Church

It's really interesting when you discover places you have driven past but didn't really register. This little community has been here since Stone Age Age times and was where Bleadon Man was discovered.

Bleadon Man and More Historical Info.

We sat on the bench and ate our lunch, then on to the safari part of the adventure...wild animals.

Well, they were actually cuddly looking, I thought llamas but they they were actually alpacas. These cuddly creatures were running about in someone's back gardens, we took their picture. I later found out they were actually big business!



 The final path back to the start . We felt quite pleased with ourselves, we actually made the whole walk with only minor re routing...we must be getting better!!