antonalyptic: Blackborough House

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Garnsey's Tower

I don't know anything about this chap Garnsey except that he built a tower on the brow of a hill. This site suggests it is "a decaying tower in Blackborough woods that served as shelter for whetstone miners" which is not ever so revealing. Whetstones are used for sharpening tools and can be a variety of rocks, and I didn't see any evidence of mining. But the tower served as a focal point for the run-cum-hike barefoot which included several major footpath segments.

15.2 miles, 657m height gain, 4.2 mph

Detail showing some footpaths...

The work of an enterprising houseowner in Kentisbeare

It was a simple circuit in Gauge 1 and working too

Checkerboard church tower, Kentisbeare

Thatch is picturesque but that's about all

The ascent to Blackborough Common

My first footpath got dicy here - it was not well kept

But it resolved into a much better path

The roof of the ruin of Blackborough House

And finally, Garnsey's Tower, ruin thereof

From this angle, clearly a tower that once was

The views looking north from this part of Blackborough Common were spectacular. You can of course enlarge the pictures by clicking on them, after which you can scroll through them.

Large toadstool I noticed on my descent

The second major segment of footpath was also poorly maintained. According to my GPS enabled maps (I use UK OS and OpenTopoMap via MOBAC on OruxMaps) the footpath led me through the middle of an oil-seed rape field and then...

...through the middle of a wheat field (or some such grain) - I followed a line made by a tractor to minimise any additional damage to the crop, but in any case going barefoot does a good deal less damage than when shod because one feels one's way through the stalks. And then...

...through a grassy meadow where I could actually run...

... and through hard to identify gates or styles to the next field or, in this case to...

... a very muddy and dark lane that finally opened up into the village of Ashill where there was a helpful sign telling me the lane was "not surfaced", and thence to...

... Culmstock and my much traversed water-meadow footpath to Uffculme and home. And (sadly) one tick so far.

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Ruby Run 1

Ruby Route One

Coincidentally bridging our 40th wedding anniversary (it is hard to believe that we've been around that long!), we were staying with Ali's mother again so I had opportunity for some long runs. I have for some while contemplated exploring the Blackborough escarpment so that's were I headed for, barefoot of course.

The GPS statistics were: distance 11.08 miles, average speed 5.06mph (5.70 whilst moving) maximum and elevation 247m, minimum 53m. My route follows clockwise on the above map - click on the map or the pictures to enlarge them.

My route ascending the scarp face of the hill was grassy field - luscious under foot - with a wooden bench provided at a viewpoint. Shortly after this I stumbled upon the ruins of Blackborough House which rather sadly is now a farm dump. My short dead-end after this was because I could not resist climbing to the top of a grassy hillock, but the view from the top was not as rewarding as I had hoped.

Blackborough House (not my photo)

The following pictures are my own, taken on my smartphone and suffering from the low light of early morning and the fact that it was raining at times.