antonalyptic: Duke of Wellington

Showing posts with label Duke of Wellington. Show all posts

20210815

Culm source again and Wellington to boot

It's Sunday afternoon and J's bike is luring me so I set off to find the source of the river Culm. On our last visit I had failed to go far enough to find it so this time I was more determined - I went far enough but still failed to find it. After all it's probably only a dribble in some farmer's field. In case you're interested it is somewhere in that triangle at furthest right that is just off the map.

My track 30.9 miles 664m height gain

My return route was chosen to minimise height variation and take a look at the newly restored Wellington monument (top centre on map). I was a little disappointed - the restoration work is not yet complete, the monument is still surrounded with ugly high metal fencing, and the place was swarming with Other People. Still, they have removed all the scaffolding and have done a good job repointing and replacing weathered stones. For me restoration should include the ability for Joe Bloggs to climb to the top and look out of those enticing windows.

20200227

Wellington again

During our last visit to Willand I attempted the Wellington monument and kind of implied that I would actually get there some other time. And so I did. I started the barefoot running aspect of our visit to Ali's mum with a warm-up along the Exe valley whilst Ali was doing what she likes best: shopping...

...and then a few days later the opportunity came - fair weather, no need for lunch because we had taken Ali's mum to Knightshayes (National Trust) tea shop wherein lieth fruit scones, and so I set off telling myself there was no shame should I fail to make it all the way. And made it there and back. To check out the scaffolding, I told my alter ego (the less adventurous one).

The whole track

The interesting part

I figured I must have run (the term includes some walking) over 20 miles so, on returning and checking my cell phone, I was a bit miffed that I had "only" clocked up 19.55 miles. With elevation gain 620m and average speed moving 5.3 mph.

I used footpaths where feasible and some were exceedingly muddy, but I had my waterproof bare feet on so a quick wash in the river Culm where I left it at Uffculme sorted that.

In case you have not been following my Wellington monument interest, it is currently the subject of a major restoration program and is completely covered in scaffolding. Worth a visit just to see the amount of effort they have expended so far.

The outward route was by road to Black Down Common (home of the Culmstock Beacon) and thence to the monument. Then returning via a very pleasant footpath to within a stone's throw of Hemyock, at least it would have been more pleasant if less muddy, then to Culmstock from which I followed the river footpath via Hunkin Wood to Uffculme. As usual you can click on the images to enlarge them.

This detail is a tunnel to protect pedestrian access to a footpath going North towards the town of Wellington. BTW in my first post I supposed the town got its name from the first duke. In fact the town preceded himself and he was named after it.

The Culm valley looking towards the West

Within a stone's throw

In Hunkin Wood

Me (and the river Culm)

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20191213

Best drone view of Wellington monument

In my last post I expressed my infatuation with the Wellington monument in Somerset. Having watched a few drone videos on the subject I vote this one the best I've seen yet. There's an internal staircase to a viewing platform with three round windows near the top and, apparently, a counterweight hangs inside the top of the monument to help balance it in windy weather. I'd like to find out more about these two details... Whether common mortals will be allowed to ascend once the current restoration is complete is questionable.

20191203

Willand and Wellington

The Duke of Wellington got around. I fact there have been nine of him, the latest being still alive. But it was the first that most people know about and who won the victory at Waterloo in 1815. There are various monuments and other miscellania in memory of that victory - one in Phoenix Park, Dublin at 62m high, another in Trim, Co Meath, much to the chagrin of some of the locals. And the Wellington Monument, 53m high, near where Ali's mum lives and the nearby town named after the monument one supposes. When driving to her home I habitually look out for the monument which is clearly visible from the M5, and this time I noted it was covered in scaffolding and reckoned it was worth a visit on foot. Google reckoned it was about 9.5 miles away so would be quite a challenge barefoot running.

Part of my track, monument off top right

I set off kind of hiding my intent from my alter ego (or one of them) for fear of the goal being considered too much especially in the winter. I told myself I could be just going to Uffculme. But at each crossroads I persisted in the general direction of the monument. In the event I was saved by a road closure towards the end - the road was closed presumably because of works on the monument renovation. So I clocked up only 16.83 miles with elevation gain 484m. But I figured I could have made it there and back so, maybe in the summer...

A few days previous I had run 7.3 miles, this time to explore hitherto uncharted territory south-east of her home. Nothing of much consequence but opening up some ideas for my next visit.

Here I ascended Black Down Common, home of Culmstock Beacon, but I resisted the temptation to backtrack to the Beacon and ploughed on towards the monument. The common is definitely worth another visit.