antonalyptic: Kentisbeare

Showing posts with label Kentisbeare. Show all posts

20200615

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.

20181026

Around Willand again

Having run to Bickleigh and back my remaining runs this Willand Trip To Visit Grandma were hardly significant but here are some pictures anyway... Both runs were taken in the early morning before the Other People arose.

Kentisbeare in the gloaming

Dawn over the Blackdown hills

My very own Uffculme water meadows

Double yellow "preliminary caution" after Up train

The railway photos were taken on a brief walk prior and preparatory to a large dinner. As I have intimated elsewhere I have a thing about railways and signalling. Sorry to those of you who do not share my infatuations.

Receding Down train

Autumn

Early morning Culm mist, Cullompton

20171225

Willand is good

First run 9.3 miles

Trial run exploring some footpaths around Kentisbeare. 9.3 miles.

On my right at a T junction two youngsters were approaching leading a strange animal. I turned left, then stopped to consult my map and decided to go the other way. Now passing this entourage, after exchanging pleasantries about my mistake, I saw the animal was in fact a very shaggy Shetland pony. One of the youngsters asked, in a boy's voice, whether I always ran barefoot. I assured him that I did, always, and he responded with the single word "good" - not in a snide way but as if to say "I approve". Instantly I fell in love. Not that I could see his face (they both had woolly hats on). Fell in love with what, you ask? Possibly it was the voice (I had expected a girl's). More likely it was the sentiment. After all, how does one fall in love? Is it a pretty face? I think not. Rather it is a uniting of hearts, a common but private mutual understanding, often happening in a moment of time.

I could have stopped and asked what he meant. But I missed the opportunity and then it would have looked odd to change my direction a second time. Besides, prolonging the exchange might have destroyed the magic.

Whilst running I occasionally get comments about my feet, like "Hey, mate - forgotten your shoes?" or "Fair play on you" or "Aren't your feet cold?" (and neither are my hands nor face). At home folk are used to my strange ways and thus I suppose I am labelled somewhat odd though, hopefully, harmless.

But I think in all the years that I have been running barefoot there has never been such a positive comment as that brief word. Which is why it did me so much good.

20151101

Ruby Run 2

Ruby Route Two

I love the wealth of footpath and bridle-way rights-of-way in England and they are even signposted. There is nothing to compare with this in Ireland, although in recent years a good attempt has been made to open up some longer distance way-marked paths such as the Wicklow Way. Although the immediate locale of Willand is relatively devoid of paths you do not have to run far to find them. My "holy grail" is to find barefoot friendly paths

The map is an OruxMaps screen-shot from my smart-phone. My track is marked in red. The GPS statistics were: total distance 15.46 miles, average speed 5.44 mph (5.84 moving), maximum altitude 293m, minimum 49m. This ranks as my longest recorded barefoot run.

I set out soon after 6 a.m. (the clocks had just changed it would have been 7 a.m.) on the same way as I had come back on my previous run. At Blackborough I took the uphill road pictured in my last post climbing up onto Blackborough Common.

This area is part of the Blackdown Hills as is evident from an old relief map from the Barthomolew 1/2" series. Willand is off the left edge of the map and about half way down. The Culm valley with its railway line (now closed and little trace left) is clearly visible. The M5 did not exist back then - its route roughly follows the railway line (main line to Exeter) at top left. You can click on this or any of the pictures to enlarge them.

Extract from Barthomolew 1:126,720 maps

Early morning in Kentisbeare

Kentisbeare

Having climbed the hill leaving Blackborough village behind

Blackborough Common

The road that might have taken me to Dulford

Inasmuch as I had a plan at all, it had been to follow this road to Dulford and thence home, but I turned left onto a footpath which followed the edge of the escarpment hoping to find what I thought on my map was a triangulation pillar and thus with a view, but it turned out to be only a spot height (marked "283" on the map). Since I was on holiday I figured I might as well see where this path would take me, and further along this path got my panoramic views even if they were a bit misty. The path was also exceedingly muddy but one of the advantages of running barefoot is that mud is no problem - it is even desirable. It is much easier to clean one's feet than shoes and mud between the toes feels so good.

View from North Hill

My revised plan was now to descend via a track through Northill Farm but I could see this was going to be stony under foot - and then I saw a sign pointing to the left over a grassy field. Even though this would take me further away from home I could not resist such a temptation so over the style I climbed and luxuriated running through the cool wet grass. And this took me to the small village of Broadhembury.

Footpath over a field to Broadhembury

Looking back where I had run from

The field-path ended here

Ford at Broadhembury

The ford was a welcome surprise (along with footpaths and cherry bakewells I love fords) - all the more surprising because there was a bridge too and yet the ford obviously gets used. I stopped to wash all the Blackborough mud off my legs and feet, and then took a brief detour beyond the ford to check out the village and its church.

Broadhembury

slight detour to photo Broadhembury church

And then the long, long slog back home. Part of my return route followed the A373 as by now I was tiring of exploring. Running along a main road is not so much fun.

River Culm at Willand

And so I made it back home and was duly surprised to find I had topped 15 miles - yes I was tired but I could have gone further. Although I am still unsure whether I could do a marathon barefoot though.

And then there is Dean Karnazes the ultramarathon runner who has run 350 miles in 80 hours without sleep! But he doesn't run barefoot so maybe that makes all the difference...

20151031

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.