Two satisfying Willand runs

Running barefoot through grassy meadows is hard to beat, and my first run this session satisfied. Through my favourite Culm river water meadows from Culmstock to Uffculme, just under 12 miles including getting there and back.

Culm water meadows

My second entailed running barefoot through grassy meadows in summer rain and getting soaked, an experience which is even harder to beat. The grassy bit started and finished in Uplowman (at bottom left in my map), going north past "Wood" to "Murley Farm" then south-east over the hill "Gulmoor" to Whitnage then heading west. Virtually all of this was through grassy meadows with not a soul about. Just under 13 miles including getting there and back.

Uplowman paths

At Whitnage I had intended to strike the road but could not find the right-of-way, so ended up returning west to Uplowman. From Lowman Cross (top left in next map) I headed home-ward south and over the major road A361 then took the footpath east to Sampford Peverell only to find it had been re-routed due to an "incident" over Connigar Hill where it joined the marked footpath above "Boobery" on the map. I desperately wanted to know what the "incident" entailed... From Stampford I took my usual route via Tiverton Parkway railway station back home.

Connigar Hill

Here are some photos

Inquisitive cows in Culm meadows

Near Murley Farm

View from summit near Gulmoor

Where the path was re-routed

From Connigar Hill

Stampford Peverell

Woodbine Farm

10.9 miles, 5mph, 214m gain

I'm back in Devon along my favourite Culm valley water meadows!  This time via a new footpath segment from Hunkin Wood (marked Five Fords on the map) to Woodbine Farm. A path not well worn and turning into what was essentially a muddy stream: good at least that I was bare-foot, but probably not to be repeated in a hurry.

Bluebells on the way to Woodbine Farm

Little sign of the path as it crossed meadows

The path-cum-stream, foot-deep mud in places

Culmstock bridge, my furthest point

River Culm

My water meadows: the flora

and the fauna

Cool farm work

Me

 

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.

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.

Black Down Common

View to the north

Note the ice!

The monument in the distance - here I turned back

Descent into sunset

Culm Davy church

Back along the river Culm and through Hunkin Wood

Approaching Uffculme

Uffculme square

Sunset at Bristol airport