Foray in the flurry - Misterton to Winyard's Gap - 1st March

I was even more excited about the prospect of today's walk than I had been about Sunday's. Thing was I was visualising Sunday's blue skies with lots of white snow and that's not what actually happened. It was a day of no contrast visually and the deluge of snow happened post my return to the cosiness of our living room.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy every minute of being wrapped up with my thermals and a flask of soup and a flask of tea in my rucksack. I was alone with the birds. The whole world had hibernated for the day except me it seemed - and I loved it. I loved hearing the crunch of ice beneath my feet, feeling ever so slightly cold, hearing the birds sing and seeing a world of increasing whiteness. With more senses than usual being called into play I felt more alive than usual - and that's got to be a good thing!

Jane and I had reluctantly called off our walk at Charminster today, so it was back to the drawing board in terms of finding another walk to do much closer to home. I decided to park at Misterton and grab some bordering gridsquares on an estimated 10 mile walk, aiming to get back to the car before I got snowed in.

The gridsquares in question all had a huge chunk of Somerset and a diddy iddy bit of Dorset in them and naturally I was not content to photograph the Somerset portion of any square so had to limbo dance underneath the invisible limbo line (or whatever they call it) - if you see what I mean. On my annotated map the border is thick and black and obvious, so that when I'm actually walking I expect it to be blindingly obvious too - and it's not!

Anyway, I had about a mile to walk before I entered Dorset. The only other person out on the street was a doddery old man with an empty wheelbarrow. He'd been shovelling salt onto the pavements and one day I'll thank him publicly for making my walk easier for at least 100 yards.on that part of Radio 4's 'Saturday Live' show that invites any old Tom, Dick or Harry to record a speech of gratitude to some anonymous Good Samaritan of decades ago.

I passed the deserted allotments, weaved my way to the A3066, crossed the road and soon entered Dorset. We had walked this way before - on Boxing Day last year actually when we'd been geocaching with Lorna and James.  I hadn't realised that I needed to photograph these gridsquares; just as well as it was pouring with rain at the time and I wouldn't have got any decent photos, if any at all.

The bridleway to Pipplepen Farm forms the border at this part and is the only public right of way within gridsquare ST4607 so I watched a Robin hop about, and tried to will it onto an abandoned tractor tyre. Needless to say it refused to co-operate.

Track that forms the border, near Pipplepen Farm - ST4607

By the time I'd reached the bridge across the River Parrett I was back (just) in Somerset.

River Parrett and just in the Somerset border - ST4607

 Pipplepen Farm is one of Somerset's most southerly farms, by which I mean one of the farms that lie closest to the Dorset border rather than it being one of the most southerly in latitude. I joined the minor road here and headed south, keeping a close eye on the map to know when I'd crossed the border and could photograph this new gridsquare.

Road south from Pipplepen Farm - ST4707

I was now on the River Parrett Trail. Just before reaching South Perrott, my footpath headed left (eastwards) towards Chedington and I wondered what the fields would be like. It was hard walking as the ground had frozen exactly in the expression it had assumed before the big freeze - ie all churned up. It was all too easy to imagine what it would have been like walking these paths a eek or so ago as some of the muddiest walks I have ever undertaken have been done this winter. Despite the difficulty, I was already relishing the fact that the ground was so frozen my boots were not sinking in mud at every footstep. Consequently I was walking much quicker - or so I thought. I've just checked on Strava and my pace wasn't a great deal quicker than usual, perhaps by a minute or so per mile.

As I approached Wood Dairy Farm I had déjà vu of nearly three years ago when I'd walked some of the Parrett Trail in May and had been held up by a herd of cows on the Somerset side of this footpath. They were making their slow way from Wood dairy Farm across a track to Pipplepen Farm.

Milking time at Wood Dairy Farm, May 2015 - ST4807

What a contrast to the scene before me today.

Nearly the same spot (but the Dorset side), March 2018 - ST4807

I followed an uncertain footpath and went through a pallet 'gate' onto Wood Lane and just kept heading eastwards. I had to keep my wits about me as I ducked and dived between the borders. I had to make certain I photographed the right side of the border; after all, this was a very serious business.
I was only on the Dorset side of the border in gridsquare ST4907 for 700 feet (I just measured it) which explains my next photographs.

Chedington Woods - ST4908

Frozen pond near Romsey Farm - ST4908

It was frustrating having to gratuitously walk northwards in order to go south, but such is the price us dedicated walkers have to pay in order to . . . to what exactly, well, satisfy  this obsession!

The path northwards to Romsey Farm was neither easy nor obvious and I dillied and dallied around a new build at Romsey Farm looking for the footpath. Not wanting to trespass into their garden I decided to walk along the obvious track - not the footpath, but running parallel to the footpath in the hope that I wouldn't have to retrace my steps. For once it paid off, I managed to get into the field I needed without having to climb over a barbed wire fence, scramble through bramble or jump over a ditch.

Even better, I worked out that I was in a field with two footpaths, on at either border of the field and I could cut across said field without damaging anything and thereby cut out at least a third of a mile (just measured it again). This was very satisfying. I'm sure this would be a nice path in summer though as it is a big open space with enough undulations and spaced trees to make it interesting.

I entered Ashland Coppice and decided to make use of a stool-shaped stump to sit and have a tea break. This is not so much a coppice as a conifer plantation and there was a damaged warning sign about tree felling now being in operation - something I doubted very much. As I sat with my cup of tea a Wren and Robin busied themselves desperately foraging for food in the frozen ground. I tried to entice the Wren over as she fluffed herself up around the base of a tree only about 18 inches away from me. I couldn't get my camera quick enough, but I left them both some chicken flavoured crisp crumbs.

Ashland Coppice, Somerset side - ST4908

Ashland Coppice, Dorset side - ST4908

After saying farewell to my feathered friends and musing on how easy it might be to stay warm if you're a wren as I could see a nice hole in the ground beneath some tree roots which would provide a cosy home for the tiny bird I'd just seen, but she might need a blanket. I like to think I contributed to this end as it wasn't long before I realised I'd lost the crocodile mitten that I wear on my left hand. I hope Jenny Wren has found it - it's warm and fleece-lined so would make a nice home for her.

The tree felling operation might not be currently in operation but it evidently was not long ago as there were huge pine trees blocking the footpath. They were not easy to traverse as they were full of sharp branchlets.

Tree felling in Ashland Coppice - ST4908

 Relieved to reach the edge of the woodland at last I looked for the continuing path on the other side, only to find an overgrown thicket of bramble and blackthorn with a frozen puddle of unknown depth barring my way into the thicket. It was impassable. Hmmmm. What to do? I wandered down the track and found a clearing which was thankfully heading in the right direction and which took me to the Monarch's Way. This was where I was going to do a gratuitous bit of walking in order to reach ST5008. When I got there I had my second episode of déjà vu for the day. This was surely the same gate I'd wandered up to  in order to photograph this same gridsquare from a different path - one from Halstock.

The Dorset border and edge of Ashland Coppice, Sep 2017 - ST5008

The same gate from the Monarch's Way (Somerset is to the left of this picture) - ST5008

I retraced my steps southwards and followed the Monarch's Way towards Wyke Farm.

Monarch's Way near Wyke Farm - ST5007

Wyke Farm - ST5007

A tractor crossed the path at Wyke Farm and its occupant seemed to be waiting for my appearance. Perhaps he was surprised to see someone walking in this weather. He was the first person I'd seen all day so far. He got out of the tractor when I appeared and asked me if I was looking for the Monarch's Way path. "I'm not doing it all today," I said chuckling as I walked off in the direction in which he pointed.

Keen now to reach Winyard's Gap pub where I'd decided I would sit for my lunch, I almost rushed off without photographing ST5006. Phew! That was a close shave.

Gate to Crook Hill - ST5006

Crook Hill loomed ominously in front of me and for a horrible moment I thought I had to scale this monster.

Crook Hill - ST4906

At 191 metres it was more than I wanted to tackle heightwise today! I reached the minor road to Winyard's Gap from Halstock as the flurries started. I recalled having driven along this road on a couple of occasions and being quite scared then as it is a very narrow and winding road. I felt no less scared today as I trod gingerly along the icy tarmac hoping that no traffic would come round any one of the many bends that lie between me and the cosy confines of Winyard's Gap pub.

Monarch's Way to Winyard Gap - ST4906

 It felt like an age before I finally saw my destination.

Winyard's Gap - ST4906

Knowing that if I withdrew into the aforementioned cosy confines, I would not want to venture back out again, I opted to sit at one of the picnic benches outside. I know from many times of passing these picnic benches that the view from them on a good day is truly splendid. Today it was truly nothing. The world seemed to descend upon that pub within the ten minutes or so that I sat there sipping my lukewarm sweet potato, lime and ginger soup. (Why hadn't I borne the weight of my bigger more reliable,. stay hot flask instead of opting for the inferior lighter one!) Despite there not being much of a view, I sat with my back to the pub so I wouldn't have to endure the smug expressions of those who were entering that cosy atmosphere.

Picnic over, I leapt up with renewed enthusiasm into the blizzard, again recalling the sunnier occasion when I'd last walked this way. I still was none the wiser about the steps which lead up to the Wessex Division War Memorial.

Path to Wessex Division War Memorial - ST4906

Sign for Chedington - ST4906

A van was parked on the road just beyond the Chedington sign where I was to turn off at the start of the Parrett Trail. A delivery van, no doubt lost. He was talking loudly on his mobile phone as I struggled to open the gate into the field. The bolt fell off and I quickly put it back in place feeling very embarrassed and hoping he hadn't seen. Well, he could have come and helped me.

River Parrett Trail at Chedington (RPT) - ST4905

I was now heading westwards again and was unsure how many of these gridsquares I had already photographed. When I'd done this section of the RPT I wasn't seriously bagging gridsquares so may not have bothered to photograph each one. I'd better photograph them all just in case.

RPT at Chedington - ST4805

Same gridsquare, RPT near Chedington, May 2015 - ST4805

RPT at Chedington - ST4806

The trail is quite straight forward to South Perrott, if a little monotonous and today eerily empty of life.  Once at South Perrott, I recalled once again my trip in May 2015 when the vegetation was so verdant.

Gate at South Perrott - ST4706

Same gate, May 2015 - ST4706

Bridge across the River Parrett - ST4706

Same bridge, May 2015 - ST4706

It's quite hairy on the approach to the village because the path runs parallel to the river but above the river on a steep bank, which, when frozen as it was today, was quite slippy and almost, dare I say it, treacherous.

River Parrett  at South Perrott - ST4706

By the time I reached South Perrott the snow was coming down quite fast and I was loving it. It's so rare that we see snow like this. Normally by the time you've realised it's snowing, it's stopped! Today I was relishing every moment of whiteness.

South Perrott - ST4706

I resisted the temptation to sit in the church with a cup of tea even though I had a lot left in my flask, but I did go in to settle our IOU for the book we'd picked up the last time we were in.

Then it was back onto the road and the bad bend out of South Perrott onto Lecher Lane (a horrible name) which connects South Perrott with Mosterton and Misterton.

Lecher Lane - ST4706

Lecher Lane - ST4606

This road seemed to go on even longer than the Winyard's Gap one and that's because it is longer. (0.8 of a mile to be precise, and it felt a lot longer than that!) I only saw one vehicle on it, surprisingly a normal car, perhaps a farmer from Tumberlands. I couldn't imagine anyone else deliberately choosing to take this route on a day like today.

Eventually I reached the end of the road and there was a lot more traffic on the A3066, all moving cautiously.

Turn off to Lecher Lane from A3066, Bluntsmoor - ST4506

I had one more square to photograph before re-entering Somerset for the final time today. That was after my turn off onto the footpath to Knowle Lane. This field was covered in stubbly maize stubble and I crunched my way laboriously through it.

Stubble field near Bluntsmoor Bridge - ST4507

At the border the path was obscured by bramble and I guessed no-one had crossed the broken stile for many years, despite the sign for a permissive path from Knowle Lane when I reached it.

Permissive path sign to Bluntsmoor - ST4507

The snow was now coming down thick and fast and the roads looked delightful, treacherous and empty.

Road to Seaborough - ST4507

I crossed Knowle Lane and found my final footpath to Misterton.

Approaching Misterton in snow - ST4507

Although I was loving my walk and not feeling cold at all, I knew that the longer I left it, the more treacherous the roads would become, so I didn't want to linger any longer than necessary. Except perhaps to take a few photographs in the churchyard..

Misterton churchyard - ST4508 

Grave in Misterton Churchyard - ST4508

As I re-entered civilisation, a muted Narnian world of soft footfall and slow, reverential traffic there was one more photograph I wanted to take and it looked so attractive and fitting  in this  timeless world I'd entered through the wardrobe door. Tomorrow the world would be back to normal, but for today I'd enjoyed a solitary walk in Narnia and it had felt like Paradise.

Sign for Bridport, Misterton- ST4508

Number of new gridsquares: 10
Number of miles walked: 10.3