The Coast Path - Muddy Boots and Sticks

The next day we are up early, armed with sturdy boots and suitable clothing and a small packed lunch, we drive to the Porlock Toll road. There we pay a modest fee for parking, pop the cash through the letterbox in the door of the Old Toll House and from a roll on the wall tear off a small green ticket, very reminiscent of a 1960's bus ticket! The back of the ticket reads "All communications to the Countess of Lytton, Lillycombe, Porlock, Somerset"

So, having parked the car we set off in good spirits. The path meanders close to the coast, always climbing, often diverted because of frequent land slips. To our right, the Bristol channel, with very clear views of Wales and to our left, towering Exmoor.

At one point, due to recent logging, the path became extremely muddy and churned up, making our progress very difficult. But with lots of laughter, lots of struggling and staggering about with the help of sturdy sticks plucked from the bordering woods, we emerge triumphant and very muddy!

We continue on, stopping to inspect cracked and fallen trees, brought down by winds, bright green mosses covering boulders and piles of nibbled sweet chestnut.

Another steep hill! Could this this be the valley of the Church? We walk on with great anticipation until finally, we catch our first glimpse of the remote Church of St Buenos in the valley of Culbone below us

published by Julie