Day 44 – Wells to Bridgwater
Actual distance 42.21km or 26.23miles (or the length of 196,325.6 Bridgwater bricks)
Total Ascent 294m (or the height of 98 maize plants)
Staying at Huish Woods, Blackdown District Scout Campsite
It is always a treat to stay at the place we end one day/ start the next. Not needing to drive means we are able to head off that little bit earlier. Phil quickly popped to Bike City before we started today to grab a part that had fallen off Ollie’s bike, then we headed off on our bikes on the National Cycle Route 3. The path was really easy riding – initially along designated pavement alongside the main road, then along a disused railway line before turning onto country lanes leading to Glastonbury.
There was a definite favourite road of the day. Just before Glastonbury there was a 3km completely straight and flat lane leading through Queen’s Sedge Moor. On either side was very small water filled trenches with swans swimming in them! We were able to make really quick progress with very little effort which was fantastic.
We circumnavigated Glastonbury (stopping at a local shop to find a toilet), then turned into Ham Wall Nature Reserve which is a peaceful and well set out RSPB centre. We stopped at their visitor centre for lunch and ice creams (and a stretch!) before heading back on the road.
The route took us through country lanes, then through a series of little villages before turning down yet another disused railway line, where we almost instantly found a playground so had to stop for a play. Whilst there James got a call to say he has got the job he was interview for which is excellent news!
We continued on, turning into a village called Bawdrip (that Phil misheard as ‘Baldrick’!), then on to a path alongside King’s Sedgemoor Drain which is a tributary of the River Parrett. With only 5km left we headed off along roads again, and were surprised when the route took us off the road and down a farm drive, then over a tiny very, very overgrown footbridge.
Jennie braved the bridge first and got rather tangled in rose thorns, brambles and nettles, but cleared the way enough for the rest of the bikes to get through. We then cycled across a field with lots of dried mud to a tiny gap in another bramble and nettle filled hedge with a plank of wood denoting the pathway over a ditch. Again we squeezed through, all getting stung or scratched on the way, and found ourselves in a field of corn. There was no clear footpath around the side of the field (as shown on the map), and we found it easier and far less damaging to the maize to walk between 2 lines of crop rather than to try an walk along the edge of the field. At the end of the field was another tiny bridge, then a short grassy path, followed by a footbridge over the M5. The motorway bridge was another challenge and was missing a platform at the bottom to allow you to reach the bottom step from the path! Having carried the bikes up and over the motorway, we finally found a ‘normal’ path again! It was certainly a challenging half a kilometre (bridge to bridge), that had taken nearly an hour to negotiate!
Our last few kilometres were incredibly easy in comparison, and we were able to complete our journey for the day really quickly. We stopped at the Boat and Anchor Pub on the canal for a well earned drink and to meet up with our support team, before heading in the car back to Wells to collect our other vehicles. Once back at the 5th/ 7th Wells HQ the kids went in to use to the toilet before we jumped back in the car to drive to Huish Woods, our home for the next 2 nights. We locked up to leave, only to find Ollie was still in the toilet. We locked up again, and headed to the car, then got a call from Bethan to say she was locked in the building and couldn’t get out either!!
We arrived at Huish Woods early evening, chatted to the lovely team here and had a quick wander around the site (with Ollie trying the bouldering wall and assault course of course!), before sitting down to eat a lovely curry for tea made by Elaine (thank you!) in the Govett Hall – a brilliant facility with a kitchen, bunk rooms and a large hall. The kids were very excited to see a large TV on the wall in the hall and watched an episode of Ghosts before settling down for the night.