Tormarton to Lansdown

Day 9 (continued)

Walk distance: 12.1miles

The weather forecast had said the rain would clear away overnight and the day would start fresh and dry.  It was wrong. We had been woken by a violent thunderstorm during the night  and at dawn the skies were heavy and it was raining steadily.

We had spent the night staying with friends in Bristol and it was 10.30am before we got back to Tormarton to start the walk. Waterproofs on we set off  crossing over the

M4 and then striking out across the fields. The ground had been softened by the overnight deluge and the walking was easier on the feet.  There were a number of fine views over distant pastures with the clouds scudding across the horizon. At one point tiers of strip lynchets were clearly visible on the hillside.  these were cultivation terraces created by medieval farmers to enable them to plough their strips on the steep side of the hill.

Strip Lynchets

The last of the day's showers soaked us just as we approached Dyrham Park, a National Trust property built in 1692 for William Blathwayt, Secretary of State to William III. 

Leaving the village and returning to the footpath we spotted a grey squirrel carrying its

baby in its mouth, or perhaps it was the baby from another's nest that it had raided.

The hedgerows were full of autumn fruits; sloes, blackberries and hazelnuts. 

 The path then commenced a steady climb through Dyrham Wood and the views opened up to the distant Welsh hills.

After six and a half miles of walking we arrived at the small village of Cold Ashton with its fine Elizabethan manor and impressive entrance gate, a stone horse mounting block

visible to the right. There were more fine views opposite this entrance looking down into the valley. This was to be our finish point on the original agenda, but with the disruption to the walk caused by the previous day's rain we pressed on for another 5.5 miles to the tiny village of Lansdown opposite Bath Racecourse.

This extension incorporated the first serious climb of the day, but the reward was a

distant view of Bristol in one direction, and in the other, a breath-taking view 30 miles back along the escarpment from where we had come.

Lansdown Hill was the site of one of the decisive battles of the English Civil War in 1643 and a series of panels tell the story. The landscape remains much as it was at the time of the battle.  The dry stone wall still stands, behind which 6,800 parliamentarians sought shelter from the musket fire of 6,300 advancing Royalists.

The battle was indecisive, the parliamentarians having withdrawn to Bath during the night to seek refreshments.  We crossed the golf course adjoining the racecourse to seek our own refreshments at the Blathwayt Arms whilst we waited for our Bristol friend to collect us.

96 miles down; 4.7 to go. There will be a celebration tomorrow!