Around Taunton there are no shortage of places to walk and enjoy stunning views. My favourite location is the Quantock Hills and when here previously we rarely ventured onto the Blackdown Hills. Before our recent trip to Yorkshire we did some walking from Corfe and Staple Fitzpaine and vowed to explore the area further on our return.
After yesterday’s blowy walk on the Quantocks Lynnie has declined the offer to accompany me. I park in Corfe in the parking area alongside the church and walk beside the B3170 through the village passing the White Hart Inn. This is a pub that I have driven past a number of times but never visited. It gets good reviews so we must pop in before too long.
After a few hundred yards we take the lane on the left and as it leaves the village it starts to climb steeply. This is a quiet lane that boasts stunning views back over the Vale of Taunton Deane with the racecourse below us.
At the top of Adcombe Hill we turn right into Adcombe Wood and Woodram Copse. This area is owned by the Woodland Trust and is a site of special scientific interest. There is a distinct autumnal feel as we follow the gradually descending broad path. This is a lovely bit of countryside.
Our route is clear and easy going until the final section, which descends through a rocky path, made slippery in the wet conditions. I make a mental note not to bring Lynnie this way, following her fall in May, whilst walking on the North York Moors, she has been wary of slippery downhill paths.
The path opens out into a broad track that leads down to a tarmac lane (Woodram Lane), which we follow past a couple of farms and then reach a junction. We turn right and head back towards Corfe, passing a field with some very old, gnarled oak trees.
The lane leads us to the White Hart Inn and the B3170, we turn left to the car. We have covered around five miles and had a cracking time.
22nd October 2014
[To follow our walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer Map 128 – Taunton and Blackdown Hills]
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2014)