Cornwall

We plan to spend the next week or so touring around Cornwall, in the far south west of England, and hopefully have a Cornish Pasty or three.  The "national dish" of Cornwall, you may be surprised to know that the "Cornish Pasty" was awarded Protected Geographical Indication status by the European Commission on 20 July 2011.  Obviously the EU has nothing else important to worry about at the moment!

Thursday 10 November

Well the weather forecast was wrong and it's a glorious day but we're still on the move further south to St Ives in Cornwall which used to be famous for pilchard fishing but is now best known for it's artists and tourism. It should take us around 4 hours or so to get there.

Taking the A39 coastal road - the so-called Atlantic Highway - which is more picturesque but quite hairy in places with narrow lanes, steep decents, hedges on both sides and large trucks coming the other way.  The worst time was coming down Countisbury Road - which is a huge 20% gradient for more then a mile down, and then finishes off with a gravity defying 25% gradient for the last stretch, including a sharp corner. Whew.

Luckily all the other signs indicating deer, sheep and cattle in the next X miles were incorrect although it would have been great to see a deer. Neither did we spot the illusive Exmoor ponies which are said to run wild. What we did see at one point on a high ridge were dozens of pheasants pecking about in a paddock just like chickens.

The views were indeed picturesque and we were glad to have fine weather for this drive to enjoy the lush forests, rushing streams and the occasional glimps of the ocean. This time we could see the Brecon Becons and Wales in the distance. Magical.

Close to our destination we detoured to take a quick look at Newquay, another coastal town very popular with surfers and we could certainly see why. The sizeable waves rival any at our Aussie beaches and the modern apartments with fantastic water views make it look very Gold Coast. It really is beautiful and very inviting.

However so is St Ives and when we arrive at our camp site, the Ayr Holiday Park located on a hilltop we marvel at this magnificent view. The town below looks a combination of old and new. On the elevated point there is a small building and further out is the lighthouse. The moon is full tonight and it's a magnificent sight as it rises over scene below.

This is not a Caravan Club site but the facilities are 5 star, fully heated including the floor as well as plenty of hot water. We may have to stay here a few days.

In the news, the new Greek PM to lead the emergency government before elections can be held next year is Lucas Papademos.

Friday 11 November

Remembrance Day today and we observed the 2 minutes silence at 11am while watching on TV the ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. After learning so much of the history of both world wars on our travels, this Remembrance Day has special meaning for us.

The winds and rain came up overnight and stuck around until midday when we decided to venture down town. Temperature is around 12 degrees which isn't too bad.

Previously, most of the town closed after October but thankfully now stays open all year round so there is much activity with restaurants and cafes open and most shops. Every square inch of the place is taken up with stone cottages for galleries, B&Bs or some eating establishment and it's a real labyrinth.

There are 3 “real” beaches with sand like we know in Australia and the surf looks pretty good though no-one is partaking.

The harbour is full of small fishing boats and occasionally we spy a seal bobbing it's head out of the water. This is a lovely little town and must go totally off in summer.

The houses and shops are all painted either white or beige with dark slate roofs now a mustard colour due to the growing moss. From a short distance away this uniformity looks quite lovely.

We have fallen in love with the “cream teas” they serve in the UK but especially in this part of the country where you get clotted cream which is as delectably evil and delicious as it sounds. Two large scones with jam and cream plus tea is all we needed for the rest of the day. Funny enough, most places selling cream teas also offer to post them to where ever you like. Imagine receiving a couple of scones, a pot of jam and clotted cream through the mail?!

Walking to the elevated point we could see from our camp site, we discover a coast guard watch tower and a small chapel honouring the seamen who never returned. We finish off the walk lining the coast and see a few more seals swimming about before we stroll along the stretch of beach nearest our camp site. The water is very clear and the breaking waves have a green tinge to them.

The walk back to camp is quite steep and we reward ourselves with a drink and the glorious view below. The weather was very kind to us today and should be even better tomorrow.

Saturday 12 November

Happy birthday to Bill's brother John and congratulations to the Gold Coast for winning the right to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

A magnificent, sunny day so we decide to just chill for the day and take a break from being tourists having to visit everything in sight.

We take the more “adventurous” coastal walk down town and end up traipsing in mud and almost falling over slippery rocks on the path. We won't be coming back up this way!! It is lovely though when we reach a rocky outcrop very close to the first beach (Porthmeor) and see several surfers catching decent sized waves. A guy with a large kite is having no luck today as there is no wind.

The crowds are up today and it's no wonder with this fabulous weather. Bill is surprised at how far the tide goes out here and most of the boats near the pier are sitting on the sand.

We stroll around to Porthminster Beach which we didn't get to yesterday. This is a more protected beach and perfect for families. Surprisingly we see two ladies (obviously locals or from Norway!!) in bikinis having a swim. It makes us cold just looking at them.

This is a lovely spot and we decide to settle in at a restaurant (Porthminster Cafe) overlooking the beach for a long lunch. They don't seem to do seafood platters here but we do select some lovely seafood dishes – scallops, salt and pepper squid and fish.

What a fabulous, relaxing way to spend the day in such a beautiful place. And our entertainment was not only a regatta for juniors but the two couples sitting either side of us.

By the time we start to head back to camp the weather has turned, it's overcast and the wind is coming up. The tide is in at the pier and all the boats are bobbing.

The weather prediction had always been for strong winds tonight and they aren't wrong at around 50kph.

Sunday 13 November

In the UK they mark 2 minutes silence today as well for Remembrance Sunday and the Queen lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in London. We wondered why everyone was still wearing poppies yesterday. In fact everyone has been wearing poppies for about a month now which seems odd to us.

The strong winds kept up all night and continue this morning. The guy with the kite yesterday would end up in Ireland if he tried to fly it today.

This morning was the first time we heard church bells in the distance, at a very civilised 8am which reminds us of home as the same thing happens each Sunday morning with the New Farm catholic church.

We spend the morning slopping around and planning where we'll head next as our adventure draws to an end at the end of the month.

With no sign of the winds dying down we rug up and head downtown to sample a Cornish pasty in Cornwall. It's a bit difficult to walk the street lining the beach today as we're being blown about by wind and sand but we do find a slightly sheltered spot to watch the seagulls and other small birds using the wind's stream to float over the ocean.

We couldn't see any seals out today but a handful of surfers brave the cold to try and catch a good wave.

Instead of the wind dying down for tonight it seems to have picked up which is quite scary and not good for sleeping. But we've really enjoyed St Ives and would definitely return for a longer stay, but in a holiday cottage next time, not a motor home and in summer, not autumn.

Monday 14 November

Happy birthday to Sylvi's godfather from Noumea.

The wind kept up all night but slightly less strong then the night before. We pack up and head for the most southern point in the UK. No, it's not Land's End which has apparently been turned into a tacky tourist attraction (like John O Groats in the north) but Lizard Point which is much less developed.

We stop quickly in Penzance to do a Tesco shop and see a helicopter take off from the grounds right beside. This is the British International Helicopters which services the nearby Isle of Scilly and we hear later in the news it may soon be moved to a different location much to the locals' dismay.  As an aside, this is the Penzance as in the musical The Pirates of Penzance!

Recently we discovered there is a St Michael's Mount in this southerly location, almost directly opposite from Mont St Michel in Normandy France on the other side of the English Channel, which we visited nearly 3 months ago. We were worried that it would be closed this time of year but luckily it opens Tuesdays and Fridays and is free to National Trust members (that's us).  

Just like Mont St Michel, a vision of archangel Michael lead to the building of a church on this site in the 5^th century and later a Celtic monastery. In the 11^th century after the construction of a castle, Edward the Confessor handed everything over to the Benedictine monks of Mont St Michel. After the Civil War it became the residence of the St Aubyn family whose decendents still live here. Amazing.

It is possible to walk to the castle when the tide is out but if it's not there are boats to take you across which is what we'll have to do tomorrow. Today we pull up in the carpark to admire it from afar and also watch some windsurfers battling the wind and rough waves. There seems to be either a lot of seaspray in the air or fog which gives the castle an eerie, mystical appearance.

Next stop is Lizard Point, the most southerly point of England, also administered by the National Trust but we have to park our rig in town as it won't fit down the road to their carpark. The walk to the point is only a mile from the Village of Lizard.

We are thankful to have rugged up because once you're on the coastal path it is very windy. Anyone trying to jump off the cliff would be pushed back by the force of the wind, it's that strong.  And then we are there - looking out to the rocky outcrop that is Lizard Point.

There used to be a lifeboat station here and the building remains along with most of the launch ramp. The plaque near the lifeboat station building tells of 400-odd shipwrecks in this area over the years.

There are photos on the plague of when the Lifeboat station was active, and one reproduced below, showed a lifeboat being launched - which would have been very hairy indeed.

Sylvi sees one seal disappear under the waves and apparently it's not uncommon to see baby seals sunning themselves on the beach below while their parents hunt for food, but we didn't see any. 

Bill takes a photo of the most southerly house and Sylvi wonders how often they'd open their windows. Certainly not necessary today.

After lunch we take a short walk to Church Cove where the most southerly house with a thatched roof stands! Also there are some lovely stone cottages and a very steep, long cement ramp where amazingly boats can be launched. It's hard to believe that would occur in this location as today the waves pound from all sides. But it is a very magestic spot and on a brighter day we could easily have stayed longer just taking in the beauty of the ocean and surrounding grassy cliffs.

Back on the road we head for our camp site, Carnon Downs Caravan Park at Truro, which has the most fabulous facilities and great protection from the ongoing wind.

Apparently “Super Mario” (Mario Monti) is now in charge of Italy. On the local news, an “Occupy xxx” group have now set up outside the Exeter Cathedral protesting against corporate greed and wealth inequality. We wonder if we tried to set up camp in a carpark somewhere whether the police would let us or move us on quick smart.

Archealogical digs in Truro have revealed the trenches dug for camp sites for American troops waiting to take part in the D-Day Landings in Normandy.

Tuesday 15 November

The wind continues although not as strong but still as annoying at night. Our plan this morning was to leave Truro by 9am and be back at the terminal at Marazion in time to catch the 10:15am ferry across to St Michael's Mount for our 11am visit of the castle.

All was going well until long lines of traffic started forming, then we heard on the radio that an accident had occurred ahead of us so delays were expected. By the time we got past the “accident” (which wasn't an accident at all but a guy broken down, and why couldn't the tow truck just take him off the single lane road and let the morning traffic past?!) we had wasted 20 minutes.

Anyway, the universe was on our side once again and we made it with minutes to spare. The ferry wasn't a ferry at all but an amphibious vehicle as the distance isn't that great or deep. There was nothing to pay to park or for the trip over and as we're National Trust members we don't pay to visit the castle. Bonus. If you are contemplating a trip like this, it really is hugh value for money to join the National Trust, as they manage so many properties in the UK.

The morning group of about 30 people were split between two guides and the first took us up the steep slope with very slippery rocks of all sizes to visit the first well which used to supply the castle's water, the pet cemetery and the lower battlements with canons. During many early wars, the castle was seized by different parties and sold many times. The guide also explained that forest used to surround the Mount from as far back as 1700BC and the ocean was 10km out.

Our tour took over an hour and we visited 1/3 of the castle which is still decorated in 19^th century style. The other 2/3 are occupied by the St Aubyn family and staff.

Queen Victoria and her husband Albert dropped by unexpected in 1846 to find no-one home other then the housekeeper who served them tea in the Blue Room which we saw. This room also held a photo of Prince Charles and Camilla who visited (announced) in July 2010. A cement cast of their footprints is located near the shop on the lower level as are those of Queen Victoria.

The best room, Chevy Chase, which refers to the friezes depicting a battle which adorn the walls, was unfortunately under renovation.  This was once the refectory for the monks and is now a large dining room with beautiful double sided table (plain on one side and shiny on the other), coats of arms on the walls, 15^th century stained glass windows and large fireplace. The extent of the renovations will include removing and repairing the vaulted ceiling which is unstable.

On the rooftop before entering the Chapel you get a great view of the surrounding ocean as well as the gardens below. By now we can see the exposed causeway on which we'll be returning by foot as the tide is now out.

The Chapel itself is quite small and made of large stone blocks. It is open to one and all each Sunday for service. In the 19^th century, the body of a monk was found in a small room leading from the Chapel. This door is now left ajar and reveals the roped off spooky stone steps which lead to his discovery.

Many artefacts found during excavations or by the gardeners are on display as well as pill boxes and other trinkets found in a forgotten box.  The other interesting items on display were the chairs that Lord and Lady St Levan of the day sat in at the coronation of various monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II, King George V and VI.  Apparently, if you get invited to a Coronation, and are a Lord, you get to keep the named chairs as keepsakes!

The walk back down the steep slope with slippery rocks was no joy but we made it in one piece. We thought the causeway might also be slippery with algae but it wasn't.

A quick look around the town of Marazion revealed the usual charming stone buildings and we found a spot to sit for some lunch and look at the great view of the Mount.  We are so pleased that we could visit this place after having experienced the French version several months ago. They are both spectacular constructions, and very different - but both highly recommended places to visit.

The rest of our photos from Cornwall are here.

Somerset

This week we are travelling around the County of Somerset, starting with Bristol, and then heading to Bath, Cheddar Gorge (with a small 100 mile diversion to Avebury), and then west to Minehead near Exmoor national park, so we are looking forward to a little bit of city time, but then some nice walks outdoors.  And it's Guy Fawkes Night on Saturday night so hopefully some fireworks too!

Thursday 03 November

Although we tried to aim our arrival at our next site, Baltic Wharf CaravanClub Site at Bristol, for 12pm we are still 15 minutes early so have to hover outside before being allowed entry. This hopefully won't result in a parking fine as with CCTV everywhere in the UK, they are very good at posting out fines if you do the wrong thing.

This caravan site is totally full over the week-end and we were lucky to find a spot here for one night, so we quickly head off into the city after setting up. There is some rain hanging around but only intermittent.

We are quite close to the city and beside a waterway which reminds us of the River Walk along the Brisbane River. Many colourful apartments line the opposite riverbank.

The Bristol Cathedral was described as “fun” in our guide book, and it certainly has that element but definitely has a great feel to it. It would be easy to spend half the day wandering around or sitting in the different chapels admiring the ornate decorations. The oldest chapel, Elder Lady Chapel, has carvings of animals including monkeys playing bagpipes and rams on violins (where the fun aspect comes in). In two corners, the original material of the building (13^th century) has been left visible.

At the very front of the building is the Eastern Lady Chapel (14^th century) containing many colourful tombs, something we've not seen before in a church but totally love.

The Chapter House, leading off the cloister, dates from the Normans and was where the monks conducted meetings and other business. This room totally blows Sylvi's mind with the richly carved lattice and other intricate work on the ceiling and walls, so well preserved.

There is an interactive side to the Gothic choir stalls here, again something we've not seen before, and certainly have never been invited to discover before. If you lift up each seat in the choir stall, you discover an intricate pattern underneath and small ledge used to rest upon during long services where standing is required. These are called misericords.

All the way around the top of the cathedral can be seen small walkways, used to service lights or maybe spy on the congregation. And a favourite spooky aspect for Sylvi, the steps used by the monks in the 12^th century to access the upper levels are still visible, though terribly worn (and roped off).

Across the way from the cathedral is the Council House and parked out the front on the College Green are protesters in tents, similar to those still protesting outside St Paul's Cathedral in London.  We are seeing "Occupy [insert town name here]" protesters everywhere, but this is a small group.

A steep climb to Brandon Hill reveals a beautiful park with lush trees and right at the summit is our goal of Cabot Tower (1897). This reminds Bill of the William Wallace monument in Sterling. And like that one, it was built to honour a national hero – John Cabot who discovered North America. 

We drove the Cabot Trail when we were in Nova Scotia last year. It certainly is quite an ornate tower and at 105 feet, the climb to the top was a good workout. And the 360 degree view of the city below was well worth it.

The park is full of cheeky and fearless squirrels and pigeons who come right up to you for food.

Another thing the guide book suggested was the Georgian House, a restored former home of a local sugar merchant, but it is now closed until Easter 2012. It didn't look very impressive from the outside and there were much nicer examples of the Georgian style across the street.  We then headed into the main shopping area and through the student precinct.  You can probably tell which is which in the photos that follow.

We also found a Currys department store selling the latest Kindle which Bill has had his eye on for awhile. The sales person gave us a good run down on the product and we went away to think about it.

On the way home we walked through the Old City and admired the many beautiful old buildings. By the time we arrived back at camp it was on dusk and lovely to see the buildings lining the river with their lights on.

We were lucky to have a pub located right next door which has been rare during our travels, so we took advantage and had a nice dinner out to finish off a really enjoyable day. We didn't know what to expect of Bristol, but totally loved it.


More Bristol photos here.

Friday 04 November

Can you believe there was another church with it's bells going all night?! Luckily it was way in the distance as Bill only heard it at 3am and Sylvi at 5am, and it was only on the hour. And of course being located right beside a pub, the garbage collection also told us to get up, but at a very reasonable hour.

After lengthy consideration, we raced back into the city to buy at least one Kindle so we can be sure all is well with that particular product before buying a second one. We are both avid readers so it is a worthwhile investment.

As we hurry to be back for the 12pm departure time we receive a phone call at 11:30am from the caravan park warden making sure we weren't trying to sneak an extra day in at their site.

We drive out the gates with 6 minutes to spare and head towards Bath, only about 30 minutes away. Our camp site, Newton Mill Holiday Park, is large and leafy and alongside a waterway so there are plenty of ducks wandering about. We learnt our lesson in Deinze, Belgium, so won't be feeding them too close to our site as their thank you parcels aren't welcome.

The day has turned very grey and rainy so we decide to stay in. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice weather as there is a big fireworks display for Guy Fawkes.

In local events, there was a 35 car pile-up on the M5 in Sommerset, very close to where we are. At least 7 people have died and 50 odd injured. The entire motorway was blocked for hours as emergency services attended. 

Saturday 05 November

Tonight is Guy Fawkes night and Bath is holding a huge fireworks display so we've decided to stay in town rather then try to catch a taxi home afterwards.

Firstly though we have to find the bus stop to get us into town as the directions given weren't clear. After running into an older couple who had followed us up a steep hill also looking for it, we finally found it in the totally other direction.

The mall area of Bath was teaming with people. Once again the city has a combination of old and new and our first stop was the Abbey. 

After seeing so many beautiful churches, we were quite disappointed that this one seemed less so. It was certainly well decorated but had a very commercial feel with an attendant in the nave touting for the 2 pound 50 “donation” upon entry.

We couldn't come to Bath without visiting the Roman Baths but with the 12 pound pp entry fee they certainly don't miss you. Luckily it included the audio-guide which was voiced by Dr Alice Roberts, who we love watching present medical and archaeological documentaries. 

This is a totally incredible place which began with the building of a Temple in 60-70AD and the baths were developed after that. Once the Romans left Britain the complex went into disrepair and were basically destroyed in the 6^th century. Many developments were built on top of the ruins to where the street level is today and it was in 1880 that the baths were rediscovered along with a large number of artefacts.

It really is a very big complex with lots of different rooms and chambers as well as the very large Great Bath in the middle. The Romans were engineering champions and we were totally amazed to be walking amongst all this history.

Tonight's fireworks display is to be held in the Bath Rugby Club grounds very close to the centre of the city, and there are several matches on before night's event. This contributes to the crowd numbers and every now and then we can hear cheers as goals are scored.

When we checked into the Windsor Guest-house we were delighted to find that our room directly faces the rugby grounds, so we don't even have to go out into the cold tonight to see the fireworks. Yippee.

We found a Tesco not far and got some supplies for dinner and once the fireworks started we sat in front of the window to enjoy. We love fireworks and we've seen many displays both at home and aboard. This one has to be up there as one of the best we've seen with heaps of new “explosions” we've not seen before. The accompanying music was also very good.

After about 20 minutes it was all over and the crowds started leaving. We were so glad to be snug and warm in our room. But the show wasn't totally over as lots of private firework displays were being set off from the nearby hills.

Sunday 06 November

In world news, the Greek prime minister George Papandreou narrowly won a vote of no confidence yesterday after he crazily wanted to hold a referendum following the latest bail-out offer from the EU. But victory was bitter sweet as he was then forced to resign so that a coalition government could be formed before elections could be called for early next year.

After a lovely breakfast we set off quickly to check out a few sights before having to dash back to the camp site and check out by 11:30am. It's a glorious day with not a cloud in the sky.

“TheCircus” is a circular set of Georgian apartment buildings constructed between 1754-68 to resemble the Colosseum. Architect John Wood the Elder.

A little further away is the “Royal Crescent” which is a similar construction from 1767-74 by architect John Wood the Younger. Both are very elegant buildings decorated with detailed plaster work.

That's all we had time for so caught a taxi back to camp, packed up and headed for Avebury, now a National Trust site.


There are more Bath photos here.

Like most people we had only heard of Stonehenge, but the stone circles (2600BC) at Avebury cover a wider area and some of the stones themselves are much larger. As with Stonehenge, the reason for their existence is a mystery but unlike Stonehenge these stones were discovered buried and then “set back in place” by archaeologist Alexander Keiller once excavated (from 1937). Regardless, it is an impressive sight.

Keiller used his wealth (Dundee marmalades) to purchase 950 acres of land for preservation, excavation and the construction of interpretive museums. The site contains a 17^th century barn (now a museum), a Dovecote (once housed pigeons), some stables (also a museum) and a Manor house currently closed due to the filming of new episodes of “To the Manor Born” starring Penelope Keith.

It was too late in the day to also visit Stonehenge so we headed to our camp site, Cheddar Caravan Club Site at Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. Along the way we heard that the M5 won't be open until Monday morning at the earliest as police conclude investigations into the massive road crash.

The temperature here is much cooler being in a gorge plus it's a clear night. Predictions are for 3 degrees.

Monday 07 November

We saw that a church was just next door to our camp site, and hoped beyond hope that their bells would be silent. But not only did they ring on the quarter all night, it was also windy so they were like a giant windchime a lot of the time too. One saving grace is we think the ringer was muffled so it wasn't too loud. We suppose the locals don't even hear it anymore.

It's 7 degrees but feels more like 3 plus the day is grey but we're determined to do the Cheddar Gorge walk regardless.

The first part of the walk is quite steep and there are lots of slippery rocks along the path, but thankfully not too much mud. Once we reach the peak we can make out the town of Cheddar below but it's quite foggy so not as clear as it would have been yesterday in the brilliant sunshine. It's also very cold as the temp hasn't risen much over 7 and may even be cooler up here.

Once you're up you have to come down and luckily there are steps most of the way. There is a section of road to cross before starting up again on the other side to complete the second half of the walk. This time it's not as steep but the ascent takes us to a higher point at 260 meters. We get a better look at Cheddar on this side. There are no barriers along the edge so Bill gingerly approaches to take photos of the gorge below.

It probably took us 2 hours to complete and we were very proud of our efforts. The temperature at the peak was very cold and misty and once we reach the bottom we race for a Costas coffee to warm up.

There is one company who still makes cheddar in Cheddar and we stop in for a look on the way back to camp.


More photos from Cheddar are here.

Tuesday 08 November

We loved the Cheddar Gorge walk and we loved the town of Cheddar but we didn't love the church bell so packed up and headed for Minehead beside Exmoor National Park, about 2 hours away.

Many of the National Trust sites are fully or partially closed at this time of year but we stop in at Dunster Castle and Gardens anyway.

There has been a castle on this site since the 11^th century with obvious modifications and additions over the years. It was almost destroyed by Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarians in 1650. In the 14^th century the Luttrell family bought the castle and owned it (apart from a brief period) until it was sold to the National Trust in 1976.

There is even an Aussie touch with one of the Luttrell wives (Alys) being an Australian who loved to garden and planted many Australian natives within the estate around the 1920s.

The water reservoir installed in 1870 not only serviced the castle but also the neighbouring village until 1960.

A pet cemetery is also on the grounds commemorating much loved pets including a budgie, and of course there is the usual dungeon and crypt with many stories of ghosts.  In the Stables, which were open, they also had a Bat Cam set up that was monitoring the bats roosting in the attic of the stables.  Cool.  

We were happy to have paid a visit even though the castle itself was closed. It certainly is an imposing building and the gardens are magnificent.

After lunch in the village we walked around Dunster, which owed its wealth to the Castle and its role as a trading centre for fleece brought in off Exmoor.  The old fleece market still stands in the main street.

We headed to our camp site, Minehead CaravanClub Site, and were glad to see no church within sight (but there is a fire station right beside).

Once set up we headed for a look in town which is only a short walk away. Minehead is a coastal town and we came to an esplanade which reminded us a little of the Redcliffe as there were several restaurants and games arcades overlooking the beach. We are certainly glad to see footpaths so you can walk safely, as this area is the start of 600 miles of walking routes.

Back at camp, the warden told us we might see some wildlife on the site and sure enough we saw a badger foraging. Apparently deer were sighted yesterday as there is a nature reserve behind the park.

In world news, Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi resigns following a no confidence vote. Like Greece, Italy is suffering huge international debts. He is Italy’s longest serving post-war PM and has held the position on 3 separate occasions. And Dr Conrad Murray is found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson.

Wednesday 09 November

Happy birthday to our nephew Craig who has recently become engaged to the lovely Kate.

A grey drizzly day but not too cold at 12 degrees as we drive back to Dunster Castle to park and set off to do a walk on Crown Estate land. There are several walks you can do and we pick the Bat Castle Circuit which is 6.5km long.

First we walk through the Dunster Castle gardens which are totally charming with flowing streams and many varied trees and plants. There are 3 small bridges on the grounds and a water mill which is apparently still used to ground flour but it looks very dilapidated to us and not open.

Once we're on the circuit we are walking on a golden carpet of autumn leaves. Unfortuntely this beautiful carpet hides rocks of differing sizes making it a bit of a challenge.

Soon we're amongst the Tall Tree Trail containing the tallest tree in the UK, a Douglas Fir. This was recorded in 2009 at just over 60 meters.

We also come upon some great modern wood carvings – a bear and a fir cone. There are more of these carvings along the other circuits.

This walk contains a more gentle rise then the one we did at Cheddar Gorge, but it's still a bit of a workout and at the highest point we are at 213 meters. This is the location of Bat's Castle which is an Iron Age Hill Fort identified in 1983 when school boys found 8 coins here dating from between 102BC and 350AD. The stone ramparts are still visible but there is also a lot of scrub covered mounds. There is a 360 degree panoramic view and on a clear day you can apparently see the Brecon Becons across the way in Wales.

It was a very enjoyable (yet rocky) 2 hour walk though it drizzled most of the time and by the end we were starving so had lunch at the Dunster Castle Hotel. TV series such as Poirot, Maid Marian and Darling Buds of May were filmed here.

The weather prediction for the next few days is rain so we'll move on, but there is a lot more to see in this area and if the weather had been better we would have stayed longer.  Minehead and Dunster are both great places to visit, and we hardly scratched the surface of the walking opportunities around Exmoor National Park.


More photos from Exmoor here.