This was a continuation of the Tarka trail that you might remember from the last post. It's tarmac, pretty straight because it follows the route of the old railway, and for the same reason almost completely flat. So it looks like this:
and this:
And it just keeps on going like that for 5 miles. You get the idea. Not a lot of variation! It's on an impressively grand scale though and the estuary is truly majestic: I've tried to give some idea with this panoramic shot (roughly a 180 degree scan) but not sure how well. See what you think.
Anyhow the other major feature of today was of course the heat. The UK is in one of its occasional heatwaves and looks set to stay that way for the rest of the week : lucky me! 32 degrees today but tomorrow is supposed to be hotter. Yikes. However I should have the benefit of some hills and variation in terrain. Maybe even the odd sea breeze if I'm lucky.
The path runs alongside the river Tay and then passes the old airfield (the wannabe pilot in me thinks it's a shame it's not still active) where it's now the base for the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade together with, according to the flags flying there, the Royal Navy and the Royal Engineers. This is Chivenor, originally a civil airfield from the 1930s and used by the RAF coastal command in WW2. In the 50s private flying re-started with the Wrafton flying club (later renamed Puffin) but from 1955 the RAF resumed training, flying Vampires and Hunters. It was from here that for 3 days in 1967 the RAF’s hunters bombed the grounded oil tanker Torrey Canyon in a vain attempt to burn off the leaking oil. There was a period of Search & Rescue activities in the 50s and a training role in the 80s and 90s before it finally closed in 1995.
It's not all military though, there's clearly some commercial enterprises here:
I gotta say I was tempted but, well y'know, I've got a path to walk, places to be....
Also I wanted to get this section done as I knew it was going to be rather trying.
Finally the path brought me into Braunton, at one time the self-declared largest village in England. I suppose it depends on the definition but I can't help thinking there are probably a few candidates for that title.
Bordering the village is what is reputed to be the largest remaining 'strip' farming area in the UK, known as the 'Great Field' . Probably from medieval times and continuing today, this large area has always been open tilled without formal boundaries, with at least 3 families still involved in production.
The local water is so soft that despite a US company’s cotton processing business having operated for over 40 years, their boilers needed no maintenance or descaling. There is a Museum of British Surfing (gosh, who knew British Surfing was old enough to warrant a museum?) in the goods shed of the old Braunton Railway Station.
And that really was that, for today. A brief re-introduction to walking again but, heat apart, very enjoyable. As I set out from Barnnstaple I quickly realised how much I enjoy walking. The relaxed pace, the time to let the mind freewheel through stuff that a 'normal' busy life can crowd out, the satisfaction at the day's end of an objective achieved. And of course the restorative, and earned, hot bath! Clearly I'm going to have to do some more adventuring once this is complete.
Let's hope I'm as upbeat after a long hot day tomorrow. And tomorrow. And tomorrow. Nah, it'll be grand, of course it will. 😀
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