The 2010 Bimble : Thursday

Miles :237
Start: Crowcombe, Somerset
End: Hay-on-wye

I woke early in the Somerset morning light and found an outside spot with a view of the surrounding valleys to update the blog. Whilst sitting there the sweetest little dog with the face of a Jack Russel the body of a Spaniel and the tail of a Pommerainian came up to say hello.

I later found out that this is the Pub dog, Toby, who they adopted whilst they were living in spain. I did ask her if the language barrier was a problem for him. She said no but when the farmer who owns the next door field switches his Sheep for Cows Toby gets very confused for a couple of days and barks and growls at them for being too big and not wooly.

We had breakfast in a room they also use as a tea shoppe (sic) during the week and it was so pink and frilly I felt like I was gaining weight just looking at it.

After a good breakfast we wished goodbye to the Carew Arms and Toby that sweet stray spanish hound. We headed out through the countryside to Dunster castle which inexplicably is closed only one day a week. And that day happens to be Thursday. However the town it is attched to was open and that was lovely. A stone built turn of the century market type town all whitewash and black beams.

From there we headed into Exmoor forest which was wild and rugged almost untamed and other adjectives from the romantic novelists reptore. It was very differnt to the genteel hills and swells of the south Downs but equally impressive. The road twisted around the valleys and summits as if it was trying to free itself from gravitys grasp. Em described this near rollercoaster experience as 'chicanery'.

After following our trail of breadcrumbs out of the forest we headed to Cheddar Gorge which is a road cut right through the rock itself. The bottom is a tourist trap but you can drive through the gorge for free which is waht I'd reccomend you do instead of forking over a tener to sit on a bus next to some Austrailians and be driven up there.

Although there was a shop at the bottom called Cheddar Gorge Cheese, which are three words I love in any order. Cheddar. Gorge. Cheese. There is no way in which rearranging those words doesn't please me.


As we left the valley there were a fleet of sheep on the road all going in the same direction as us al on the left hand side of the road like they were commuting to work. Have we caused some kind of brutal natural selection? Only those sheep with good lane disipline survive?

Moving on, we drove into Bath which is at the bottom of another valley with green slopes on allsides studded with indivual house looking out into the valey. They use a particular sandstone here with a rich yellow colour that makes every building seem matched.

We walked through the madness of the town proper, decided against the two hour wait to see the roman baths and instead heading up to the relative calm of the circle and the royal cresent. From their we walked onto the botonical gardens which I'd never seen before.

A great collection of plants that Em seemed to be very excited about although whilst resting on a bench we did se two baby squirrels playfighting with each other. It was like those old cartoons of Chip and Dale fighting over a nut and just as funny although involving fewer uses of Frying pans and other acme products.

From the calm of Baths gardens to Bristol in rush hour traffic was quite a culture adjustment but we did well and were able to take in the Clifton Suspension Bridge which is a stunning bridge which you can drive over or under. It just seems to appear out if the rock and span the gorge sticking two fingers up at physics as it does so

We met my Relatives for a good catch up and much needed bite to eat and drove back into Wales (woo!) for our final stop at Hay-on-Wye.

It was quite a long journey in the near dark but it was nice to see Welsh words on roadsigns again. Although I had to notice when we were driving the windy roads in Kent the corner signs would be enourmous for even a small bend;

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Whereas back in wales the same corner would merit a;

>MEH>

I'm sure theres a rational explanation but it did tickle me at the time.

We stopped at the old Black Lion Inn which was very comfortable but Hay itself surprised me. Its a really really small town. I mean really small. but it has over 20 different bookshops! It was a fun town and a good place to bring this bimble to an end.

Eight hundred and ninety four miles over six days seems like a lot but it was a great trip and a great experience. We are already discussing Bimble Two : Son of Bimble which we think will take us down the leg of Cornwall with the aim of getting Em to Her spiritual home, The Eden Project which was just that little bit too far away for this trip.