| Date: Location: Walk Leader: Participants: Distance: Parking: Lunch: Additional statistics: | 10th February 2016 Milton Abbas Rob Rob, Peter, Ray 7.7 miles Catherine's Well Bakers Arms ★★ Loose points for luke warm tea. Proportion of new ground 70.9% - congratulations on an amazing feat! Proportion on road 23.4% - needs no further comment. |
| Heading west from Catherine's Well the road soon turns into a quite reasonably surfaced track passing Steeptonbill Farm shop and leading to a path that climbs up to St Catherine's Chapel. St. Catherine's Chapel was built in the late 12th century. From the chapel there is a fine view over the Abbey. A little further on there is a pair of rather fine gate lodges but they are not very visible through the trees. There are then numerous paths through Haydon Plantation and Blagdon Copse both within the right to roam area.
Unfortunately Delocombe Wood is private and it is necessary to walk along the road. |  St Catherine's Chapel c12 St. Catherine was a martyr whose body was said to be borne by angels to the summit of Mount Sinai. Today there is still a monastery at Mount Sinai and her cult has spread widely with her places of worship symbolically sited on hilltops. Delcombe Wood is currently for sale at £975,000 (224.4 acres) through John Clegg & Co and Bulbarrow Timber that used to be at the north west corner is now closed. |
 Hilton Bottom, Bulbarrow In The Distance | After a confidence boosting stretch of tarmac we turned on to the Ice Drove. More like the Mud Drove at the start but improving as we moved on. The view looking back down the valley and across to Bulbarrow Hill, about a mile to the north west, was quite stunning. The sky was so good I devoted half the picture to it! Peter did one of his usuals and managed to drop a glove but it was only 1/10th mile to go back and recover it. The others kindly waited. |
There was a dearth of places to sit until eventually we found a jump for the horses that was reasonable enough for a break that we were by now all looking forward to.
Soon after our well earned rest we were back into some pleasant woodland although it was again rather muddy in places. We were however able to find tracks through the tress above the muddy main paths. Then it was back on the road around the Milton Abbey School (Boarding £10,960, Day £,550 per term), up the hill, under the bridge and back beside Steeptonbill Farm shop. We could not resist stopping here for a few vegetables they looked so good and fresh. It was then a short stroll back to the car. A brief visit to the Royal Oak was more than a little disappointing - no pies - that was last week - we've run out of sausages - what! So it was off to the Bakers Arms again. The search is on for Pubs serving food all day!
A good chicken and leek pie yet again but next time we must remember to ask them to heat the tea pots.
Soon after our well earned rest we were back into some pleasant woodland although it was again rather muddy in places. We were however able to find tracks through the tress above the muddy main paths. Then it was back on the road around the Milton Abbey School (Boarding £10,960, Day £,550 per term), up the hill, under the bridge and back beside Steeptonbill Farm shop. We could not resist stopping here for a few vegetables they looked so good and fresh. It was then a short stroll back to the car. A brief visit to the Royal Oak was more than a little disappointing - no pies - that was last week - we've run out of sausages - what! So it was off to the Bakers Arms again. The search is on for Pubs serving food all day!
A good chicken and leek pie yet again but next time we must remember to ask them to heat the tea pots.
 The Countryside Is NOT Safe |  But It Looks Lovely |  Worth a Visit |
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