With Jenny away visiting family, I had the pleasure of Belinda Ollis Blackwell's company, as we tried to find the Ham Wood Viaduct, which is lost in the woods, North of Shepton! We are lucky to have some wonderful woodland right on our doorstep. Belinda is a very talented lady in the world of style, marketing, design, blogging etc. and she is also a budding author - see The Mirror of Eden...
We first walked to Windsor Hill Wood and through the old railway tunnel and then found our way to Ham Wood. It was an overcast day that continually threatened rain, but was warmer than it has been lately. I find woods magical, whatever the weather or season. There is a stillness and calmness that descends when you look up to see the magnificant trees, that make you feel so small...
This time of year there are some fabulous wildflowers, in particular, bluebells. In Ham Wood we saw a fantastic blue/purple haze of bluebells, that was breathtaking. But there are also pale lemon primroses, white wood anemones, enchanting violets and wild garlic. With lots of ground, rocks and branches, all covered in soft green moss, it was no wonder that Belinda and I both took loads of photos!
We found the viaduct - we walked over the top and looked down to a deep ravine and took a path down to the bottom to get a better view. I imagine when the woodland canopy is fully out it would be harder to see it! It was built in 1874 as part of the Somerset and Dorset Railway's extension to Bath, originally as a single track. However, it was widened when the line was doubled between Shepton Mallet and Binegar in 1892.
Our walk in the woods also landed us in an old quarry. We also saw the remains of an old kiln, other derelict structures, and signs of human activity - pity they don't take their rubbish away with them! The wood is well managed with paths and steps taking you through and back to the fields above Shepton...
Today we had a plan! We followed a walk in a booklet that I bought at the Tourist Information Centre published by the Town Council entitled 'Walks Around Shepton Mallet'. It became our longest walk ever - three and a half hours! It took us to Bowlish, Windsor Hill Wood, Windsor Hill Tunnels of Somerset and Dorset railway fame, through Ham Woods ending up at Croscombe and back to Bowlish via Ham Lane East.
It was a beautiful sunny morning and we walked some leafy lanes and footpaths and by fields with their neat rolls of silage ready for collection. Then we found the old railway track and went through a long and extremely dark tunnel - quite scary, even with company!
We entered Ham Woods which looked stunning with the sun filtering through the trees and found all sorts of remains of the workings of Ham Hill Quarry. I think we saw part of the Ham Wood Viaduct over which the railway used to run. Jenny spotted a large deer bounding through the wooded slopes! We ended up at the bottom of a very steep gorge and kept going through the wood, past The Forest School, which is the centre of activities for local school children, and eventually ended up on the main Shepton to Wells road.
On our way home we encountered a cow - half jersey and half friesian with her perfect calf. The farmer's wife told us it had only been born yesterday! They need to make the most of their time together as in a day or two they will be separated and the mother will be back with the milking herd.
I came home hot and thirsty and after a conversation with Jenny on the healthy options she had been trying at the weekend, I made a refreshing drink by blending a peeled lemon, piece of skinned fresh ginger root, ice, and mineral water together. I added a small amount of agave nectar for sweetness, sat down and enjoyed! Our walking must be doing us some good, as I completed a 10k swim down the River Dart, and Jenny kept dancing until gone midnight at the Pilton Party, this last weekend with no ill effects!!
