This weekend we camped at Exford, Westermills Farm, and went walking a great deal! Despite some unpromising weather forecasts, the weather was good, great in fact.
We drove down on the Saturday morning, using M4 and M5 until Taunton. Considerable congestion past Bristol on the M5. Then it was Bishop's Lydiard and Wheddon Cross to Exford. Enough of the dull bit...
Got tented up and then drove to Hillsford Bridge on Oakford Water, a tributary of the East Lynn. We followed a suggested route from a Jarrold book of Exmoor walks which led us down to Lynmouth. The town was in uproarious mood as it was the occasion of the annual Raft Race. It seems to be the custom to throw flour and water at the competitors. Most were white and drenched before they had ever got near the water's edge. Had to point out to Lynne that if we did not leave a bit sharply we could be cooking our evening meal in the dark so regretfully we had to leave before the raft race had actually started. Most of the rafts were themed, in the way that carnival floats are themed such as the Pink Ladies (from the film 'Grease') and Sheila's Wheels (it's a current TV ad for insurance) The most bizarre though was one made of two cable drums joined together which the crew evidently thought would roll across the surface of the harbour like a cotton reel. I was amazed we did not witness a drowning. It was unstable, unsteerable and unhurried. It spent most of it's time on it's side with part of the crew desperately trying to right it before the other guy ran out of air.
The return journey to Hillsford Br. kept close to the East Lynn river and passed through Watersmeet. On the way out of Lynmouth is a river side garden which is a memorial to the people who lost their lives there in the floods of 1952. The cottages are gone now but the garden remains.
On Sunday morning we decided to take a walk to Tarr Steps on the River Barle. Jarrold suggests a circuit from Withypool to Tarr Steps but the outward journey along a permissive path on the NE side of the Barle was so good that we simply retraced to Withypool along the river bank. That worked out well as the views are just as good when facing the other way and we were lucky to see, amongst other things, five jays together and, later, a hobby. Also there were many damselfies and some Siver-Washed Fritillaries. The break at Tarr Steps was a joy as we went into the busy pub and Lynne went into ecstacies about her very-good cream tea and I had a welcome pint of bitter. Several vehicles went through the ford which was running well with water so we saw nothing smaller than a Land Rover make the passage. On foot we preferred the clapper bridge!
Monday was a rainier day altogether and we contented ourselves with a touristy day in Lynmouth, catching the funicular railway down from Lynton. The journey home dragged on a bit partly as the road from Lynmouth to Bridgwater via Porlock and Minehead is distinctly unimproved - not that I minded a bit!
