I am heading from Bath to Bridgewater and then on to Minehead, the Tarka trail to the SWCP. Is plotting a route through from Bridgewater to Wells realistic?
Venturing on to made up routes often slows progress as you have to navigate more than when on a proper trail .
The Samaritan's Way goes from Bristol to Glastonbury to Bridgewater to the Quantocks and Exmoor. The Cheddar to Bridgewater section passes by Wells and Glastonbury Tor, two major highlights of my LEJOG walk, but it seems a suitable route between Street and Bridgewater, keeping to the "heights" of the Polden Hills, 100ft being high in this area!
However the route seems to have been taken off the latest editions of OS maps - I know the Exmoor National Park were set against unofficial routes like this being publicised.
Thanks guys, from a glance the Samaritans Way looks suitable. I have the area at 1:50K; would a 1:25 K map be better around here.?
I ought to mention rather than JoG as an End to End I have walked from Cape Wrath to this area in five section hikes on the major paths.
I am also across to Inverness in the east but at the moment I am likely to bike the A9 as I don't fancy walking to it, unless a more off road is found . Any help on that would be appreciated .
I'd think a 1;25k is absolutely necessary, so you see the field boundaries. The flat part of Somerset isn't exactly prime walking country and there is no sign on the ground of some RoWs.
Do you mean Inverness to John O Groats on the A9? I took a route similar to that described by John Butler. which passes 10 miles west of Inverness and completely avoids the A9. Some road walking is inevitable but the A9 is full of speed merchants and should be avoided at all costs.
Given the note about dam and bridge closures on John's website, my actual route in the south was Strathpeffer to Evanton via Heights of Brae and Strath Sgitheach, then Evanton to Ardgay via Creag Ruadh, Cnoc An Leoid, Loanroidge, Inchlumpie,Strath Rusdale Lodge, the path to Gavary and forest tracks to Kincardine. Apart from a bit of bog and a short forest ride in Strath Sgitheach this was all on decent paths and tracks.
Thats great WiredandTeary.Yes Inverness to JoG.I had forgotten JButler had taken that route and where I had seen it .
When did you do it? I was leaving it till sometime next year before,or after, the worst of the midges.
Although I live near Humberside Airport and can get up to Aberdeen easily getting a bike around was going to be test.
I avoid the train up there as it lands you in a town late and a B and B is needed. When you factor into the flight that a B and B is not needed the flight becomes a good option. With a 6.30a.m start I have been walking in Scotland by the afternoon even after a train ride from Aberdeen into the Highlands.
WiredandTeary .I take your point abou the 1:25K maps but really don't want to carry all of them, would OS 140 Bridgewater and the Quantock Hills get me over the more difficult bits. I guess I could download that part of the route as an option.
