Tue 4th May - Day 18, Watchet to Moorland (20 miles)

The start of stage 2: a short section to Bristol with no major trails so it is just a case of using what public paths I can find.

I woke to heavy rain but managed to get the tent down & rucsac packed without everything getting too wet.

The rain started to ease once I was underway at 08:00, using the minor roads, to avoid cutting through private land, I made my way southeast to get to the small patch of wood, shown as Staple Plantation on the map.

A track by the edge went to a car park and then a public footpath led up onto the Quantock Hills.

Once on the top this path became the Macmillan Way. The weather was now very heavy frequent showers, which included hailstones.

I was heading southeast, which went against the grain as I am supposed to be going north, on an easy track running for 5 miles along the length of the hills, terminating at a car park at Lydeard Hill. The sun had made a brief appearence so I snatched a quick 20 minute lunch break in this car park before the rain came back on. The view from the tops showed the way ahead was very flat.

It was a minor road to the crossroads at Park End, I couldn't identify the footpath shown on the map so I continued on the road. At the next junction (of 5 roads) I was greeted with the sight of a sign "Cream Teas" outside a cafe, it was an opportunity to get out of the rain and warmed up so I had a 45 minute break enjoying some scones and jam before continuing at 14:00 along the road to Broomfield.

I picked up the Macmillan Way again here but this was a mistake as the path appeared to be little used and was in fields and tracks that cattle used and was like a mire in places. I cut back to the road again at Rooks Castle Farm and stayed on this to North Petherton.

There was no campsite to head for tonight or any remote areas to camp wild so I was looking for a B&B, I found nothing in North Petherton, the only village on the route, so I carried on walking.

Back on the Macmillan Way through an orchard, Petherton Park Farm and the canal and railway line to Fordgate, it was now 6 o'clock and the sun had finally come out but I was more than ready to stop.

Just past here was The Thatchers Arm pub, I explained what I was doing & asked about food & camping, there was nothing in the area but they said I could use the garden.

After pitching the tent I went into the pub for a delicious meal (diced steak in red wine - great!), the landlord didn't charge me for it and I also collected another £15 from the pub's customers.

I never saw a single hiker in the 20 miles I did today.

283 miles completed.