Leaving Hollands wood site and saying our farewells to the Jameison and Warren mob, it was first a stop at Lyndhurst to purchase a BBQ grill plate and tall windbreak. Pulling into the car park we noticed a coach park to our left and thought, "This will do nicely". Just about to reverse into a coach spot and a lady appears saying the traffic wardens are red hot on illegal parking and come around frequently to check the vehicles. So directing us to a spot at the furthest point of the car park we found somewhere to leave the Beast. Of course, being so long meant we took almost two parking bays but Ian manoeuvered the Beast so the wheels were in the white lines, I then took a photo with time and date just in case the warden wanted to get nasty to prove we were still in the one parking bay.
So on our return and with no parking ticket on the windscreen, we headed off towards Cheddar Gorge.
Last year and for our first outing with the Beast, we arrived in December and the cold. Then we had the place to ourselves. Today the place was heaving. We managed to find a Brit Stop for the night at the Gardeners Arms, partook of liquid refreshment (Brit Stops are free but it is common courtesy to frequent the premises for either a drink or meal) Then it was off to do Jacobs Ladder and the two-hour walk around the top.
Wow, I'm not sure what I expected. Up the 274 steps of Jacobs ladder, a level walk of 3 miles along the top and then a gentle descent back to the gorge. How wrong I was!!! The ladder climb was everything I thought it would be...knackering. At the top was a lookout tower, closed for refurbishment. So off we set along the path which got steeper and steeper the further along we walked. In fact, I reckon a good mile was a constant climb mostly of uneven ground strewn with boulders but I must say the views when we eventually arrived at the top was staggeringly beautiful.
Then the descent to the road, roughly another mile where we had to cross over and walk up the other side. Oh but that path on the way down....horrendous... just very slippery stones and full of biting horse flies! Reaching the road and my legs were shaking with the effort and very thankful for Ian's helping hand. Onwards and upwards again where we met several marathon and half marathon runners. In this heat, they must be mad! Anyway after 3 hours (not the two suggested in the leaflet), we finally made it back to the Beast completley exhausted and realising just how unfit we are.
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| All to do with the marathon |
So here are a few of the wildlife spotted along the walk
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| juvenile Robin |
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| Large black beetle |
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| Not having my bird book I'm not sure what this is. |
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Light Emerald moth |
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| Ground bee |
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