Channel 2 Channel – Day 1
Bridport to Haselbury Mill
14 July 2021
Distance recorded: 22.3km
The Brit Valley Way has its own waymark – a dragonfly and a meandering river – but I was over an hour into today’s walk before I saw the first one – here it is. I shrugged off the thought that I might accidentally follow the Brit Valley Circular Walk.
A morning’s walking through farmland with occasional glimpses of the river through the trees along the banks got me to Beaminster and a ciabatta for lunch at The Red Lion.
Leaving Beaminster first on a road then a stony track I started the only notable uphill section of the entire four day walk, climbing up to the top of the downs near the sources of the Brit (flowing south) and the Parrett (flowing north).
Soon after leaving the high point and the Brit Valley Way my planned route left the Chapel Marsh farm track and headed for the village of Chedington, the official start of the River Parrett Trail. However, at the field gate there was no sign of a path across the field but there was a stern notice about equine flu and quarantine. I chose discretion and a simpler way, following the track past the stud farm whose size and style oozed wealth and sent a clear message “Don’t linger here”! Continuing north I joined the River Parrett Trail at the picture-postcard village of South Perrott (yes, it’s a different spelling).
Leaving South Perrott, Dorset on the delightfully-named Pipplepen Lane I headed north to arrive in North Perrott, Somerset. Near the point where I crossed the railway I found the first official waymark for my new trail, the one I would follow for the rest of my walk. It was in a poor state: this picture is the second one I saw. From North Perrott it was only 3km to my overnight stop at Haselbury Mill, with the Parrett flowing through the grounds.
Haselbury Mill describes itself as a ‘hospitality village’ which I think is much the same as a ‘venue destination’. Despite their main trade being groups with something to celebrate I, as a solitary B&B customer not exactly dressed in the style to which they are more accustomed. was welcomed and treated with friendly courtesy. Well played, Haselbury Mill.
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