Post flood walk and road damage

It is now two weeks since the rain and flooding, followed by freezing mornings and ice. The weather has finally stayed dry for long enough to go for a reasonable walk today, 12kms up the hills but still having to keep to the roads. There is a great deal of mud and grit on the roads, both from slippage off the bank sides and run off from the fields and overflowing streams. In some places the sides of the road have been eroded and also the tarmac has been ripped up. One road in particular is badly torn and higher up has a 'Road Closed' sign.

The house drive had been washed away and the torn tarmac has been used to fill the hole so that they can get out onto the road. It will probably be weeks before all the damage is fixed.

Another road had debris deposited about 2ft above road level and the stream at the side has flung stones into the adjacent fields. The road itself must have been like a river.

The damaged road - with water still running in the hole from an underground stream.

After the flood

The wet and then ice have still restricted our walking but we have managed some short walks (5 - 7kms). The path near the stream has dried out and the water is back to winter levels.
A lot of gravel has been moved in the stream bed, some of it dropped on the bank tops. Away from the stream stones and gravel have washed out of fields and bank sides and have been deposited on the roads. Debris is hanging feet high on gates and in the bushes. In one place the tarmac has been torn up by the force of the water and in many places the edge of the road has been broken away. The roads too must have been like rivers.
However this morning it was more a case of being careful not to slip on the icy patches. We hope that the roads dry out soon to make it possible to walk up some of our local hills. That will happen when the last of the run off from the fields finally dries up and we have less frost. At least the sun was shining as we walked round the roads today.

Compare the levels in these 2 photos with the floods below. The stones and gravel dropped by the flood can be seen on the bank and in the stream in the left hand photo

Floods

Following the recent wet weather we have again been confined to the roads, and some of them were not passable. Our little stream was flooded as these photos show. Then we had torrential rain for hours last weekend. Our little brook became a raging torrent, we could hear it roaring in the night. Several homes near its banks were flooded when it rose 8ft!. The corner of the grass bank in the fourth picture has been partially torn away since we took the photos.

Finally we did manage a walk up the hill, with water still running down the road sides. Our thoughts are with those whose homes were flooded and with farmers who are struggling with the dreadful conditions.

The stream burst its banks and came up to the path with the first flood and over it at the second. It usually flows to the right of the tree in the left hand photo; and the right of the tree in the right hand one

Taken about 1 hour apart the level was dropping at the bridge

During the second flood 24 hours later the water was up over the sides of the bridge and onto the road

Not the FEVE!

Having had another spell of wet weather we have been walking the roads most of the time. However one trip out has been on the South Devon Railway, which runs between Buckfastleigh and Totnes. It is then possible to walk alongside the river into the town, muddy in places but a pleasant walk. Lunch in town and a walk back to the train for the return journey to Buckfastleigh made an enjoyable day, and we got back on the train just before the next downpour.

So:- a few train photos and just one of the actual walk this time.

Webs, mist and a hornet

The first really good day in some time so we walked about 9km, but on the road. The fields are still too wet in many places and there are still wet patches on the roads too.

The spiders webs on a bridge were beautiful, with the dew sparkling in the sunshine. The mist lying in the valley reminded us of the view beyond Tineo. This time however there was a hot-air balloon and our own hills in the distance.

Further on we found a hornet on a bramble bush. It finally settled for long enough to have its photo taken

Walking on the Hills

The weather has not being kind to us. We have had some very wet days and the tracks are all awash so we took the car up to the forestry walks. The water was running down the road here as well, like a river, this morning. However we did manage 7kms across a forestry path and then on the road, with a coffee break at the halfway point. (This was before retracing our steps to the car) There was still water running down the hill all the way back down to the town and we were glad the route we had chosen was reasonably dry. The other road routes may have been as wet as the one in the photos and the roads and tracks have been eroded by the water in some places.

The water ran across the road and on downhill, cutting away the soil at the edge

The gate was steaming in the sun and there are two spiders' webs hanging on it

View from the track to the moor

Walking near Castleton

A few days later we walked towards Castleton along the road, then turned onto the footpath towards Black Tor. This is a very steep climb in places and comes out on the top of the ridge near the Tor itself. We then turned towards Mam Tor following the yellow arrows along the upper path initially.

Having already walked up Mam Tor from the other direction we chose to take the path back down past the farm, to the bottom of the old slippage which finally closed the road in 1979, and into Castleton again.

Much of the route was very like the Camino, including yellow arrows on the marker posts. Unlike the Camino there were as many folk walking towards us as in our direction while we were on the ridge path.

Mam Tor from Castleton

We walked up the hill towards the tor and along the ridge to the gap before turning onto the track running diagonally downhill

Black Tor

Yellow arrows show the way to Mam Tor and back down the way we had come from Castleton

The track along the top of the ridge, we turned down to Casteton at the crossing in the dip

Mam Tor

While staying in Castleton, Derbyshire, we walked up Mam Tor from the National Trust car park. The route is short but steep with some paved places and steps. Along the path are plaques showing various Celtic items, which our grandchildren enjoyed finding. There are good views from the top and paths that lead in several directions.

A cooking cauldron and a Celtic dagger

A thatched Celtic round-house

A simple plough

Jewellery, a torc (neck ring)

The view towards Losehill from the top of Mam Tor

'Peripatio'

Some one asked what 'peripatio' means. It is Greek (Περιπατεω) for 'walking around'; and also a metaphor for 'passing one's life', 'living'. Ephesians Ch 4 v1 "...walk worthy of the calling you have received..." uses Περιπατεω.

August Walks

There is more water running down the roads now than there was in the winter. We have been able to get 'off road' occasionally but mostly have had to avoid the field footpaths. However we continue to walk two or three times a week as we are making plans to walk part of the Camino del Norte, and then to Covadonga, next year.



The slug was crossing the road and the Jersey Tiger Moth was sitting on a hazel bush.

It rained!

Enough said. Maybe tomorrow will be better!

Walking in Devon

After our time in Brecon we have had several weeks without walking due to various circumstances. However we were able to walk near Stover in Devon last week, about 8kms through woods and then road and field tracks near the River Teign. They serve good coffee at Sampsons Farm, Preston, where we stopped for a short break. They also serve meals but it was too early as we were there mid-morning. The weather was fine and became quite hot, with the temperature up over 30C by mid-day. One view was of the cows going into the farm to be milked, fortunately just beyond the entrance to the farmhouse and garden as there were so many of them.

For those who have followed our times on the Camino the ruts near a field gate brought back memories of 2010.

We followed this with a more road based walk on the Haldon Hills, also on a warm day. Then we needed to spend some time at home, doing some housework!! More walking hopefully, if it doesn't rain again, later in the week.

Walking up Pen Y Fan

The walk up Pen Y Fan starts in a number of places but we chose the path which starts at the Park car park near, but not at, the Storey Arms.
The ascent here is fairly steep to start, crossing a bridge over the stream and then heading uphill. It is quite rough in places as well as steep and reminded us of some of the places we had walked on the Primitivo. We walked up past Corn Du and onto the summit of Pen Y Fan, then returned the same way. The return downhill reminded us of Buspol but without the need for zig-zags. The view from the top is wonderful and it was clear enough to see across the Bristol Channel. There was a lovely little lake, in a valley just below us, which we photographed.

The start of the walk

Approaching Corn Du

The last climb to the summit of Pen Y Fan

Llyn Cwm Llwch from the summit

Brecon Beacons

Our week in Wales was often damp, however we walked along the canal side to Brecon itself. A lovely walk and not too wet or muddy. Then we visited Talgarth where the water mill has been restored and is again milling flour. The cafe uses it to make their own bread. Just upstream from the mill is a little waterfall.

The mill gear ( in motion) is based on the design it would have had in 1860, with alternating wood and metal to lessen risk of fire.

Next day was cold and threatening rain so we went on the Brecon Mountain railway, and walked from its station at Pontsticill, returning to catch a later train back to the station at Pant.

For those who have followed our other blogs this is 'not the FEVE'.

From the train it is possible to see the highest peak south of Snowdonia - Pen Y Fan, which we later climbed.

Local walking

We have walked locally, mostly on the road due to the weather. On one walk we were delighted to see two pairs of lizards on the bridge supports. This pair looked as though they were holding hands.

Monte Pedroso (May 2012)

Our walking at present is very similar to our training walks for the last two years so here is a walk from our time in Santiago

After the end of our pilgrimage we had a few days in Santiago itself. We walked part of the 'Route of Routes' going over a Roman bridge and up Monte Pedroso. A walk of around 7kms from our starting point at the Cathedral, with some road walking, then track uphill and through the trees. We ate our dinner at the top where are views across Santiago and beyond. (While on our pilgrimage we had walked over some of the hills in the distance.) Then we followed a line of Cruceiros on the track back down into the town, finally coming onto the road. There was a lovely little bar on the outskirts of town where we had a drink and some home processed sardine bocadillos (sandwiches). They were excellent. Then we walked on across a park, back to the Roman bridge and up the hill to the Cathedral again.

A few photos from the walk.There is also a selection of photos on Flickr at Walk from Santiago de Compostela up Monte Pedroso

View down to the Roman Bridge and the church

The carving on the church wall

The track through the trees

and nearing the top

The view from the top, across Santiago de Compostela

The road nearly back into town with the Cathedral