My two days of wandering in the Quantock hills.(ok just yesterdays wander…)

Waking up to the white fields around me, the day was set and i knew the hills would be the place i'd end up.

After a visit to the local college for a drink and look at the exotic plants, i drove west to the foot of the hills, aiming to park near the bowling green this plan was hampered by a deathtrap/road conditions, so once i'd dug myself out of the wellie wash in Holford i dumped the car up in the layby and walked…..

Already hard going up the beech banked track i went through the gate and across the field on virgin snow, deer tracks marked their journey from under the old tree out into open ground, on reaching the other gate the view across the combe was sureal, a rare sight..

Memorial trees and willoughbys in the back ground.

The way down into Holford combe gave me sights i'd not normally see, blackbirds, robins and wren dashing, foraging for food, snow melt dropping from the trees, to the old car park i went, meeting the river, a dark scar running through the whiteness around.

I headed down the combe, aimless of where my journey will go but down i went, along butterfly combe a name rarely used, till i came to a clearing….white, white, beeches and birch a slight show of green from the holly and moss….and up frog i went…..

Passing the river i crossed and went right along the path that broke me one night, up in the hill a deer and her fawn looked down at me, not fearful at all, they stayed grazing and i passed leaving them all..

Hard going it was passing my crippling bed, twas here that i nearly landed there on my head, but my shoulder took the weight of my fall and out popped the air from my lungs and i called…999 and they came.. and put me in A&E for a life time it seemed, but that was short lived and the bike i still ride, like i'd never before hurt my own pride.

And up towards hare knapp i went…

Was a cold wind blowing from the north east, so i pulled up my hood and fastened my fleece, then headed due west and up to the cairn, all exposed on a hill top alone and no care..

Wind swept Hawthorns stood strong, leaning though no swaying at all..

Now i'm sorry as it seems i've fallen into poetry so will try and stop and just narrate my passage through the hills..

I headed down towards hodders and watched yet another herd of deer grazing on the hillsides, the food up top would of been hard and frozen by the chill and reaching the bottom i headed up somerton to climb up over to the secret gully where i knew there would be more deer..

Passing sheep along the way i pressed on and upwards..

The deer were all the way down in the other combe on the edge of slaughterhouse, i sat in the snow for maybe 20mins, just watching them feed, one stag reaching high into a holly tree for fresh green leaves…ouch i thought!


Time was passing and my belly wanted food, so i headed finally down the combe and back to the road..

My last time spent was shared for a good few moments with a stag who walked with me, but up in the hills in the saftey of trees…then off he ran..

I now realise how much a waffle and to go through todays experience will take another hr or so….so another day..meebie..

Hey that looked amazing sharki and the shots of the deer were brilliant. So atmospheric in Winter. How cold was it then?

Thanks CG, was probably around 0 degs in the trees but a wind chill up top making it only -4/5 degs,

Warmer today as the sky was clear.

A couple more weeks and i should be able to go fight for some antlers..

8)

sharki – could you get some for me please, to add to my collection 😳

Thank you and I'll buy you a cream tea 😀

If i find any from from the big fella up there you can have my not so big one….

I'll bring it on the singletons ride, i'm sure you'll appreciate one whatever it's size..

lovely

Excellent post & excellent pics. I see deer at Thetford, but normally they have seen us and are dashing off in the other direction.

Sure beats my interval session on the turbo trainer this evening sat in the shed!!

Thanks Stumpy…

I've got used to where's good to spot deer though normally have to get way off the trails to got to them, the weather seems to have forced them down towards the combe bottoms more and of course their red and aren't do well camouflaged in the snow.

sweet , nice picies mate .

Nicely photographed.
Nicely described.

Thank you

Bloody fantastic I this is a good start 😉

please carry on with future rambleings

Mrs saladdodger says "contact Somerset life / country life etc and share the beauty that you see through your eyes" any chance of a guided walk sometime

please

Nice stuff sharkster

Cheers Teej.
SD, it would be my pleasure in guiding you and the missus around the secret side of the hills, or even the side that so many people don't see for looking….

Remember that photo i took in which you spotted another bird in the same frame..?

It happened again today..hee hee.

And somerset life may just have to swivle on it, it's all out there to be seen and not through the pages of a mag…;)

reminds me of my first trip to the quantocks several years ago. snowy, clear skies, frrrrozen feet….,. undoubtedly my best mountain biking day ever

good stuff 🙂

now that the Tea Rooms has closed where is the mtbers lunchtime destination of choice?

Smashing. 😀

Very enjoyable reading.
Those pictures are so ethereal

Thanks Bunnyhop….a new word for me, so googled it and thanks very much for the kind word.