Long Walkers walk – Saturday 6th August

With absolutely superb weather on our side, 5 of us met up at the end of Chew Valley Lake, where the ice cream van parks. Our walk took us through the various Harptrees, through picturesque wooded valleys and up some hills where there were fantastic views across the lake and surrounding countryside. Our leader – it was her first time doing it for the group – had excellent knowledge of the features of the route, courtesy of the description she brought with her. One of the things we passed was the oldest surviving lead smelting chimney in the country. It did seem a bit wonky, but nevertheless perfectly safe.

We had a great time together, and no-one got sunburnt. All the cows we passed were perfectly well-behaved, and I needn’t have brought my stick, though it provided a sense of re-assurance. However, my real reason for bringing it was to beat back any stinging nettles, of which there weren’t many anyway.