Walking adventures

Just walking and having adventures!

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Just a small time blogger who loves a good mystery and going on adventures!

  • Glastonbury Adventure- part 2

    Hello Adventurers!

    If you haven’t already please check out my first post about my Glastonbury adventure here

    The Abbey

    After getting changed at the B&B I walked into town to find some breakfast. It was just after 9am when I got into town and I noticed a lot of were not open. I then realised it was good Friday so I thought that some shops wouldn’t be open. It was a shame as I wanted to browse some of them again later but I still had other things on my to do list for the day so I shrugged it off.

    I stopped at a cafe and had some breakfast and a well earned cup of tea. As I was sat there a couple came in and said about the shops being shut as it was Good Friday. This was when I learnt something new about Glastonbury. The lady behind the counter said ‘Oh they will be open, just not until 10/11 o clock. we live on Glastonbury time here’. Noting I was now in the Glastonbury time zone I was happy to know the shops would be open, just a little bit later than expected. I finished my breakfast and tea and made my way to the Abbey.

    Glastonbury Abbey

    Founded in the 8th century and then expanded in the 10th, Glastonbury abbey was a monastery and Is now a grade 1 listed building as well as a scheduled monument. Although it was destroyed by a fire in 1184 it was rebuilt in the 14th century and was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England. In 1191 it was believed King Arthur and Queen Guinevere’s tomb was discovered, bringing more pilgrims to the site.

    I paid for my entry and headed into the grounds. I casually walked around taking everything in. Keeping an eye on the overcast sky I was thankful I had remembered my brolly. It was quiet with not many people around. A few groups of tourists and small families but that was it. It was probably due to the weather and I took solace in the fact it wasn’t packed. I was making my way around when I found a little nature trail which side-tracked me as curiosity made me want to follow this trail off the path. It was beautiful and hard to believe it was right by a main road. I came out of the trail and found myself near a duck pond. After spending some time at the duck pond I carried on along the path back to the Abbey ruins and to the site of King Arthurs grave. Waiting patiently for the group of tourists to move so I could take a picture I marvelled at the ruined structure and how such magnificent buildings were made way back when, before machinery was a thing and how all the details were hand chiselled. I took my pictures and exited the main grounds.

    On my way out I spotted a small chapel and made sure to take pictures of the paintings on the walls. It was a quaint building and I imagined the small but close community that would gather here for sermons. I then felt extremely tired and headed back to the B&B

    The Challice Wells and Gardens

    I went back to the B&B exhausted by the morning trek and took a lunchtime nap. This was well times as I heard the predicted rainfall outside. I woke up feeling more refreshed and headed back out.

    The Wells and Garden were only a short walk from the B&B I was staying at. I paid my admission fee and casually walked around, again grateful that it wasn’t raining but due to the overcast weather there were no crowds. I regretted not bringing my water bottle to fill up at the springs. Again there were people just relaxing and meditating and it was so nice being in an environment were it was normal to just be.

    White Springs

    I left the gardens and went to the last location on my to do list. The white springs. I do not have any pictures as technology is banned in there. It is a sacred space where people go to relax, meditate, bathe and just ground themselves. At first I found it a little hard to relax as there were drums being played loudly outside but afterwards it was so peaceful and serine. A man started gently strumming his guitar which complimented the sound of the running water and its echoes. I don’t know how long I sat there. Taking in the candlelight, the incense and the soothing sounds of the water. I didn’t want to leave. I felt so relaxed, at ease and at peace. In the end the rumbling of my stomach made me leave very reluctantly. I will definitely be revisiting the white spring temple as that feeling I felt whilst I was there is so addicting.

    Thankyou for taking the time to read this. Please be sure to subscribe for more adventures. Also please take the time to vist my other posts.

    You can also find regular updates on my adventures on bluesky

    Happy adventuring!

  • Glastonbury – First day and the Tor

    Hello Adventurers!

    Recently I took myself on another adventure to Glastonbury. I chose to visit Glastonbury because I hadn’t been there in over 10 years and it wasn’t too far to get to via public transport from where I am.

    Whilst most people these days would associate Glastonbury with its yearly muddy music festival, it has actually long been a place of magic and mystery. It coaxes the curiosities of those seeking spirituality and even pilgrimage. Full of sacred sites and old magic, Glastonbury is the home of many people who celebrate diversity and spirituality. Its often thought that the new age beliefs started here.

    First day

    Using the technology of Google maps, I found which bus stop I needed to get off at to get to my B&B. There wasn’t a sign on the building so I nervously knocked on the door and which was answered by a gentleman who seemed surprised to see me. He was expecting a French lady (which I am not). After checking my email it turned out for whatever reason I had the entirely wrong B&B name in my head. We had a laugh about it and he gave me directions to my actual B&B. I apologised for the confusion but he was very nice and understanding and I went on my way.

    My actual B&B was about a 10 minute walk from where I was which wasn’t an issue in itself however my rucksack was feeling heavy and I could not wait to put it down. On my walk I took in the new environment and relaxed. I arrived at my actual B&B and the owners greeted me and showed me to my room. The room was beautiful and I quickly put my things away so I could go out and do a little bit of exploring.

    I headed down the high street and admired the many colourful and unique shops and people along the way. Each person just happily doing their own thing, wearing whatever they wanted without judgement or not even caring if people wanted to judge. I admired the street art and the few people selling their wares on the street such as paintings and handmade jewellery. I started mentally planning the next days activities and noted the opening times for the abbey. I knew the weather forecast was not looking great for the next day but I was determined to fit in as much as I could in that one day. I walked around admiring everything for a couple of hours before finding a pub to have some dinner.

    After dinner I did some more exploring making myself familiar with my surroundings. I went back past my B&B and took note of when the Chalice Well and gardens were open and carried on down the road before seeing a sign post for the Tor. I walked up a little way knowing I was not prepared for that walk yet and found the White Springs. It was closed but I could see through the gate the candles that were lit and listened to the sound of the water running through it. I stood there a while mesmerised by the extremely relaxing sound of the water and its echoes and found it extremely hard to walk away from it. This was definitely on my to do list for the next day.

    With a plan in place for a day of adventure I went back and retired to my room for the evening.

    The Tor

    I woke up early the next day and checked the weather on my phone. It was still predicting rain all day but it wasn’t currently raining. After a battle with my brain I got up and had a coffee. I managed to convince myself my main aim was to tackle the Tor and if I didn’t do it there and then, then I wouldn’t do it and my trip would have been for nothing. I got dressed and packed my backpack with what I needed including my water bottle! Confident I had everything I needed I started my trek.

    I walked past the White Springs and filled up my water bottle and headed up the road a little bit before turning on to the footpath. It was overcast but not raining, the birds were out singing their morning melody and I took everything in. There were a few campers in the field but not many other people around. I went through the gate and started up the stairs to the Tor.

    I had to stop a few times to catch my breath and luckily there were not many people around to witness how unfit I am. Every time I stopped I took the time to look around at the view which was more breath-taking every time I stopped. I eventually made it to the top of the Tor. Out of breath, panting, feeling my heart wouldn’t stop pounding for at least a year, I felt a sense of achievement. Glad I had made myself get out of bed and do this. I looked around at the horizon pinpointing Brean down, Crooks peak, Steep Holm and Brent Knoll mentally planning future walks.

    After taking everything in and my heart rate had reduced to its normal state, I started my walk down. I had every intention to go and find a cafe for some breakfast and a well needed cup of tea however, I got distracted by another footpath and decided to follow it to see where it went. I rambled around taking this and that path, listening to the birdsong and all the sights. I thought about how nice it was just to disconnect from the world and reconnect with nature. With the everyday hustle and bustle and the fast pace of this modern world it was just so nice and relaxing to slow it down and forget everything else, just living in the moment.

    I had realised I had circled around the bottom of the Tor and came back to where I started my ascent. I saw a few people out and about starting their morning walks and a few just sat taking in the environment and even meditating. Others were grounding themselves by taking off their footwear and connecting with the earth. Not caring what anyone else thought and just taking in nature. I headed back to the B&B to change as my feet and trousers were wet from the early morning rainfall before doing some more exploring.

    Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you havent already please subscribe and dont forget to share. I will be posting the next part of my Glastonbury journey soon so please dont miss out on that. You can aslo get regular updates on my adventures between blog posts here at Bluesky and Instagram.

    If you havent already please check out my other post about my adveture at Weymouth.

    Weymouth- Morning Walks

  • Weymouth- Morning Walks

    Weymouth- Morning Walks

    A refreshing trip

    Hello Adventurers!

    I wanted to tell you about my recent trip to Weymouth. I will be doing this is a few parts so please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything! If you haven’t yet read the about page here is a brief description of my blog. I recently decided I wanted more adventures in my life and to achieve that without driving I have decided to have walking adventures. I am also hoping this will improve my overall physical and mental health at the same time.

    I recently went away to Weymouth for a break with my teenager (16). Before anyone starts moaning and groaning I will state this now. The teenager will be referred to as ‘the teenager’ and there will be no photos of the teenager in my posts. This is purely to protect the teenagers identity as we live in a nightmare world of technology. The teenager will not be in all of my posts as teenagers in general do not want to hang with their mums as it is, however on this occasion this was a trip for myself and said teenager as we both needed a break.

    We had a short stay at a caravan site and during this stay I would go on morning walks. We were fortunate enough to be placed right next to a walking trail which I immediately took advantage of. Running past the River Jordan the natural ambiance was beautiful. The morning sky, the sound of the river, the birdsong and the overall smell of fresh air just instilled how much I needed this break, away from home and the hustle and bustle of work. I felt all of my stress just release from me like a heavy load being unleashed into the atmosphere.

    I chose to walk the hill path excited to see the view that lay ahead. This was when I realised my first noob mistake. (Actually it was second noob mistake, my first was wearing sandles on this walk). I wish I had brought some water. Panting, glad there were no witnesses to my complete lack of fitness and thinking ‘well if I die at least i will have a good view’ I made it to the summit and appricitated the bench that was situated there. Catching my breath I took in the view. I could see the beach in front of me, the rolling hills all around and the Osmington White Horse. I took some pictures to commemorate my hilly achivement.

    For those who are not aware there are several chalk figures calved into hillsides in the UK and the Osmington White Horse is one such carving. It depicts King George the 3rd riding his horse and was created in 1808. It was restored in 1989 for a tv show, although some people criticised it claiming it caused more harm than good and in 2011 some unknown pranksters added a horn made of plastic sheeting to turn it into a unicorn!

    After I had recovered I started my decent and made my way to the pebbled beach at Bowleaze cove. I took a few minutes to take in the sea air and just listen to the melodic sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline. I thought about recording the sound just to listen to it again as it was so calming. I then headed back to camp. I took the path that went around the hill as I knew I was not able to climb the hill again my legs already reminding me I had worked them harder than they expected. I got in and the teenager was still asleep. They hadnt even known I was gone.

    Morning Walk #2

    Morning 2 I took a slightly different route and followed a publlic footpath. I ended up in the next camping site and felt a little bit like a criminal walking to the exit hoping I wasnt going to get arrested! I made my way back to Bowleaze Cove and walked a little around the coast before spotting a staircase leading up. Navigating the pebbly beach and the rocks I felt greatful that today I had chosen to wear my trainers.

    I walked past the magnificent looking but also abandoned Riviera Hotel. After a bit of reading I discovered it was built in the 1930s but has been sold numerous times. It was used in WW2 to house disabled evacuee children under 14 years of age. After which it was bought by Pontins to be a part of the Pontins group. In 1960 the ballroom suffered a fire, leaving a 15ft hole in the floor. in 1968 there was another fire that affected the central parts of the building but guests were able to return after 2 hours. It has changed hands a few times since then but now lies dormant and is listed as a building at risk due to decline and neglect.

    I continued past and headed up the hill, again waiting to see what sights I would be met with. (I would like to point out here that this is where again I realised I didn’t bring water and I am an idiot). The path itself was hilly, and baron except for a few bushes here and there. However, what else do you expect from a windy coastal path? The views again were breath taking and looking out to the sea I wondered what it would be like to be a fish or a dolphin or any sea creature being able to swim freely around. Another point to note is where I am from our ‘sea’ is brown so whenever I see a sea that isn’t brown it still amazes me.

    I wanted to push further and walk further along the cliffside and see more amazing views, but I had to start heading back before I either got lost or the teenager started wondering where I was. I walked down the other side of the hill and followed the path back to camp.

    The teenager was actually up this time and I requested they got ready so we could carry out our plans for the day which was visiting the subtropical gardens in Abbotsbury. You can see how the trip to the gardens went in a later post so subscribe so you don’t miss it, or if you are reading this at a later date hopefully future me will have inserted a link to the blog post here somewhere.

    I hope you have enjoyed the first in what I hope is many adventures to come. Comment below your thoughts and don’t forget sharing is caring. I am also on bluesky so if you want to follow me there for regular updates and bonus bits feel free

    https://bsky.app/profile/walkingadventures.bsky.social

    Happy Adventures 🙂