Bit cloudy as I start from the eyri like wild camp of the night before and a chill is in the air, cold I wasn't tho the path was soon going uphill a long old drag from the village of Beacon, that certainly kept me toasty!
Hills in Devon couldn't be more different from their Cornish neighbours unlike Cornwalls sawblade hills and valleys these go just as high but once you're up it's a long long flat hilltop so progress can be really good! And good panoramic views pretty much wherever you look!
An old abandoned second world war RAF base had been converted into a race track very reminiscent of the shale way on the old training walk in Northamptonshire.
A shop stop at Churchinford supplied me with coffee and snacks and a chin wag with the locals before heading on reaching the northern edge of these Black down hills I enter the woods of the Neroche estate(?) and skirt along east with views through the trees to Taunton and off to the distant Quantock hills, where I descended the view north is so flat after the preceding weeks of hills and Moors and valleys the going will be much easier now!
After rerouting so I'm following a string of villages I pass through Staple Fitspaine with it's intricate church tower, Hatch Beauchamp and enter Curry Mallet a small village that's been around since the writing of the Magna carta!
This next part is what blew me away ....
The village pub The Bell Inn more importantly Sheree,Eloise and her team what incredibly nice people!!
They bent over backwards to help, finding me a pitch for the night as well as offers from the locals of a flat and other lands to camp on!!
Then they did a whip around for the charity!!!! Before giving me a sizable discount on my dinner and drinks!!!
This exceeds any of the kindness of strangers I've ever encountered on a trek!!! Just incredible!!!
You know where to come if you're in the area!!
Above and beyond!
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