For the first time in 2019, snow fell across the south-west of England on the evening of Thursday 31st January. I drove through this in the early evening, before it had really begun to settle. Waking up the next morning, I soon received a text message to say that my employer would not be opening their doors for the day…
After a brief return to bed, I was ready to embark on my first snow day since March 2018.
I awoke in my tent, after my first night of camping down in South Somerset. My intention for this day was simple: leave the car alone and go for a walk that explores the immediate landscape. I’d already highlighted a nearby river that I could use as a guide to lead me on to Langport and back.
I hadn’t been out walking for a few days, despite having a lot of time to myself. I may refer to this time as ‘chilling out’, when in fact I was probably binge-watching Dartmoor-themed videos on YouTube!
Here I was though, standing at the close of 2017. Not willing to join the walking group on a windswept, snow-beaten trek up Pen Y Fan that evening… I decided to stay close to home and rediscover the Mendip Hills.
As far as I’m aware, Cadbury Hill near Yatton is the one former hillfort site that’s closest to my home in Wrington.
For a number of reasons, I’d not been there since February 2013. On this walk, I’d set off from my doorstep, leaving the car alone to head for its summit.
