When we decided to come to Minehead I did a lot of looking at google maps to see if there were any biking trails and good walks. Staying on the coast of course you have the south west coastal path which runs for hundreds of miles.

Over the years I have done bits and pieces of it here and there. It’s so nice hiking by the sea, the sound, the smells and of course the views are fantastic. When the path turns inland you get the contrast of open fields and woods etc.

Yesterday I did a Seven mile hike, leaving the campsite and heading for the seafront and then turning right and walking along the seafront past the harbour and to the start of the coast path. You pass a loverly sculpture of some hands holding a map so you know you’re going the right way.

You also pass some old cottages which have stood there for years and years and have been battered by winter storms, high tides etc but are still standing after all these years. They don’t build them like this now that’s for sure. In between two of the cottages is a small little cottage which looks like it’s a pit building which it may have been at one stage but is now a small cottage.

My hike started off nice and level beside the sea and then soon reached a point where I was going up through the woods, and when I say up it was up and up some more. My legs were burning, my heart was thumping but I felt good. Must admit my hips and legs are a bit sore this morning after the just over seven miles and and just over 900 ft of climbing yesterday.

Another thing on my to do list while here was to hike to Dunster and hike up to the Conygar tower on the hill in Dunster. This was just over five miles and only just over 500ft of elevation but the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.

The Conygar tower was built in the 17th century, it’s a circular three story folly tower of red sandstone. Stands 18 metres tall and there is no evidence of it ever having a roof or floors.

The tower looked great in the sunlight and also made some great photos with the shadows and sunlight. I was up there all alone with this tower and nature, apart from the birds singing. You will see from the photos I like to take arty farty photos also.

After dragging myself away and walking down into Dunster which is a loverly old village with just a few shops, cafes and of course a couple of pubs. The roads are narrow and at one point you have to navigate your way around a structure called the Yarn market. This building was built in 1609 when Dunster was a cloth trading place. The building is octagonal and when stood inside you can just imaging all the traders that would have traded in the building over all those years.

A bike ride was also done this week to Watchet. About 16 miles and 800ft elevation. Again going along the coast as much as possible and then the back roads. And a couple of days later another bike ride up to Bossington hill and back down through the woods on the bridle paths. This ride also included a stop at St Michaels church, no not because I have gone all religious or that it’s named after me, not the saint bit. Just because I wanted to get a photo of the old steps that lead up to it through the cottages. It was built in the 15th century.

Now it was Nikki’s turn to come out with me, she’s not a biker or hiker. She has been away because of MiMi being back in hospital so Nikki has been staying at her flat and visiting her. She came back and I said we were having a day out.

Again I had been looking at google maps and discovered a beach I wanted to visit. Nikki was up for it so we headed out in the car to East Quantoxhead beach. You park in a little sleepy village, no pub in this one just a few old cottages, church and farm buildings and as it’s a proper old village a duck pond. You park on a bit of wasteland and there is a honesty box for your carpark money £1.50 for all day. I love things like that and hope it doesn’t get abused by peaple that think life is a free ride. The money goes towards maintaining the church.

While I was putting my boots on Nikki went and paid and then I heard her voice over the stone wall..I need another £3.50 Bloody hell I thought the church had fallen down and needed a complete rebuild so the parking fees had gone up. No on the other side of the wall was a little wooden structure with apples and bottles of apple and ginger drink, homemade by someone in the village so she had to have some. I think she thought it was wine.

It’s about a twenty minute to the beach from the carpark across the fields and then you get to the beach. It’s not a sandy beach but a beach with the most amazing rock formations and it’s also known to have a lot of fossils. Well there were two extra fossils today looking for others.

The little red dot at the end of that rock face is Nikki searching for fossils. And yes we did find some, not huge big fantastic ones but we did find some. I was just blown away with the rock formations with so many different kinds from the ones in the picture above to smooth rock and even some that looked like block paving. So many different kinds in such a small area.

After we left the beach we called into Watchet so Nikki could see it and I even treated her to lunch in the pub. All in all a great day out.

Here we are at Minehead in Somerset. I can’t help thinking it was named after a German, it’s just the word Minehead. Every time I hear it said I hear it in a German accent.

Minehead is an old seaside town which has been added to over the years much like a lot of seaside towns. The old part is loverly with old cottages and thatched cottages on the hillside. Butlins came here in 1962 and brings in thousands of people to Minehead in the summer. The town part I don’t like, it’s to much bucket and spade brigade for me.

I would never come here in the summer, that’s when it fills up with lots of blokes wearing football shirts and mums shouting at the kids to come here. All heading for the amusement arcades to spend all their dole money then to the nearest pub to drink as much lager as they can before falling over while mum is still shouting for little Leroy to come back.

I nearly forgot. Happy new year to you all. I was planning on a dry January, no beer and no chocolate or crisps for a month. How did it go I hear you cry. I lasted three days before giving in, don’t know why I bother saying I am going to do it really. But I am getting off my arse and out on my bike and hiking after having a lazy can’t be bothered two months.

Minehead has a old railway station and the old steam trains are running in the summer months. At the moment all the carriages are parked up at the station waiting for the better weather and all them little Leroys.

While here we had to go back to Barnstaple for the dentist and to see Mi Mi. The drive from here is not a good one and takes over an hour on some not so good roads at this time of year. Dentist robbed us of £360 pounds, why can’t I earn that sort of money for an hours work. I know why because I never went to school enough.

By the time we left the dentist and Mi Mi it was getting towards dusk and the country roads around Exmoor were looking nice. We saw a huge herd of deer, a couple of hawks and right next to us on a fence post as we drove past a barn owl .

After talking like we were drunk because of the anaesthetic from the dentist all the way home and spilling my drink of water where my mouth was not working like it should. All was well though by the time Nikki had cooked tea. There’s not a lot will get between me and my food.

The next day I went out on my bike up Bossington hill which has some great views overlooking Porlock bay although it was a bit murky due to the low cloud but at least it was a 15 mile bike ride done with a nice downhill section at 44 mph.

All around Minehead are little peaple made from scrap by a local guy who was unemployed. He started cleaning up Minehead to keep himself busy and then started making these little characters for the local businesses and they can be seen in so many places. Really brings a smile to faces when you spot them.

We are here for a few weeks yet, so lots of exploring to do on foot and on bike and some trips out in the car planned. Lots of photo opportunities and maybe a pub or two. Maybe next year I can aim for 4 days of New Years resolutions before I give in. Stay safe everyone.

Just before we left South molton I had to go and get my booster jab at the leisure centre. Nikki went to see her mum while I walked across to the leisure centre via the riverbank path. It was a shame Nikki could not get hers at the same time but she could not get booked in until a week later and hers was in Minehead.

The walk to the leisure centre could be taken by going through the town, not for me or along the riverbank. It’s not a long walk and you’re never far from the town but far enough for me. After passing under the old Barnstaple bridge through the subway with its graffiti which I must admit I quite liked as it was bright in an otherwise dull place. Better than just some scribble or tags as they’re called which look like a five year old found a can of spray paint and used it up.

After you cross the old bridge you again walk along the riverbank for a short stretch to the leisure centre. Along the river bank are an assortment of old boats which have been there for years, never moved just slowly rotting away but some are more presentable than others.

One looks like it’s lived in and a bike business is run from it. There used to be a shop in the town that was piled high with old bikes of all shapes and sizes and an old guy called Gordy would do repairs outside the shop for anyone passing. He was well known in the town and used by many. The shop was sold a long time ago so it looks like Gordy moved on the boat and took a lot of his bikes with him.

The leisure centre was very well organised for the jabs and speaking to one of the helpers she said they had jabbed 3500 people the day before and were expecting to do more on the day I was there and were even staying open until midnight.

We spent the rest of the day with Nikki’s mum before heading back to South molton for our last night there before heading to Dulverton in Somerset. A site we have used before.

The reason we like Dulverton is because it’s a small quiet village, no road noise, a river runs beside it which you can hear gurgling at night and with the owls in the woods the other side of the river hooting it’s all very nice. Oh I nearly forgot to mention it has a couple of really nice pubs which you have to support while there. That’s the rules.

The woods on the riverbank opposite the campsite is where I do a lot of walking, I find it so peaceful up in the woods but it’s a hard uphill climb to to get there. Nikki prefers to walk around all the old streets. We also had a drive up to Minehead while here to get Nikki her third jab.

Another nice feature is the old church which I have taken many pictures of. One day last week the mist come in and the whole of Dulverton looked all gloom and when it got dark it only added to the atmosphere. So while Nikki was cooking tea in the warm I ventured out to take some photos. Heading for the church and hoping with the fog it was going to add to the atmosphere.

The church did look nice in this sort of light and as I walked up through the town it was really quiet and with mist around it looked like something out of an old film set where in those days you get all the smog hanging around. I didn’t stay out long because I knew my tea was cooking but must admit I did struggle to walk past the pub looking in through the window with the log fire going and cosy atmosphere with a good selection of beers on tap. But I managed to get past.

Tomorrow we head off again to a site just on the outskirts of wellington for a couple of nights and then from there up to Minehead. I will keep you all posted as usual and as usual stay safe out there. We wish you all a happy new year.