Fresh Horizons

Winter weather has confined us to a five mile radius for months now but the other day brilliant sunshine tempted us further afield and we decided on the Brendon Valley for a lunch trip. We drove through Porlock along the scenic A39, up Porlock hill on to Exmoor and past the Doone Valley on the left, hidden in a steep sided combe. Just before Countisbury we took a left fork and dropped steeply down and down and down to the Brendon Valley and the East Lyn River.

In the past we have taken friends and family to walk beside the river, crossed over the bridge to the Rockford Arms and then along the road back to the Staghunter’s Hotel. One memorable time I took the girls and we had a picnic sitting on rocks in the midst of swirling waters. A less memorable occasion was when a jutting wall hit my car and quite spoilt my lunch and was the beginning of my dislike of driving.

Today we had a good lunch at the Staghunter’s and reminisced about previous trips here. As usual there were plenty of walkers with dogs, happy to introduce us to their animals and engage in friendly conversation – it’s that sort of place. It has a secret cut-off feeling and would be an ideal spot if one wanted to hide from the world. I once convinced myself that a chap in the bar was Salman Rushdie at the height of the fatwa and all the unpleasantness I didn’t want to blow his cover so didn’t utter. Maybe it was my over active imagination.