Somerset: A land of orchards & cider, dairy & cheese, and very much a rural idyll. But it got me thinking, what makes an idyll?
We seek beauty, peacefulness and picturesque moments in all our trails, but just sometimes you head out on a walk that gives you a deeper feeling.
The little corner of Somerset I was exploring was captivating, not so much for dramatic landscapes, although I enjoyed the views, but for its peacefulness, timelessness and traditional rural life. You could lose the modern and wander in the sunshine with just the birdsong and hum of nature for accompaniment.
So it was that I wandered along quiet lanes of hedgerows, across meadows and through orchards. I called by an ancient church where the lives of the community can be traced back 900 years, the cool air inside the church and light cast from the medieval windows. Tables were still set up where the community had gathered just a few weeks ago for their Maundy Thursday supper, life and traditions still happening.
In the churchyard, a yew tree thought to be over a 1000 years old, older than the church it now shades.
Through the village of cottages built of local stone and thatch, to a cider farm. To see the orchards, the blossom and drink the cider is a wonderful circle of experience. Popping inside the farm shop too I picked up some local cheese and bread, all things of the land and tradition.
I finished my trail humbled, at peace, feeling the benefit of a rural idyll where simplicity, peacefulness and the picturesque all coincide.
David
We call this walk ‘Wake & Dock’ and it features as part of our King Arthur’s Trail 6 night trip. If you’d like to explore this idyllic corner of Somerset, visit our website page or send us an email.
