Synopsis: Inspiration for this walk came from my Shell Guide to Devon, in which it talks of a beautiful Norman font in the church at Dunkeswell. The early morning brought with it a severe frost.
This was new territory for me to explore. I needed to make an early start (5:30am alarm call) for this walk to be possible on a January day when the days are short. There was a reasonable distance to be covered, so although the walk included some sightseeing, there was little time to dawdle, especially as I wanted to be home in time for badminton in the evening. The walk was in part inspired by a photo of the Norman font of Dunkeswell Church that I’d seen in the Shell Guide of Devon, a copy of this guide I’d picked up last year for £5. The church font looked to be well worth closer inspection.
Hemyock - town pump - 1902, cast iron
The Shell Guide on Hemyock: “Unlovely village, but good things in it.” Now, isn’t that a lovely turn of phrase. I rather suspect the influence of Sir John Betjeman who was one of the co-editors of this book, as he was never one to shy away from saying what he thought. I suppose, for the sightseer, it doesn’t have much to recommend it, but I would think it a pleasant place to live. Here is the Shell Guide on the village pump: “Town pump, 1902, cast iron like dripping wax and economically celebrating the reign of Victoria, the coronation of Edward and the peace in South Africa.” Lovely! Well, when funds are short one has to do what one can to stretch those pounds.
Dunkeswell Abbey - chapel (1842)
Half way between Hemyock and Dunkeswell are the remains of Dunkeswell Abbey, a Cistercian abbey that was quite formidable in its day, a day that came to an end with the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. The ruins include part of the Abbey gate house and some of the Abbot’s house. Once again I do like the Shell Guide’s description of the chapel built on the site in 1842, which it describes as, “rather dull”. Fair comment I’d say.
Dunkeswell Abbey - chapel (1842) - 13c stone coffin of Lord William de Brewer, founder of the Abbey
Apparently two 13c stone coffins were discovered in the excavations of the old Abbey church, one of which is thought to probably be that of Lord William de Brewer, who founded the Abbey in 1201.
Dunkeswell Aerodrome
I deliberately planned the next stretch of the walk to loop up by Dunkeswell Aerodrome, as I thought I might see some light aircraft taking off and landing. I was not disappointed. As this was such a beautiful still day with a crystal clear blue sky, the pilots were out in their hordes. The sky was full of little jalopies buzzing around like gnats in the air. I was left with the impression that I was watching a flying tractor circus display, as that was the sound that many of the motors brought to mind.
Dunkeswell - church - Norman font
The thing that sparked this walk in my imagination was, as mentioned previously, seeing a photograph of the Norman font in the church at Dunkeswell. I do love all things Norman, and this looked to be a particularly fine example of a Norman font. I wasn’t disappointed on seeing the font; the carvings are exquisite. Sometimes Norman carvings will be simple geometric patterns that repeat, but here are beautifully carved figurines. Rather than be perfectly natural they’re somewhat stylised, but this adds to the magic and otherworldly look of them. The walk would have been worth it if this were all that were in its favour.
Awliscombe - church on a hill
There was no easy route for me to take for the relatively short distance between Awliscombe and Honiton, the most obvious direction being the main road (the A373). As I didn’t fancy this I plotted a tangential course along Greenway Lane up into a hilltop forest. This was quite a demanding climb, particularly considering I had to cover the distance quite quickly if I were to catch the 16:25 bus from Honiton. This stretch certainly got my heart and lungs well exercised.
This was a walk through lovely countryside with plenty of interesting things to see on route. The early start when the ground was white from severe overnight hoar frost, was particularly beautiful. It felt good to be out in the country walking again after rather a long break. A fine start to the new year.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 15.3 miles
Moving Time: 5hrs 31min
Stopped Time: 40min
Total Ascent: 560 metres
Maximum Elevation: 264 metres
Buses: 380, 20A & 52B
