Grand Western Canal

JC and I walked the Grand Western Canal over 3 days recently.  We selected it as my sciatica is bad and I wanted somewhere flat and unchallenging to walk.  You can't get much flatter than a canal (unless you march up and down a runway).  We randomly started in the middle and walked west.  If I'd known we were going to complete the whole thing I would, have course, been more organised and walked from one end to the other.  However, it's probably only me that this bothers.

1. The first time we walked from Halberton to Tiverton Canal (and back of course) - 14.9 km.

2. The second time we started from the most easterly point, Lowdwells Lock, and walked west, pivoting back at Sampford Peverell - 16.8 km.

3. And the third time we walked from Sampford Peverell to Halverton and back - 7.1 km.

The Grand Western Canal was opened in 1814 between Tiverton and the limestone quarries at Westleigh (near Lowdwells Lock).  The ambition was to create a cross Devon/Somerset canal - from the Exe to the Severn Estuary.  Although they gave up on this idea, in 1838 it was extended to Taunton.  As we all know, the advent of the railways quashed the profitability of the canal trade and in 1925 the canal was left unused due to persistent leaks and lack of traffic.

The canal was earmarked for in-filling in the 1970s when the successful 'save the canal' campaign enabled Devon County Council to take on ownership.  The most feasible statutory tool it had was to designate it as a Country Park, so now we have the Grand Western Canal Country Park.

We enjoyed our walk, which had lots of pretty views/bridges.

This is the most easterly end where the canal stops.

The only canal traffic we saw were kayakers.  As this is a 'closed' canal, with no water entry/exit,  the only canal boats will have been craned in and stay going up and down, until they are lifted off.

I think this marker was how many miles to Tiverton basin.

And these are the lime kilns, near the eastern end.

All in, a lovely few days walking there and back on a flat terrain with views, bridges, ducks, geese and moorhens to amuse me.

Shute Barton and Bella the cow

On an April Saturday recently, I visited the National Trust property Shute Barton.  It's only open for visitors a few times a year so I joined a tour to explore this site.  It dates back to 1380 when it was originally built as a single dining hall with a massive fire place - apparently, the largest medieval fireplace in the UK.  It probably never had just one fire, but hosted a few smaller ones.  

It was an interesting tour hearing about all the modifications over the centuries.  At one stage it was one of the largest unfortified manor houses in England - but it was part dismantled in the 18th century to build the new Shute house.  

The gatehouse was designed by Sir William Pole in 1587.  The side arms were added by the Victorians quite a bit later.

Was most interested to see this tapestry, relocated from Antony House, which the Carew Pole family also owned (left image).  It's very similar to the one JC has in his dining room which his Mum sewed (right) - same lady, a unicorn, a lion same trees, same flags etc.

After the tour I popped into Shute church for a cup of tea.  Also bagged the benchmark ;-)

As Axminster was just around the corner, I decided to explore.  Turns out it wasn't as big as I thought, but it had a great coffee shop, interesting buildings and, of course, the Minster of Ax.  I think the benchmark in the stonework has eroded and all you can now see is the nail.

I wandered down to see the River Axe which wasn't as eye catching as the interesting old building next to it.  And somewhen during my explorations I found a concrete cow and herder which Google informs me are Bella and Farmer Fred.