Outside the tent i could hear the waves slapping hard against the rocks. Gradually i rose and made myself breakfast. Clevedon was a couple of miles along the cliffs and it didn't take long for me to reach it.
On the far side i put the town behind me and with my sights set on getting to western super mare i ventured along the sea wall knowing that I had now left the coastal path and would have to make up my own route which would involve negotiating a wide and muddy river. If the tide was in i was sure I'd be able to paddle across but if it was out then as long as the muddy banks were reasonably solid I'd take a chance and atrempt to wade through. I wouldn't know until i arrived.
At this point i couldn't see the river i was to tackle but i knew it was waiting for me. As i carried on following the seawall i began to feel anticipation as well as apprehension. It was quite normal whenever I entered or approached the unknown.
Soon arriving on the muddy banks i looked up and down along its length. The tide was well on its way out. What was left was a narrow and what appeared to be a shallow channel running down the middle. It was immediately obvious hoolley would be staying packed away in my backpack. The question was would i be able to simply walk across. The mud looked soft like a chocolate mouse. I needed to come up with a way of checking how solid it was before committing to a decision.
Putting my pack down i searched for a reasonable sized rock. Having found one weighing a couple of kilos i gingerly made my way towards the soft banks through the bog weed. With an underarm through i launched the rock about halfway between the water and myself. As the rock flew gracefully through the air it landed with precision and promptly disappeared silently leaving nothing but a deep square shaped hole. The river banks had well and truly claimed my test apparatus. It didn't take long a mere few seconds to decide i had no other choice than to walk along the river until i could cross.
The weather was now beginning to change, the wind increased and clouds covered the sky. It was a fair hike but i did eventually find a sluece gate where i was able to cross. Heavy plant machinery were doing some heavy excavation nearby and i got the distinct impression i wasn't supposed to be there. Keeping a low profile I ducked down behind grass banks that ran the length of the river and headed back towards the coast.
Ahead of me was a headland which at one time had been used by the mod as a firing range. As i got closer i could see that it was no longer in use. The steel security fences were old and rusty and a hole had been cut allowing for easy access. Squeezing through the gap bur only just i entered the military range and hiked towards the far end of the compound finding another hole in the fence to make my exit.
My energy did feel low, i was drained the wind can often have that effect. I continued on though and if you were to ask me where or how i found the energy i simply wouldn't be able to answer you. I simply focussed on the horizon and kept putting one foot in front of the other. I was heading to sandy point. The tip of a headland, a turning point, it was sandy point.
Reaching the tip i could see out to the horizon and the next stage of the days hike. From sandy point I'd have to hike a long sandy beach then head up into a woodland and on to western super mare. Having crossed the beach but before entering the woods i took my pack off to give my shoulders a rest.
The woodland walk was pleasant and a well maintained footpath made the rest of the hike easy going. Great efforts had been taken to look after the woods with thinning projects to allow light to penetrate the deepest recesses abd allow a diverse range of natural plant life and wildlife to flourish.
Leaving the woodland i entered the concrete habitation of western super mare and made my way to the lifeboat station where i met the crew. They'd just been out on a shout less than half hour earlier. After a quick break i continued along the promenade the wind was still high with wind surfers and kite boarders enjoying the thrill and power of the waves.
The path now seemed to disappear among the sand dunes but with the tide out i decided to continue along the beach. Reaching the end i turned inland and headed through a nature reserve. I was looking now to find somewhere away from civilisation to camp. The evening was drawing in so i took a moment to take a look at the local satellite images to attempt to identify somewhere quite. Seeing what looked like a water treatment plant near to a sluece gate i had been made aware of whilst visiting the lifeboat station in western.
Deciding it was within walking distance and would allow me to start the following day in a good position to cross the river i set off. I didn't walk far before i met a man carrying a large rucksack, his tent was scrunched up and hanging off the back. His shoes were old and worn and the bottoms of his trousers and cuffs of his jacket torn. He was stood in front of a gate unable to pass through having a small hurd of young cows blocking his passage.
I went over "they can be a right bugger can't they, you camping?" I said tying to strike up a conversation. He turned to me slowly, he was young but his face weathered. It was apparent he'd fallen on bad times. I wondered if he was travelling around or if he stayed in town during the day but headed out into the wild at night seeking safety from solitude. "You can never be sure of them" he said. "Where you headed?" I asked. "To the water treatment works" he replied. "Sounds lovely, lets see if i can get them to move" i nodded at the cows and went over to the gate. Pushing it open against one of the young heifers. At first it didn't budge it just looked at me. I pushed harder to let it know who was boss. In a raised voice i told it to move. Sure enough it worked the cows bunched and let me passed. As i strode off and made my way through i glanced back and called back "thats how you do it. You just got to ve assertive". I expected the man to follow but he simply stood there in what i imagined was disbelief as the cows returned to there original position.
After walking for a few miles and with night beginning to fall i came to the treatment works but kept going determined to pitch up next to the sluece gates. Thankfully i didn't have much further to go before i arrived at the river. i could see the sluece gates were fenced off which meant I'd have a little challenge the following morning.
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