Nash Point Lighthouse and St Donat's

On, then, from the loveliness of Llancarfan, past St Athan where my father was stationed after the war,  to the coast, hoping it would stop drizzling. Or at least I was. The dogs didn't care; Son the Younger had a sensible weather-proof coat with him; mine proved not to be in the boot of my car after all, but back at home.

We parked by the cafe at Nash Point, where a buoy with a bell heaves and subsides, heaves and subsides.

Exmoor was just visible across the Bristol Channel. 




The lighthouse station consists of two towers, the low (west) and high (east), which were both completed in 1832. 

The west tower saw service till the early 1920s.

The east tower became fully automated in 1998.

We were off amid soft rain and lark song ...

... soon to encounter a series of extremely dog-unfriendly stiles that blighted our route. 

Young puppers like Lucy can be carried over the ones she can't jump or squeeze through. 

For more señor dogs like Ted, who begin to resemble part of the landscape as they age, they are a Trial and an Indignity. Moreover, I couldn't have hoisted him over without help, and this would make this route impossible to walk alone. 

There was some bright fuzzy fungus, though ... 

... and some black mustard which is actually yellow and looked well against the unremitting grey of the sea. 

Red soldier beetles on hogweed

We left the coast just past the bottom of St Donat's College, skirting it as far as the road and then entering the grounds and walking down to the eponymous church ... 

... which is overlooked by the castle, which once belonged to William Randolph Hearst and was Much Visited by Famous People. (It's now an international Sixth Form College.) 

Fourteenth century churchyard cross

The thing I liked best inside the church was the Norman font, which is somehow very pleasing to the eye. 

And the thickness of the walls - I loved that too.

We were heading back towards Nash Point now, through more woods ... 

... over more uncompromising stiles ... 

... along field paths ... 

... and more bloody stiles ... 

... and another bloody church, thought everyone but me. 

Holy Trinity Church at Marcross dates from the 12th century. The saddleback roof to its tower reminds me of churches in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. 

It's really plain inside, rather like a Methodist chapel.

There's lots of Norman detailing, though. Including this huge font. Blimey. 

South doorway

Chancel arch

Detail of 13th century tomb

And anyhow, God must have been Watching all that church-hopping because the rain stopped. In fact, it was threatening to sun. 

We crossed Cwm Marcross and climbed the gully. Another high stone stile had us clambering over a broken fence instead, though it was way too close to the cliff edge for comfort. 

It was a lovely if tussocky stroll for just over a mile along the cliff tops to Cwm Nash, and then about turn to walk back to the car park. 

The layered rock and limestone pavements reminded me strongly of Kilve, which isn't surprising given it is just the other side of the Channel (and up a bit) from here. 

Poets are always instructed to show, not tell. I'll let the rest of the photos do that.

Our drive home was extended by two hours following a fatal car crash on the M4, a quarter of a mile ahead of our car, and it made me thankful for my beautiful day and any to come.

Colder than the Scales on a Mermaid's Tail

The forecast was brilliant sun, with a temperature of 5°C, so we promised Ted we'd take him to the beach for a nice long run the next morning. 

It was tipping with rain when we went to bed. So we didn't expect to wake up to snow all the way over to the Cotswolds. Still, the forecast still said sunny all day, and 6°C at Berrow, so we decided we Might Just Risk It. 

Once in Somerset there was a smudge of snow on the Mendips too, though not on nearby Brent Knoll.

It was sheltered winding our way along the sunken footpath between the thickets of thorn and sea buckthorn. Ted, who had sulked when we got into the car because he hadn't really understood the beach bit, brightened dramatically and led the way to the shore. There, however, a northerly wind was biting ... and it had put its teeth in. 

We'd arrived bang on high tide. Not only could you could see the sea, it had waves in it. There was snow on distant Exmoor ... 

... and on the probably-not-quite-as-distant-as-the-crow-flies Welsh hills ...

... but the freezing cold didn't put Ted off. 

In fact, it didn't put any of us off. We were having a lovely time. 

There was no sign of the wreck of the SS Nornen sticking up through the waves, even though the beach is very flat and the yellow buoys which mark the site looked as if they were close to the shore.

And the sanderlings which had been scurrying along the high tide line departed sharpish when Ted materialised. The oystercatchers hung around a little longer, though. 

We could only bear to walk into the wind as far as the first set of groynes. Up in the dunes, however, it was much balmier, and the views were gorgeous. 

Over to Steep Holm and the coast of Wales

Up to Brean Down

Over to Brent Knoll ... with a raven overhead

In fact, there were lots of ravens.

Looking down to the Quantocks

It was a mercy to turn our backs to the wind and walk back down the beach.  

Already the dark was seeping up from the ground as we made our way back through the dunes to the churchyard. But we were full of light.