Day 2: Wells to Castle Cary
We head off in a general south-east direction, which we will maintain for our opening 5 day stint to our rest day on the coast at Southbourne. We get splendid views today, as we follow a section of the Monarch's Way, of Wells Cathedral behind us as we climb Worminster Down in the morning, and of the majestic Glastonbury Tor to our right for much of the day. Just before lunch we are just a few metres above sea level as we cross the eastern extent of the Glastonbury Levels. After lunch we go up and over Pennard Hill, then there is a long run-in as we see Castle Cary a long time before we reach it. We are in Somerset throughout today, and you can be sure that cider will feature!
Clock chimes 11: lights out.
Clock chimes 12: still awake.
Clock chimes 1, 2, 3, 4 ... still sleep does not come, though judging by the snoring it has come for others.
6:30 - time to rise! Have we slept at all? Dear Lord, why do we do this?
Anyway, we rise, breakfast, pack, then load the van.
Some slip next door to St Thomas' for the Anglican service. Others shelter inside the hall from the drizzle that greets us this morning.
Anyway, after setting out prayers we head down past the Cathedral...
...to the Catholic church of Ss Joseph and Theresa to join their parish mass...
...followed by coffee and a chance to chat to the locals.
Then through the town of Wells, and its unusual animal life...
...the back markers found time for a second breakfast.
As we headed south we got view of Glastonbury Tor.
Rolling pastures, cattle and mud!
We got various views of the Cathedral behind us.
The path turned into jungle warfare...
...with nettles, brambles, mud, fallen trees...
...and streams to cross.
A welcome at North Wootton...
...where Julia's dirty bottom...
...didn't put Danny off his tea!
The curate, Liz, led us in prayer then blessed us on our way.
The backmarkers found a friend, but he didn't turn into a prince when kissed.
Then disaster - the front markers arrived at the pub to find it had changed hands and was closed for refurbishment.
But Fred managed to get some beer from the bar so it wasn't a completely dry lunch, but those looking forward to a pub lunch or something other than lager were to be disappointed.
Maurice looked incongruous in CAMRA shirt with bottled lager
Self-sufficient David was probably the least disconcerted.
Soon after lunch there was the main hill of the day - a shady lane.
The afternoon was a string of difficult stiles...
...and some pleasant open fields.
We came across the cider shop. Most of the pilgrims rested on the grass...
...others partook of the liquid on sale...
...with predicable effects.
A little later, our first drink stop of the pilgrimage.
Then an amaizing experience - the sweet corn was taller than Patrick (but we didn't manage to lose him).
At Hornblotton the vicar led us in Compline before we enjoyed more tea and biscuits...
...and a chance to look at the interior decoration of this lovely Victorian church (one of the group of 6 pilgrim churches).
A final few miles, then we reached the village hall at Ansford on the edge of Castle Cary, directly opposite the school we stayed in in 1978.
Today's editor: Aidan Simons