Jeri’s Steps: 31,349
Miles walked: 12.2
Elevation: 1,538
Pints: 2
Churches: 1
Stiles: none
Benches: 2

Today started with a climb on roads and across arable fields and morphed into the familiar Devon routine of roller coaster ups and downs as our way dipped down for each stream, but after only a few hours we were definitely in descent mode heading for the canal. The only church was Butterleigh, a small simple church with an 13th century font and a 17th century ‘poor box’. Lunch was taken sitting on the ground with our backs to a farm gate; our earlier generous cooked breakfast provided the protein.

The Grand Western Canal ran between Taunton and Tiverton and was originally conceived as part of a larger plan, dating back to 1796, to bypass Land’s End. An additional purpose of the canal was the supply of coal and limestone. The planned canal link was never finished due to the coming of the railways. The Devon section was completed in 1814 and the Somerset one in 1839. The canal towpath was the only place today where we saw other walkers. In fact for days now we have been the only people hiking; this seems very odd, but maybe it is a continuing legacy of the coronavirus lockdowns.

On June 20th on our drive down to Cornwall to start the walk we stopped for lunch at a pub called the Globe, in the village of Sampford Peverell. Today we visited the pub once more, having this time walked it. The beer, Exmoor Avocet, was excellent and had immediate anti inflammatory properties.

The final mile was a quick march to Tiverton Parkway station; quick because we needed to catch the 16.41 train to Taunton, where we are staying for three nights.