5 Harriers made their way up early on the Friday night and managed to fit in a sneaky 5 mile rekkie run of the area before the rest of us rocked up later in the evening. Our accommodation was a characterful old barn, down a very rickety farm track that proved quite difficult for many of us to find, even with maps and sat-navs. After at least 30 minutes of trial-and-error style searching down various nearby country lanes, we knew that we were to be in for a peaceful weekend, getting up close and personal with nature! The bunk house might have been rustic and simply furnished, but it was certainly cosy too with a very welcome log-burning stove to heat the place up. It wasn't long before we were fed and watered - well, in the case of some of us who would prefer to remain nameless, not so much watered exactly but sloe-ginned - and heading off to bed. Getting into bed was a workout in itself for those of us who had bagged top bunks - a well-timed, rather deft, swing-and-launch manoeuvre was required in order to land safely within the welcoming arms of one's mattress and sleeping bag, but once in, the beds were very comfy and snug.
Northcott Farm camping barn near Dulverton: our home for the weekend
The next morning we split off into three groups, depending on what sort of distance and type of run people fancied. The fast boys - Tony and Adam - headed out first for a brisk 8 miler on the nearby river and forest tracks. For us parkrun addicts, the chance to try out the new Taunton parkrun that was launching that morning was too tempting to pass up and so Carly, Matt and myself headed off there to run a swift 5k. Alison is nursing an injury, so she had a leisurely stroll down to Dulverton to buy some tasty treats at the local bakers and the remaining Harriers - Stan, Joan, Lorraine, Terry, Lisa and Chairman Bob, all set off on a tough 12 miler.
What goes up must then come down: Lisa and Bob at the beacon above Dulverton
Their 12 mile run turned into an epic 3 hour slog: the refreshments sign only rubbed salt into the already seeping, sore wounds!
Chairman Bob navigates a stream: stunning running around Dulverton.
Terry, Stan, Lorraine and Bob wash the mud off their legs and try to breathe life back into them at the same time with a fresh water ice bath!
In the afternoon, we all jumped into cars and drove to the nearby Wimbleball reservoir, where we enjoyed a stroll at a more leisurely pace down the trails to the dam. Having a 4 year old with us, in the form of Tilly Hatchard, proved to be the perfect excuse for us adults to join her in acting daft and playing on all the fun equipment in the adventure playground on the way back!
Group shot of the merry campers, on the dam at Wimbleball Reservoir.
Carly wasn't making Adam's acrobatic display any easier by tickling him!
Yeh, I conquered this beast of a boldering rock, without ropes. I also run in my spare time. It's no biggie. ;-)
After all that fresh air, we all had very hearty appetites and so the pies and pasties that we bought at the local Dulverton bakery were a very welcome treat. Accompanied by a huge vat of mashed potato and various veg, all cooked on the wood burner, we dined like kings and queens. Most of us were in bed by 9pm that night, tired but with full and satisfied bellies, we all slept like logs!
The perfect end to a day filled with fresh air and exercise: pie and mash!
The next morning, some people headed out for a last early morning run before packing up our things and vacating the bunk house, whilst some of us had to drive to Dorset to rekkie the last leg of the Parrett Trail relay for the following week.
All in all it was a great weekend in a lovely setting and at only £20 each, it was a bargain. Big thanks go to Terry for organising it all. Where to next time then?!
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