The A390 is a busy road and not a great one to walk along but within 2 miles of the start of Day 9 that’s where I was. This main road and its associated villages, the three Taphouses, were the main feature of the morning walk. There was a back road at West Taphouse, a beautiful lane with its unique array of flowers. Middle Taphouse was the most challenging of the three with little or no grass verge and a sharp bend in the middle. That left East Taphouse; fairly straightforward as it did have a foot way at least partially.
So what us it with all these Taphouses? I assume it was a row of pubs. The Old Taphouse in East Taphouse still has a notice to identify it.
Off the A390 at last the most disappointing aspect of the morning was the news that the local pasty vendor does not sell hot pasties on Wednesdays. A nearby notice tried to cheer me up with the news I was only 777 miles from John O’Groats (we can’t verify the accuracy of this information).
Today’s route went right past the holiday Park where we are staying at Doublebois. So I popped in for lunch and a snooze.
The second half of the day and a completely different road: much quieter and with more borders of flowering edges on both sides. I made quite quick progress,and soon arrived at Redgate Cross where the main challenge was finding the cross or at least what was left of it (shaft only).
Bob came to meet me and we made a short side visit to the nearby Golitha Falls. The woodland here will shortly be covered in bluebells. A quick ride over some of tomorrow’s route secured us an ice cream at a local shop. Morning traffic had made for a challenging morning but over all good weather and cheerful flowers had helped me along.
The traffic snarls, surrounding me like the Bulls of Bashan.
Sharp bends and the cresting hills obscure my view.
When there is no verge I rely on drains and ditches as places of refuge.
Even though this is a challenging way, I reach the end.
Wisdom ushers me along, making sure I seek clear sightlines and sensible places to cross.
I am delivered from traffic, noise and stress and the flower lined green lanes return to guide me home.
JAL 10.04.2019
Day 9 of the End to End, Fairy Cross Farm to Redgate Cross.
I love the reference to the Bulls of Bashan in Psalm 22.