Walking from Simonsbath to Cow Castle

Last week I decided it was time to try and get outside a little more, exercise and improve my fitness levels, so I went for a walk.

I’ve always been curious about a place called Cow Castle, which is about three miles from a little village called Simonsbath, in the middle of Exmoor. It’s not a castle, so don’t expect ramparts, iron gates and turrets. It is apparently the site of an Iron Age settlement, being a hill in a valley surrounded by other hills and a river, making it a great place to defend I’m sure.

Another feature of the walk is the ruins of a former cottage and mine, at a place called Wheal Eliza, which wasn’t exciting in itself, but was in a beautiful location.

It was one of those walks where the walk itself was beautiful, the destination was irrelevant, the trees were lush, covered in moss, the views were great, wild blackberries were growing along the way providing nourishment, and the Exmoor Forest Inn provided welcome refreshment at the end!

Hopefully this week I’ll get out again and share some photos from another walk. Until then, enjoy these shots from along the way…