LEJOG day 11: Bickleigh to Tracebridge

I am in Somerset! County number three! I have been in Somerset for about a mile and a half, but have walked along a road only about 200 feet over the border for most of that.

I walked along the A road from the bed and breakfast, taking a last photo of Bickleigh castle as I went (apparently the oldest inhabited castle in England, open by appointment) and the followed the last 3.5 miles of the Exe Valley Way to Tiverton. Tiverton, via M&S, furnished me with lunch and then I hit the beginning of the West Country Way (apparently) along the Grand Western Canal Towpath. This continued approximately forever, mainly because I knew Emma would be the other end, waiting (I have an over-inflated sense of my own importance in other people's entertainment).

Normally I like towpaths, but today there were not enough ducklings and not enough people said "hello" back to me. But it did go by quite quickly, in retrospect.

I arrived at the B&B, which is really more like a miniature hotel, Emma and I had a catch up over tea and cake, and then were driven into Wellington. We had a drink and then as we were leaving the pub to find a curry, happened to walk past Maren and Arne. We said hello and had a little chat- and they let me know about a footpath that is headhigh in brambles on Monday's route- and after a farewell selfie said goodbye; I doubt I'll catch them again as they are way more hardcore than me and so while I'm chilling out looking around a National Trust property and eating cream tea they will be matching onwards to John O'Groats.

Distance: 17.63 miles
Time taken: 6h, ish
Percentage completed: 15.5%
Boot cost per mile: £0.41
Lunch: egg and cress sandwich, bircher muesli
Last night's B&B: Copenhagen Farm: lovely and friendly with an excellent shower and resident crazy Devon farmer- he was hobbling around refusing to go to A&E after tipping over his father-in-law's digger onto himself the previous day.

 Bickleigh castle again
 A peacock at Bickleigh Mill
 Cygnets!
 A cherry tree
 A bridge!
 An old lime kiln
 Another bridge- but check out the left end
A chapel, Greenham

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