Holiday in Exmoor - Simonsbath

After breakfast we again had a wander around the shops, which were now open and bought some snacks for lunch.
As soon as that was finished, we drove to Simonsbath and parked in a car park. Setting off from the car park we followed a short way down the road before following a signposted bridleway through a small wood. This led us to a continuation of the bridleway across several fields with typical Devon field boundaries of stone walls covered with grassy earth and surmounted by small trees.
Passing through several fields with a cold northerly wind, we arrived at a section of open moorland with views down the valley to the River Barle and the ancient Landacre Bridge in the distance.

Landacre Bridge in the Distance

We dropped down towards the river with a group of Exmoor Ponies grazing happily in front before turning along a track through a gate leading on a parallel route to the river and being part of the Two Moors Way long distance footpath. Soon we dropped down to the river and after crossing a footbridge, we made use of a sheltered spot out of the cold wind to sit on section of wall and eat our lunch.

Exmoor Ponies

When lunch was completed, we continued onwards along the pathway, which veered away from the river for a short distance as it followed around the foot of a small hill called Cow Castle, which once had an Iron Age Settlement on its summit. The path again continued alongside the river and after a kilometre or so passed next to the fenced off shaft of the old Wheal Eliza mine.
Next to the disused mine were the ruins of old cottages and on the opposite bank, what looked like an old adit (a mine passage leading from the surface horizontally) which was blocked to prevent entry.

Wheal Eliza Mine

Continuing onwards, our route again continued around a small hill, this time Flexbarrow, and then along the River Barle. As we continued along the path, we heard a sheep bleating a short distance up a slope above us. Karen spotted that the ewe seemed to be stuck in a small patch of bramble bush so we walked up the slope to see if the ewe needed freeing from the brambles. As we got near, the sheep had a short struggle and freed itself from the brambles leaving behind a few wisps of fleece and seemed to have no problem once it had freed itself.

For the last kilometre we followed and alternative higher pathway which as a little muddy but nowhere near as muddy as the ancient sunken track lower down near the river.
This led us back to Simonsbath, where we had started our walk.
I was wearing Asolo Fugitive boots, Berghaus trousers, Paramo Third Element jacket and Osprey Kestrel 38 rucksack