We’ve said goodbye to Jen, Dean and Heather and we have a long walk ahead of us, not along the coast but up the River Parrett estuary. But first the quandary of getting our car to the end spot.  All goes smoothly until we are waiting at Bridgwater bus station and realise the community bus serving Hinckley Point power station doesn’t run on a Bank Holiday!  Of all the days for us to choose, eh?

Thankfully Dean hasn’t packed up the campervan yet so very kindly picks us up and takes us back to Combwich. Hence it is nearly 11 o’ clock by the time we are following the path up the estuary.

The tide must be low as the inlet is very muddy, boats hanging on the ropes nestling in the sinky sands.  We skirt round the inlet then start the long 3 hour walk up the fairly featureless river.

The countryside to our right is mostly farmed with crops or ploughed – the fields enormous compared to our medieval field structure in the High Weald.  We see very little bird life or any wildlife, I guess they are all back at the Bridgwater Bay nature reserve.

Two hours in we find a detour for the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, which looks like it commenced three years ago in 2022.  Unfortunately, the diversion is very tricky to follow and we find ourselves skirting round fishing lakes and through Chilton Trinity finally coming out beside a school and heading down the A39 to cross the river.

Its now gone 3pm and we cannot decide whether to carry on walking or continue back down the river to lesson the walk tomorrow. After stopping at a coffee shop on an industrial estate (an all time low for a sunny Bank Holiday Monday) we opt to continue walking.

The diversions continue this side of the estuary with diversions round a modern industrial estate of  office blocks and the police station, then open countryside for a bit.  A pill box nestles in the long grass smiles us along our way, little do we know it is the first of many along this side of the river.  A Pylon towers over us as we follow the path towards Dunball Drove industrial estate.

Here we leave the coast path, cross the busy A38 and wait for a bus back to Bridgwater, our car, a supermarket and then back to our campsite for a stir fry, more snooker and our last night in the tent.