Christopher Somerville travel writer

Time 2020-11-13 05:02:48

Web Name: Christopher Somerville travel writer

WebSite: http://www.christophersomerville.co.uk

ID:114188

Keywords:

Somerville,Christopher,writer,

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About the Author About ChristopherChristopher Somerville is Walking Correspondent of The Times. His long-running ‘A Good Walk’ series appears every Saturday in the Times Weekend section. He has written some 40 books, many about his travels on foot in various parts of the world, and thousands of articles in all the national newspapers. He has had two collections of poetry published. He loves music, and sometimes tries to play it.Introducing … the Armchair WalkerWelcome back to post-lockdown wandering! It’s wonderful to be able to get out and about, and to walk far and near again. The Times have resumed my weekly A Good Walk column in the Saturday Weekend section (see Walks and Facebook page links on this page), and I’m busy once more piling up new walks in the stock cupboard. There’s no knowing how long these new freedoms are going to last, so let’s grab ’em while we’ve got ’em.Lots of you have said you like the Armchair Walkers I’ve been posting during the Covid-19 outbreak. So I’ll keep them coming on this page, for anyone who can’t get out and about on foot. No maps or detailed directions – just an invitation to sit back with a cup of tea or a glass of something nice, and savour some moments, memories and plans for the future!Grease the Boots! Stay Frosty!Instagram: somervillewalkmanTwitter: @somerville_cFacebook: @BlogCSFacebook Like: Armchair Walker #12AbbotsburyAbbotsbury lies on the Dorset coast a little inland of Chesil Beach, the notorious shingle bar on which hundreds of ships and thousands of seafarers came to grief in days of sail. On stormy days the waves pound the bar with a menacing roar, but today all was still and calm under a cloudy sky as we set out among the rich gold stone cottages of Abbotsbury with their grey thatched roofs.How did Blind Lane earn its name? An old holloway floored with flint and dark iron-rich stone, it led away up the hill behind the village. Black cattle grazed the strip lynchets or terraced scars left by medieval ploughing.It was an exhilarating walk westward at the rim of the down, shoved along by a strong easterly wind. Neolithic long barrows and Bronze Age round ones pimpled the turf. The gorse-smothered Iron Age ramparts of Abbotsbury hill fort stood remarkably well preserved. Ahead opened the dramatic seascape and landscape of the Jurassic Coast, its cliffs faced with gold and white as landslips reveal the underlying strata. Further round Lyme Bay the colours darkened to the greys and blacks of the tottering cliffs beyond Lyme Regis, some of the most unstable land in these islands.Down the single sloping street of West Bexington, and back east into the wind along a beach of pebbles mumbled so small by the sea that they resembled coarse sand. Ahead the long curve of Chesil Beach terminated in the sloping wedge of the Isle of Portland with its squared-off cliffs, quarried for freestone since Roman times.A short sharp climb inland across a corrugation of lynchets to reach St Catherine’s Chapel on its round hill, with a superb view down over Abbotsbury and its mighty medieval tithe barn. Spinsters in fading hopes of securing a man would climb to the chapel and pray:‘A man, St Catherine!Please, St Catherine!Soon, St Catherine!’The coda was then whispered:‘Arn-a-one’s better than narn-a-one!’More Armchair Walkers here ‘Vivid reading. Knowing that some of the fighting in the Burmese jungle was hand-to-hand is one thing; reading what it was like to take part in a bayonet charge is quite another.’ – Sunday Telegraph ‘Cathedrals are all things to all people.  To capture all this, vividly and stylishly, in one book suggests something close to divine inspiration  Yet it’s not the breadth of his travels that impresses. It’s the depth of the “cathedral experience” that he uncovers by the old-fashioned journalistic method of getting knowledgeable people to talk freely about what they know best, then using his sharp eyes and wits to fill in the rest of the story.’ – Richard Morrison, The Times ‘This is nature at its most embracing; human nature richly-woven into the cycle of the seasons and the ecologies of father and son, observed with the passion and learning of Britain’s favourite walker. A truly wonderful, uplifting book, bursting with life.’Nicholas Crane We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.Cookie settingsACCEPTPrivacy & Cookies Policy Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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