A King Through The County

SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE takes a look at the Somerset section of The Monarch’s Way, one of England’s longest long-distance paths

THE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND:

Cast your mind back to the dim and often murky past of England in the 17th century. From 1649, for more than a decade, England was a republic. The Monarchy was abolished and it was a time of great turmoil and divided loyalties. Charles I had been executed, Oliver Cromwell and his men were in control and Charles I’s son, Charles II, was not in a comfortable position.

In September 1651, after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester, Charles II was fleeing for his life. His flight took him to Wales, then to the Cotswolds from whence he travelled south through Somerset towards the south coast, before escaping to France via Shoreham. En route he received shelter and succour from many supporters, people prepared to put themselves at great risk to help him.

But it was an era of change and later, in 1660, he was recalled and crowned king.

To commemorate the king’s journey of 1651 a long-distance footpath of some 625 miles was established, the inspired idea of the late Trevor Antill (1937-2010). Trevor was a very keen walker and on retirement started working as an Alpine walking guide; he also had busy roles with the Ramblers Association as well as other countryside access bodies. But his most wonderful achievement has to be the Monarch’s Way, a mighty undertaking not only for the length of the route (which Trevor covered nine times) but also for the administration involved in its establishment. The project came to completion in 2004.

Trevor said: “The result is, I hope, a delightfully meandering long distance walk that has a fascinating sprinkle of urban history and a super abundance of outstanding natural beauty, whilst following an epoch-making escape route; the difference is that you are walking for pleasure and not fleeing for your life!”