Tuesday 19th July Plym Bridge

Four of us set out from Plym Bridge on  a grey day with showers forecast.

Our route out was to follow the river upstream 

  Past the Rumple Wheel Pit by the weir

After that we came to the fallen tree which was just a bit tricky to get past - over the first bit and then under the next bit!!

On to the arches and the broken foot bridge across the river.....

..and waiting for us underneath the arches was Charlie 8 weeks and 1 day after becoming bionic, ready to start walking on Tuesdays again a magnificent achievement.

Eventually up a steep slope and out onto the railway track.

Past the station halt built for Bickleigh barracks...

...on to the tunnel

....and daylight at the other end

Eventually we arrived at The Skylark in Clearbrook for lunch.

Only three of us for the return trip which was on the railway line all the way back and an opportunity to top up the five a day habit!

At last a little sunshine

Then a stop at the peregrine watch centre on the Cann Viaduct - the peregrines had fledged on the 9th July - so we had only just missed them but you could still see the nest clearly.

The list of birds and deer seen since the 1st May

The very clever sign with a warning to all

Finally back to Plym bridge and the new railway stop for Plym Valley Railway running on selected dates through the summer

 

Walking today Terry, Rosemary, Bud and Charle

Wednesday 13th July Walkhampton - Peek Hill

A brilliant summer evening for a walk from Walkhampton across the fields to the lovely church that sits on top of the hill.

Through more fields....

 

 ...to the green lane which leads....

....out to the moor. 

Soon we were walking on the old railway line..... 

..and then up to Peek Hill

With superb views all around so we took our break here.

 

Too soon we were heading down again...

....and the moon was coming out

Along the road for a short way and then the leat

Then before we knew we were back to a warm welcome in The Walkhampton Inn.

On the walk tonight John, David, Irving, Mike, Stella, Ang, Anne and for the last bit Charles

Tuesday 12th July Holne

Starting this week at Holne.  Down a green lane to get to Scoriton..

 

..past the aptly named lane - with two Rosemary's in one place

Along another green lane through Lakemoor and Scae Wood.  It was hot, sticky and humid with lots of flies and it felt steeper than it looks

Through a couple of fields and into another green lane with lots of foxgloves and some very tall ones

Eventually we came to the open moor and the track took us down to  Huntingdon Warren farm occupied until 1956

Then our search began for the remains of  Keble Martin's Chapel.  Not much of it is left, a small wall and a stone with a cross marked in it.

A few spots of rain so we sheltered under the wall around Huntingdon Warren. After lunch we went around the top of the ruined farm house.

Past some very pretty wild Sedum growing in the top of the wall.

Up the valley through Wallabrook Girt

..and through the boggy bit  to Petre's Bound Stone.  This was the highest point of the walk and it felt like we had been going uphill all day (which we had!)

A view from here across to  the spoil tip at Red lake.

From here it was down hill nearly all the way

Until at last Holne came into view.  By then we had one lame walker..

Finally back along another green lane.

Walking today  Terry, Rosemary, Roger, Carol and Linda

Tuesday 5th July Manaton to Lustleigh

A tricky day with the weather. Heavy rain first thing in Horrabridge and on the journey to Manaton, so everyone had the dreaded waterproofs on.  This would have  been fine on a cool day but today it was very, very humid. Just arriving as we were setting off was just-in-time Hudson.  So off we went through the churchyard and took the path with many stiles.








Up to Manaton  Rocks where normally you do get a really-good-view, but at this point this was not a really-good-view day.  In fact you couldn't see much at all...

 

Next we missed our turning on the footpath and completed a short circular walk nearly back to where we had started a short while previously!

Eventually we found our way down to the river by Foxworthy.
 

At this point we started the climb up - it wasn't raining quite so hard and it was very humid so we took off the waterproofs.  By the time we had come out onto the open moor by the rare breed cattle it was raining hard again so on went the waterproofs.....

....and we continued up to Hunter's Tor

As we got there it cleared in the valley below and we headed off to the wooded bit....

....and took off our waterproofs off again just before Raven's Tor.

At last we got to the The Cleave in Lustleigh - at least it wasn't raining inside so we didn't need the waterproofs in there. Last time we were here we all had Croc Monsieur and we have talked about this many times so for most of us it was Croc Monsieur again and very good it was too!

Walking again we went past the May Stone in Lustleigh where the names of all the May Queens since 1954 are recorded in the granite.

We picked up the cleared path...

....and made our way down to the river crossing with the very old and closed off clam bridge. Closed off for Health and Safety reasons but really because there is a new and modern bridge next to it!

Then on to the part of the walk we had all not been looking forward to. Mainly because it just goes up and up and up, but we all got there in the end before eventually having an excellent view out across to Hunter's Tor.

Back to the cars - Colin and Amber (departing next week for 6 months in the USA) wished us all a very Happy Christmas and we drove home in the warm sunshine.

Walking today Colin, Amber, Roger, Paul, Terry and Rosemary.