Wednesay 26th March Around Meldon

The car park at Meldon was very busy with various groups of walkers this morning as we set out. A hazy day and much warmer than I had anticipated.

We went down the valley to the area of old mine workings - Meldon Viaduct in the distance.

Past one of the quarries and...

...then up the steep bit.

Just the other side of the wall and another disused quarry.

The view ahead with West Mill Tor and on the left and Yes Tor on the right.

I was overheating and decided to leave the group to continue and headed back down to the Red-a-ven Brook.

I took the opportunity to revisit one of the water filled quarries near the Meldon Viaduct before....

...returning to the reservoir.

Tuesday 25th March A Local Walk

A very local walk today.  Nice bright sunshine and warm - the cold wind of the last few days having gone away.  Starting from the Leaping Salmon, one of two pubs in the village.

Up the lane past the Old School, now a Bed and Breakfast Guest House.

Looking back across the valley to Roborough Down - and home.

Through the trees around the old mine workings.

 

Then on to the lane past this rather attractive old barn. Planning permission, some tlc and this could be worth some money!

Out on to the moor.

Over Plaster Down, through the ford and...

...a view of Pew Tor.

Into the hamlet of Sampford Spiney where the alpacas live.

With a break for cookies and a glass of wine -  Roger has a birthday tomorrow.

Then back through the fields.

A short walk on the road.....






















...past some storm damage...

...and back to the village.

Lunch for all except Linda and me in the Leaping Salmon. With Terry, Rosemary, Colin, Roger, Chris and Linda

Wednesday 12th March The Waterfall on the East Dart

A very different day for our walk today.  A thick mist on the drive out but it soon burned off and the cold wind from yesterday had gone.

It was still a little chilly as we setting off from the car park following the track north.

A few minutes later we were at the gate leading on to the moor.

The track through Braddon Lake.  It is surprising just how much the surface mud has dried out although....

...there were still a few wet patches on the track.

After moderate uphill section we arrived at the wall.  By now the mist had gone, we were much hotter and with excess clothing removed were dressed for a fine summers day.

Lots of vapour trails in the blue sky overhead - using his app Terry told us that at least two of them were on route to the Caribbean.




















We headed over to the little waterfall on the East Dart River.

 One of my favourite places on the moor.

Not spectacular for sure but so pretty.

After a break we followed the river back.

 

Crossing the stream at the end of the valley and then...

...past the Beehive hut - a remnant from the tinner's works in the valley in the 18th Century.

Gently back up to Hartland Tor.

The view back to Sittaford Tor in the far distance.

Then down and back to Postbridge - with the Clapper Bridge under the road bridge.

Lunch in the Prince of Wales with John, Peter, Jane, Phil and Terry

Tuesday 11th March Ducks Pool

After the warm sunshine of the last few days very different weather on the moor today. Swirling mists and a bitterly cold wind.

Starting from the small car park below Gutter Tor we set off past the Scout Hut.

Out through the Bronze Age Settlement to the ancient stone rows in the Giant's Basin.

 The largest standing stone on Dartmoor.






















On to Lower Hartor Tor.

Down to cross the upper reaches of the River Plym - just a bit tricky in places.

Up the other side of the valley to Calveslake Tor.

Looking back down the Plym Valley with Lower Hartor Tor on the right.

From here we set off for Ducks' Pool.  This one of the most remote and featureless parts of Dartmoor - there are no tors and no points of interest but there is a beauty in the remoteness.

Rosemary found this little plant called Lucifer's Matches.






















We arrived at Duck's Pool - there is no pool here any more just bits of boggy ground.

Within the boggy patch someone had left some plastic ducks!

Duck's Pool is home to the second oldest letterbox on Dartmoor and erected as a memorial to William Crossing in 1938. 

Terry got out the visitors book and duly recorded our names. 

We stopped here for a picnic lunch - with just a little shelter from the bitterly cold wind.

Dukis (Charlie's resident traveling  duck) had his photo taken by the memorial plaque.

After lunch we headed to the Post on Cater's Beam at the end of Black Lane (there is no lane any more).  This a watershed area and very wet, squelchy and not to everyone's liking - the ground is so soft that at times it felt like you were walking through snow.

The post is one of two (the other is about 1 km south) and both are marked on the os map.  It is made from an old railway sleeper put here many, many years ago to act as a navigation aid on this featureless part of the moor. It has been well weathered over the years. 

Next across Crane Hill and more remote moor to pick up the track which leads to Plym Ford.

On the track we met Matt who was rounding up his sheep so that the lambs could be born on the farm. He was after two more he had seen in the distance.

Along the track we walked through the ones he had found already.  At last the sun was coming through and it started to warm up as we headed down to the cars.

With Colin, Amber, Terry, Rosemary and Linda.