Tuesday 31st May Easdon Tor

Another wonderful morning, a little cooler but the haze had disappeared.

We started just inside the gated road on Cripdon Down and headed up to Hayne Down Tor with this view across to Haytor Rocks on the left and Hound Tor on the right.

We were not alone!

The view down to Manaton....

... and across to Easdon Tor

Below us bluebells and buttercups.

Down to the magnificent Bowerman's Nose

Down again to the lanes which we followed for a while. This is looking back across the buttercups to Bowerman's Nose.

Eventually we came to the track which leads up to Easdon Tor but headed first to the cairn on the east side with this view of Figgie Daniel

Looking back to Honeybag Tor

Stopping on top of Easdon Tor for a coffee break - Hamel Down is in the distance.

Across to Haytor Rocks and Hound Tor.

Returning through the lanes before going up to Cripdon Down Tor.

A brand new stile but not particularly easy to use and very difficult for the dog Sonny because there is barbed wire just below the top step.

We made good time finishing the walk just before 1 o'clock and it was then onto the very busy Rugglestone Inn where we managed to get a table in the garden just before our food arrived.

With Jane, Terry, Charlie, Colin and Amber.

Saturday 28th May - Emsworthy Bluebells

A family walk through the bluebells at Emsworthy and Holwell Lawn.  They are probably at their peak now.

Looking back to Saddle Tor

The Barn

Out to the open moor

The Holwell Lawn bluebells in abundance on the other side of the valley.

Across the Becka Brook on the new clapper bridge.

Then up..........

...and the bluebells cascading down the hill side like a river.

Sara

Across to the medieval village

Then down once more to the Becka brook

Up to Smallcombe Rocks

With a hazy view of Haytor Rocks....

...where there were people crawling all  over it

On to the Rugglestone Inn for a late lunch but they had stopped serving and so it was to the Old Inn in Widecombe. Very good it was too.  With Linda, Sara, Gavin and Neil.

Tuesday 24th May - Wheal Betsy

Starting from the cattle grid on the Brentor Road in Mary Tavy. Hazy at first and with a cool breeze. We contoured around the western edge of Gibbit Hill...

...before heading over Black Down to cross the main road. Lots of people seem to be enjoying the good weather with horseriders...

... and cyclists

Across to Wheal Jewell reservoir and the sun finally came out...

A coffee stop here and then over....

...to Wheal Betsy

With the famous curved chimney stack.

Across the main road again and up to the top of.... 

...Gibbet Hill

Past the old mine works and back to the cars.

 

Lunch in the very busy Mary Tavy Inn. With Jane, Brenda, Charlie, Terry, Bill, Colin, and Amber. 



 

 

 

Tuesday 17th May - White Tor

Rain, drizzle and heavy cloud as we set off from the car park below Little Staple Tor.

Soon we were on the ridge and Great Staple Tor emerged out of the cloud.

Along to Roos Tor. The red flag indicating that firing was taking place although our resident military expert thought it was extremely unlikely in the weather conditions simply because they wouldn't be able to see the targets!

Of course, the Logan capstone had to be rocked.

We headed down hill to Wedlake and out of the cloud.

Up again to Stephen's Grave and on to Cuddliptown Down where Tom and I took a slightly different route to the others as we contoured around Hill. The OS maps shows that there was once a fort on White Tor and we did wonder if this gully was a part of some outer defences. It didn't look as though it could have been a used as a leat.

The main group came around from below and followed us up to White Tor...

.... as another mass of cloud closed in...

We stopped on White Tor for our picnic lunch although it was hardly picnic weather and I think most of us were pleased to get moving again afterwards.

We louped around to the wall corner and then over and down to the River Walkham to find the old...

... Blowing House.

Up around Merrivale quarry to the Sett makers Bankers where cobbled stones were formed out of the granite for the streets in Plymouth and Tavistock.

With Terry, Jon, Brenda, Ann, Tom, Dianne and Darren