Jennicliffe to Bovisand - Sunday 12th February 2012

This walk has spectacular views of Plymouth Sound, The Rame Peninsula, The Breakwater and Bovisand.  The footpath immediately from Jennicliffe has been cordoned off at the moment, so we drove up the hill a little way to a small space for 2 cars opposite the footpath. Much evidence of fortifications along this walk

From here, through a wood and over a stream which marks the boundary between Devon and South Hams, the path skirts the coast and reveals a fantastic view of Plymouth.

A little misty, but clear nevertheless!

Plymouth Breakwater designed by John Rennie and commenced in 1811.  4,000,000 tons of stone later, it was completed in 1842.  It is one mile long and on a clear day you can see Eddystone Lighthouse and the stump of the original Smeaton's Tower  ( the remainder is on the Hoe)

Fort Bovisand with Bovisand Pier

Staddon Point Battery circa 1903/08

65 steep steps up to the Staddon Point Battery

View of Bovisand from the Staddon Point Battery

Bovisand

 Bovisand is a corruption of Boyes Sand where ships tied up on permanent bouys moored off the beach while crews fetched fresh water from the stream flowing down the valley to the beach.  Rennie built a reservoir to aid this slow process.  The valley is now home to many static caravans enjoying the view.

Cottages with a view of the breakwater and Bovisand

Fort Staddon next to the Golf Club

The route

A pleasant walk along the coastpath but a long drag up the hill on the road to the golf course at the top of the hill.  Dave's pedometer recorded 6300 paces.

Gutter Tor and the War Horse Guided Walk - Saturday 21st January 2012

The Dartmoor National Park Authority held a walk at the main locations used by the film director Steven Spielburg last year.  Liz lead the walk up to Gutter Tor and down to Ditsworthy Warren Farmhouse. Unfortunately, the weather was very wet and misty so the quality of the photos are not good.  The film was filmed on Dartmoor in great secrecy and given the code name Dartmoor.  We could not believe this had gone on under our noses and we didn't have a clue!  To top it all, we walked in the area on August bank holiday and there was no sign that they had been here!!

This photo is taken from the top of Gutter Tor and the lone tree in the centre is where Albert was flung over the wall when Joey refused to jump it.

The trees surround the scout hut

An unfinished cross is leaning to the right. this was recently discovered by some Plymouth University students.  In the foreground, is a stone with a circular impression.  This would have been used for milling flour.

Rabbits were bred on this part of the moor for food.  This wall leads predators towards the large stone at the back where a trap was laid to catch them

The famous gate and the farmhouse. 

The field which was ploughed and the trees where the father sat

The rear of the house where mother pegged out her washing

The tree ( to the left) where Albert sat when he whistled for Joey to find him

It was a very interesting walk, just a pity the weather wasn't a bit kinder!

Bagga Tor, Lynch Tor and Standon Hill - Sunday 15th January 2012

Martin Hesp wrote an article last friday in WMN on Bagga Tor, so inspired by that, we decided to explore the area for ourselves.  Driving through Tavistock, and then Peter Tavy, we eventually came to a gate leading onto the moor.  The views from here are amazing:

Bagga Tor is immediately adjacent to the car park, and further views of the surrounding area reveal themselves:

Bagga Tor

View of Nat Tor and Ger Tor from Bagga Tor

View of Staddon Hill on the left and Baggator Brook from Bagga Tor

A long walk up to Lynch Tor

It was very cold and windy, but a lovely day for a walk.  The route up to Lynch Tor was very steep indeed.

Lynch Tor

The view from Lynch Tor, with the South Common Plantation and Bagga Tor

View from Lynch Tor looking towards Staddon Hill

The route to Staddon Hill was very boggy and hazardous!  We thought if we went higher, it would be better, but if anything, it was worse.

Not to be recommended!!

So onto Staddon Hill with its rocks and buildings.  A very cold extremely windy place to be!

Standon Hill

Staddon Hill with the shadow of a building!

From then on, it was downhill, and across footpaths by Brousentor Farm and back to the car.

View of Nattor Down across the valley from the top of the path from the farm track

The walk had some spectacular views as you can see.

Cann Woods, Plympton - 7th January 2012

Cann Woods has suffered quite badly from disease in the trees, resulting in great swaths of the woods being felled.  However there has been much replanting, so in future years, it will continue.

New trees planted

Dense woods

Boringdon Camp

Hembury Woods, Near Buckfast - Sunday 11th December 2011

It's amazing how you can live in an area for years and not know it!  We spied an NT wood and car park at Hembury Woods on the map and thought we should explore it.  The signposts wanted us to go to Scoriton and Holne, so we had to depend a bit on my pigeon sense of direction to find the wood. It was wet and muddy but lots of dog walkers around.  We are a tough lot!!

The path gave us a choice:  the Fort or the River.  We decided to explore the fort first. Read more:

Wellington Monument , Somerset - Sunday 27th November 2011

 As we were in Somerset, we thought we would have a quick walk to Wellington Monument which is owned by the National Trust now.  It has a fence all the way round it at the moment.  Dad remembers climbing up the dark spiral staircase inside it, when he was a boy, and peering out of the hole in the top. 

The path from the car park to the monument

READ MORE :

Bowerman's Nose and Jay's Grave - Sunday 20th November 2011

At last the weather was dry and sunny, so we set off on the long awaited trip to see Bowerman's Nose.  By driving to Bovey Tracey, then taking a left past Becky Falls, the narrow road winds through moorland to Manaton. This small village boasts a huge church which can be seen from all around on the climb up to Hayne Down.

A car park next to the church and village green is a good starting point

The view of Hayne Down from the car park with a glimpse of Bowerman's Nose

The path up on to the Down

On the top of Haynes Down with the church in the middle

On the top of Haynes Down with Hound Tor in the background

Huge collection of rocks on Hayne Down!

More rocks piled on top of one another!  but where is Bowerman's Nose???

Ha Ha, there it is!!

Bowerman's Nose

Legend has it that Bowerman ( a Norman Hunter) knocked over a witch's cauldron while out hunting with his dogs.  The next time he went out, a witch transformed into a hare and he chased her until he fell off his horse, exhausted, in the bog.  She then turned him to stone.

Looking back to Bowerman's Nose on the way to Jay's Grave

The path then leads onto Jay's Grave, across a few fields, and the grave lies at a cross roads.  Kitty Jay was a young girl who fell in love with a farmers son, and finding herself pregnant and realising she would be abandoned, took her own life.  As a suicide, she could not be buried in sacred ground, but was buried at the crossroads where the Devil could not reach her.  There are always flowers on the grave.

Jay's Grave

Bridlepath to Natsworthy Gate

Hound Tor and Haytor in the mist

The sun's rays are highlighting the village of  Widecombe in the Moor

We retraced our steps as the days are getting shorter.  We will explore Hound Tor and Haytor another day!