Jennicliffe, Hooe, Oreston, Radford, Jennicliffe - Saturday 28th April 2012

This walk was published in a leaflet by Radford and Hooe Lake Preservation Association in 1999 which was purchased in a charity shop. The walk and the history of the area is very interesting.  It starts with a right turn from Jennicliffe car park along Military Road towards Ford Stamford.  Just before you reach the Fort, a small flight of steps leads up to a field behind a housing estate and leads to St John's Hill.

View of the Sound from Jennicliffe Car park

An orchid in the field next to Ford Stamford

 

  Opposite is St John's Church built in 1853.

 Down hill the route takes us to Hooe Lake, this is an interesting place, as Hooe Barn dating from the 1500's nestles amonsgt modern shops and flats.

 Shute Quay is where a spring rose from Staddon was the only fresh water source in days gone by.

Hooe Lake

  Crossing the road and head towards the Royal Oak pub. Hexton Hill rises steeply towards what was Hexton Quarry and Hexton Quay.

 The path leads onto the dam to Radford Castle.  The dam divides the fresh water of  Duck Pond from the salt water of Hooe Lake.

A path leads towards Oreston and a view of Cattedown where the Kings Arms dates from the 1800's.  The water originally came up the pub

Oreston with view of Cattedown

 

  Up the hill, the path was the old Oreston to Turnchapel railway line to the quarry and retracing the route to the castle.

Footpath along the old railway line

 Turning left beside the Duck pond the path leads to Radford  Arboretum which was started in 1975 with the planting of a Californian Redwood.

Radford Arboretum

This walk was about 4 1/2 miles in total finishing back at Jennicliffe.

Staverton, Nr Totnes - Sunday 1st April 2012

Another beautiful sunday and I would call this a stroll rather than a walk!  Lunch at the Sea Trout Inn at Staverton was excellent.  The fish curry was the best ever tastest and no wonder the pub is in the Good Pub Guide!

There are several places of interest here:  the River Dart, the railway station and crossing where the steam railway goes up and down from Buckfastleigh to Totnes, a plant nursery and a picturesque bridge over the river.  Bollards exclude any vehicles over 6' wide.

Anyway, a picture tells a better story than words so here are a few of the area:

Princetown to Foggintor Quarry - Sunday 25th March 2012

A lovely sunny day again, and an opportunity to walk on Dartmoor.  First of all we walked up to Sharpitor and Leather Tor to enjoy the view over Burrator. There was a mist but it added to the atmosphere.

Misty Burrator reservoir with Sheeps Tor

Princetown starting point for the walk

Foggintor Quarry with Kings Tor in the distance

Along the old railway track to the quarry where the deep water looks so inviting

here is Bob looking at the water but not getting his feet wet!

Then we walked over the moor up to North Hessory Tor where the TV mast is.  It seemed quite a long way, so we were glad to reach it and decend into Princetown once more.

Princetown is in the dip where the trees are hiding!

Cox Tor, Great Staple Tor, Middle Staple Tor, Pew Tor - sunday 11th March 2011

A perfect day for exploring Dartmoor!  The sun shone, no wind and beautiful scenery!!  There is a large car park on Whitchurch Common with an ice cream van.  The views of Tors and surrounding countryside are all around. To reach this part of Dartmoor from Plymouth, head for Tavistock but turn right through Whitchurch, over the bridge and right again. Moorshop is signposted and then follow the road on the map.  From Princetown, head for Merrivale Quarry and it's a short distance beyond that.

Plaque in the car park 

This is on the west side towards Tavistock, then, facing North: Cox Tor, Great Staple Tor, Middle Staple Tor and Little Staple Tor, to the East: North Hessory Tor, Foggintor Quarry, Kings Tor and to the South: Pew Tor and Plymouth sound, Saltash and the River Tamar.

We began our climb up to Cox Tor

The path leads up hill to Cox Tor

The view from Cox Tor looking back towards the car park, Pew Tor beyond and beyond that, Plymouth Sound, Saltash and the River Tamar

 The tors below are to the right of the car park

Great Staple Tor, and Middle Staple Tor

Cox Tor

Teresa and Bob on top of Cox Tor

Trig point on Cox Tor

The route from Cox Tor across to Great Staple Tor

Half way across now with views to Roo Tor

Great Staple Tor

I think you imagine a Tor is just one collection of rocks, but this one has several collections, all fasinating formations of rocks.

Sheep lining up on Great Staple Tor with Roo Tor in the background

Great Staple Tor

Great Staple Tor

Great Staple Tor in the distance

Dave on Middle Staple Tor

Pew Tor on the other side

Pew Tor

Pew Tor with a view of Plymouth Sound

A cross beside a stream

A lovely day to explore Dartmoor.  It amazes me how many rocks are strewn around and piled on top of each other on these tors!  I have lots more photos of this day, far too many to upload.

Talland Bay to Polperro - Sunday 20th February 2012

Again, apologies for being in Cornwall this weekend, but we decided to continue another piece of the South West Coastal Path and picked it up from Talland Bay ( see blog for 4th September 2011).

Just around the corner where we stopped last time, is Talland Bay proper.  The colours of the rocks are pink and blue.  From here, the path becomes quite steep and then levels off .  The path is well defined and half way to Polperro is a war memorial and a seat.  Polperro was very quiet and beautiful.  A cornish pasty for lunch and eaten on a bench overlooking the sea on a sunny day such as this, is my perfect sunday!

Here are a few photos of the walk:

The blue and pink rocks of Talland Bay

Talland Bay from the footpath

War memorial to Looe and Polperro men who fell in the war

Polperro almost in sight

Polperro

 

A new sewage treatment works has been completed 

 

If you are fit and can climb hills, these seats command a lovely view of the harbour!

The shell house, Polperro

The Harbour

Back to Talland Bay

Bob in front of Aesop's Bed, Talland Bay