Walking
Suki is not up to a long walk these days, although she occasionally surprised us when we took her out with the rucksack as back up. I didn't really get out walking much during the first weeks when we weren't allowed to drive and could only go out once a day, tending to do some exercise to YouTube videos and then rely on short walks with Suki and walking to the shops.
I got further afield once the restrictions were eased a little, either solo or with Jayne and/or Mike, and later with Jackie. We weren't allowed to drive anywhere to walk until the end of May, so walks had to be done from the house. I did tick off a couple of walks I have always wanted to do, and did some other walks I didn't know existed, but which greatly increased my general knowledge of the area and how things fitted together.
Devon House>Hennock Circuit
4.24 miles. 1:50 hrs
Lots of new bits I hadn't walked before. Jayne and I did this on a lovely Saturday morning while Mike was out on his bike. We had intended staying on roads up to Five Lanes but we met a lady with a dog who was also trying out new routes, and she pointed out the bridleway at Frost Farm which was much better.
Brimley Circuit
3.85 miles. 1:46 hrs
Jayne wanted to explore the footpath behind Copper Kettle - I had always assumed it didn't really go anywhere useful. It turned out to be a lovely walk, and surprising in how things fitted together. We seemed to get quite close to Tracey House - and it was useful to get familiar with some of the route down from the moor into Bovey. Back through Brimley and discovered a mini walk Jayne ad Jackie have done behind House of Marbles. Another hot sunny day.
Middle Car Park circuit under Hay Tor
2.62 miles. 1:15 hrs
Did this with Jayne and it was good to get up on the moor again - and we chose a different car park from our normal one to get some different scenery. Lovely views over Hound Tor and Manaton.
We attempted this one again several weeks later with Jackie and it was so cold and blustery we gave up! How different from this time, when it was hot and sunny with a gentle breeze.
Hay Tor to Home
5.2 miles. 2:00 hrs
I have wanted to do this walk for years, ever since Chris mentioned it at ringing. It is a one-way walk from Hay Tor down to Bovey. The way to do it normally is to catch the Hay Tor Hoppa bus (bus passes not accepted, dogs allowed), which only runs on Saturdays April to Sept, and then walk back. But I have never got round to doing it - a mixture of being busy on the few Saturdays I am here in the Summer and not really knowing where the bus stops. However Jayne was going up to the moor to meet Jackie for a walk, so I grabbed a lift up and was able to then walk back - along the Templer Way which follows the course of the old tramway (visible ) for most of it. It was a glorious morning and I was glad of the shade of trees for most of the way. It was a beautiful walk and should have been downhill all the way - but sadly there is now a section which is closed at Lower Down. It was a permissive path but following a row between the landowner and the National Park, permission was withdrawn and it is now necessary to haul oneself back up the bridleway 164 ft to the road (where the elevation goes back up over 500 ft) and then walk about half a mile on the busy Hay Tor road with no pavement, which was not nice. But the rest of it was fabulous and I was very glad to have done it.
Heritage Trail
4.04 miles. 1:29 hrs
This is another one I have always wanted to do. Jayne and I did it on a lovely sunny day. We were very lucky in getting a parking spot right by the start. This walk also had lots of bits I had never walked before, and it also connected the canal, nd a walk from the Toby dog walk book! We came across a memorial (erected 2018) to the ‘Sawdust Fusiliers’ who were summoned from the Canadian Forestry Corp in 1916 to undertake the vital war work of harvesting the country’s ancient forests to supply the Western Front.
We did it again with Jackie on 23rd June - on another scorcher of a day - and asked a passing stranger to take a photo of us (as you do!). When we got back to the cars we took our chairs and flasks and found a nice shady spot in Stover park next to the culvert. I've even since done it with Mike - although we missed out the fields and used the roads and canal track to complete the circuit.
Little Bovey Circuit
4.21 miles. 1:54 hrs
The three of us did this one - I thought we were going out for a short walk but we ended up doing just over 4 miles. I was wearing my sandals - and could feel a blister forming on the ball of my foot about half way round. Another lovely warm sunny day.
Bradley Ponds Circuit
2.23 miles. 1:04 hrs
Jayne and I did this one to remind ourselves where the footpath goes after Bradley Ponds and how it joins up with Bradley Road and Little Bovey. We also took the opportunity to explore the Nature Reserve on either side.
Trough Lane > Southbrook Farm
3.25 miles. 1:11 hrs
I had plans to walk up Trough Lane every day as my daily exercise - which didn't happen - but I did get out and do this circuit. Fabulous views coming down past the hospital, and I always like winding up people in houses in a secluded spot who have to put up with having a public footpath going through the middle (Southbrook Farm!).
Home to Trago Mills
4.14 miles. 1:18 hrs
This is another one I have always wanted to do. Jayne went straight to Trago after work, and we arranged to meet at 2. 30. I set off just after 1 pm and arrived just a few minutes before her. At last I have discovered the route from Liverton under the A38 to Trago. We had a lovely time in Trago - which was very well organised. The aim was to buy some birthday cards, but that bit was taped off, but I still managed to spend £70. The fruit and veg man was set up in the car park and we got 12 punnets of raspberries for £6 and a whole box of oranges for £1.
Parke Circuit from Scout Car Park
4.44 miles. 1:32 hrs
I did this one with Jackie on one of our Wednesday morning meets. Overcast but pleasant and dry. We sat 2 m apart on our folding chairs in Mill Marsh park afterwards, with our flasks of coffee, and had a nice chat
Shorter Parke Circuit from Scout Car Park
3.34 miles. 1:15 hrs
Jayne and I did this one with Jackie on her birthday. Jackie only had time for the shorter circuit (including diversion to the toilets on the way back!). Overcast but pleasant and dry. We sat 2 m apart on our folding chairs in Mill Marsh park afterwards again, with our flasks of coffee, and gave Jackie her cards and some fairy cakes to share. Jayne produced a candle from India which burst open when lit to become a flower with a candle on each petal. It also played happy birthday - constantly. Jackie told us it was still playing the following day.
Hennock and Chericombehead
5.13 miles. 2:31 hrs
Did this one with Jayne on 23rd June. Another lovely sunny day. We had originally intended to do a slightly shorter walk, but decided to explore the footpath from Hennock to Chericombehead when we got to Five Lanes. We grabbed several arrows on this walk!
Trough Lane > Hospital
2.13 miles. 1 hr
Did this one with Jayne on 30th June. We did the footpath across the field that I had never had the nerve to do on my own. It was lovely, with good views. Then we wandered back along roads and past houses in Bovey I didn't know existed - bringing us out by the library. We did some shopping on the way back so the time is a rough estimate of how long the walk took
Rora and Penn Woods
5.09 miles. 2:15 hrs
With Jayne and Jackie from Jackie's house 1 July. Overcast but stayed dry and was pleasant walking weather. We walked almost every track in both woods. Afterwards we took our flasks and chairs into Jackie's garden and had a quick cup of coffee before the rain arrived.
House of Marbles
3.44 miles. 2:15 hrs (includes time at House of Marbles)
With Jayne 8 July - we walked to House of Marbles which had opened at the weekend for the first time since lockdown. A warm day. We had a latte each and Jayne had a cheese scone while I had a lemon crunch bar which turned out to be horribly sweet. It was very quiet - hardly anyone in. Well organised. We noted they had changed their display over the counter - all the animals were gone (except for the gorilla) and models depicting glass blowing were in their place. We mooched round the shop afterwards
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