Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor Walk (Dartmoor)

Meldon Reservoir and Black A Tor Walk (Dartmoor) 5 Miles

Dartmoor beckoned my father and I so on the 15^th April we decided to explore the Northern tip of Dartmoor and so made our way to Meldon Reservoir.  This was our first excursion to Dartmoor so had no expectations of what this area was like. The route was a cross between easy tracks, moorland, bog and ancient woodland with one steep climb in the middle up to Black a Tor.

Our route began at the car park situated by Meldon Reservoir.



The Route.

Before we got to the reservoir we took the track on the right which took us around and through the North side of Meldon Reservoir, the many gorse bushes were flowering at the time which gave a beautiful backdrop to the lake and the smell was intoxicating, a quite pungent coconut smell crossed between suntan lotion giving a real holiday feeling and reminding me to put some suntan lotion on as we again chose another glorious day for walking, sunshine and a light breeze.

As we dropped down to the path overlooking the reservoir and dodging the cows we caught a glimpse of the gateway to Dartmoor and West Okement River valley catchment.



West Okement River meets Meldon Reservoir



This was a lovely view and showing that spring was now in fill motion with the trees fledging their lush green virgin leaves and the birds busying themselves hunting for food for their young ones. We followed the path to another main track which leads down to the river and the old bridge that spanned this bubbling brook.

                                               

Here we met this first people of the journey, all eager to know where the path we had been on lead to. From this point we decided to stick closely to the river rather than take the main path, always looking out for an elusive trout basking in the sun, which so far has eluded us on our walks. What we did find were hundreds of tadpole in all the puddles and still parts of the river.



The Lone Tadpole

From here we ambled up to Vellake Corner, a man made tiny lake and weir, look like an old fishery once upon a time but probably still useable. It had a very unusual weir whether this was a fish friendly one or not I am not sure.

Beyond the lake the river, at the base of Shelstone Tor, became a sequence of pool, riffle sequences and as it dropped down the little woody area in its own tiny gorge the area was just mated with thick lichens and ferns, its own tropical niche in the middle of a vast moor. This was a great place to stop for a break and a bite to eat.

West Oakment River

The Mini Moss Carpeted Gorge.

As we were down in the mini gorge we had to clamber up its steep sides, as the path we were following disappeared, to meet the main path heading into the immense expanse of Dartmoor. This path too disintegrated and we had to pick are way through the marshes and bogs with Black Tor and its inviting view points to the left



Black Tor.



and on the right, Corn Ridge and the slipper stones.

Here we watched around 5 Buzzards circling and hunting in the thermals above Corn Ridge, unfortunately they were scared off by one of those motorised parachute gizmos disturbing them and the peace and tranquillity of the area.

From here we headed to Black A Tor Copse still following the upstream course of the West Okement River. You will definitely need water proof boots on this section as you (at this time of year) have to pick your way around various bogs and mud, the granite rocks are also very slippy and covered in lichen as I found out nearly doing the splits down one of them, a sight my father just laughed at me as my other foot slid about a foot down into the mud.

Black a Tor Copse was an amazing, enchanting place, and has an air of great mystery to it. It is an ancient upland Oak woodland and is now a national Nature Reserve (NNR) and is a very important site for lichens, when you are there you can see why as everything is carpeted with them. There are at least 25 trees covered with a species called Bryoria smithii which is the only major site like this in the British Isle and there is another species called Parmelia disscordans which is the only place South of Scotland that it exists. There are a further 44 species of mosses and liverworts  and 133 species of lichen here too making this a very important ecological site probable due to the amazing clean unpolluted air of the area.



On The Edge of Black A Tor Copse.



Aside form the importance of this site, it gives you a sense of shelter and wonder and a kind of oasis in what is a very bleak, exposed area and a place where you can imagine strange creatures come out at night from the lichen layered rocks.

The Haunting Black A Tor Copse.

We then headed back to the edge of the copse and then headed upwards towards Black Tor. The path heading up is very indistinct but you can not get lost as there is nothing but a hill in-between you and the Black Tor, steep enough to get you breathless but not too steep to really tire you out. There were some magnificent views at the top of the Tor in every direction and was lucky enough to have this to ourselves.

Top of Black Tor



The Gaurdian of the Tor



Looking North East from the Tor



View of Corn Ridge



We then headed North East and took the path back to Meldon Reservoir. The path was on a long shallow decline which made walking easy especially with the spongy moss under our feet which was a pleasure to walk on. The path lead us past many wet boggy areas and past a heard of Dartmoor ponies feeding on the lush grasses the previous weeks rain had fed.



Path Leading Across the Moors Back to Meldon Reservoir.



Weather still holding we caught site of Meldon Reservoir and noticed that we missed the turning for the path leading down to it and therefore had no choice but drop down the steep side of the hill above the reservoir parallel to the dam itself. This was worth it due to the commanding views that greeted us of the reservoir itself.



The Dam at Meldon Reservoir



Meldon Reservoir



In 1963 Meldon Dam was started and then completed in 1972, it holds 3.75 million cubic meters of water being 1320m long and an impressive 44.4m deep. It would be an impressive thing to watch at times of flooding as the spillway drops down 44 meters causing an amazing cascade to the bottom. It is a shame they had to flood a very picturesque valley but is an important source of water for the South West Water’s mains.

Here we had to cross the dam and head back up to the car park to rest our weary legs.

This was a beautiful walk and a great introduction to Dartmoor encompassing, farmland, river valleys, bogs, ancient forest and moorland environments which gave very varied and interesting trails to follow. Most people could to this walk but be prepared for the weather as it can turn in an instance here and insecure you have waterproof boots. I think I would rate this walk 4 out of 5, a stunning walk but not too taxing.

I would like to thank my father for his excellent company and my mother who had a delicious dinner waiting for us when we got back.

White Horse Hill Oxfordshire

White Horse Hill And Wayland  Smithy Walk (5 Miles)

I was on a mission to find a good walk in Oxfordshire and decided that I would give White horse hill a go as I thought it would involve so dramatic scenery and some local history. On the17th of June, amazingly the skies cleared and the arduous wind we have been having dropped down to a breeze. I had the pleasure of having Lucy for company, a very good friend and one who could put up with my incessant babbling on as I am usually walking on my own and daresay talk to myself.

We paid for 4 hours parking at the pay and display and set off.

The first part of the route lead us towards the White Horse, The views over Oxfordshire stretched out for miles and miles through farmland, villages and Didcot Power station which in a sense has its own charm chugging out it's exhausts over the county

White Horse Hill

We found it quite hard to get a great vantage point of the White Horse as it was so large and at an angle, only a plane or hot air balloon could give the full effect of this ancient monument.

The figure itself dates back 3000 years to the bronze age and is 110 meters long and formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk. The horse is thought to represent  a tribal symbol and connected to the builders of Uffington Castle.

White Horse, Dragon Hill and the Crop Circle

From the top of the horses head you can see various features, one being a crop circle in the field below.

Crop Circle

In front of the crop circle is Dragon hill which is a natural chalk hill with an artificial flat top which as legend suggest and Lucy also at the time was that on its summit St George slew a dragon and the bare patch of chalk on top where no grass grows was apparently where the dragon spilt it's blood.

Dragon Hill

From the top we headed towards Uffington Castle, a very strange place as there is a sign for the castle, but the castle has since disappeared.

Where Is It??

I'm not too clear how you can deface it as is no longer here, back to the historical info, the castle was built in the early  Iron age and is surrounded by two earth banks which is the only thing left to see there probably due to it being made of timber as post holes have been found. Today however sheep rule the castle. The local farmer had been busy, all of them were shawn and looking less than majestic in their new rough haircuts.

Shawn Sheep Admiring the view of Didcot Power Station.

Passing the castle we then joined the Ridgeway and headed towards Wayland Smithy. The path was long and straight, not the excitement I was trying to pursue, never the less some of the views were lovely and there was a plethora of wild birds, insects and thousands of snails, a good year for them I think, especially the ones in my garden who have a party with my runner beans every night.

The Rich Green Fields of Oxfordshire.

We followed the path for roughly a mile then headed to a small copse which house Wayland Smithy, a Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb

Wayland Smithy.

The oval barrow has been dated to 3700BC and the chambered long barrow dated to 3400BC. There was a single burial at one end and a further 14 individuals were scattered in front of it, analysis saying that the subjects were excarnated prior to burial which means de-fleshed, pretty gruesome.

Another legend of Wayland is that if a traveller's horse lost its shoe, they should leave the horse and a silver coin there over night and in the morning they would find their horse re-shod and the money gone. The Saxons thought there was an invisible smith called Wayland hence the modern name for the site.

After a little rest, water and banana, we turned back along the long straight path, Lucy noticed  a path leading into a wooded area running parallel to the path so decided to explore that avenue. this was a beautiful little coppice with the sun flickering through the canopy, a good little detour off the normal route.

The Hidden Path.

After going through the coppice it lead us back to the Ridgeway path and then back to Uffington Castle. We then diverted round the side of the field and challenged ourselves to go down the steep embankment to dragon hill for a welcome rest and just to sit and take in the expansive panorama over Oxfordshire and take in the local wildlife. Watching a Kestrel hover below where we were sitting was quite hypnotic and an unusual aspect to see it. the place was alive with beetles too, we had to go for a closer inspection.

A Chaffer Beetle.

No idea what this one was

We then took the trail leading to the car park, this was busy with kite flyers and children playing football, a fry cry from the peace we had on the path prior. As for any walk we yearned for some refreshments and decided to go to the White Horse pub in Woolstone, unfortunately the kitchen is being refurbished but their pork pies look amazing. We decided to go to Uffington driving past some amazing old picture postcard houses and stopped at the Fox and Hounds pub, the food here was lovely and a good place to look back on the walk we had just embarked on.

I'm not too sure how I would rate this walk, the views were brilliant but the hype of the White Horse and Wayland made the result a bit flat, the walk itself was very easy and needed a bit more excitement. If you are in the vicinity I would recommend a look but I would not travel too far to walk this.

Just a quick thank you to Lucy, you made the walk most enjoyable and was great company.

Teign Valley, Fisherman/ Hunters Path

Short Walk in the Teign Valley

On The 15th of May, whilst on one of my many visits to my folks, I decided to drag my father out for a river walk on the edge of Dartmoor. The weather was changeable so tried to encompass parts of two walks, the Hunters paths and the Fishermans path by Fingle Bridge to make it a less hilly but circular route.

The Walk is roughly 3 1/2 miles with only a few steep stepped ascents, mainly on the North side of the river. Just a word for the nervous driver the roads to Fingle Bridge and around Dresteignton are very narrow, one car fits all affair with high hedges, so care needs to be taken getting there, There is a large free car park by Fingle Bridge which has an excellent pub for liquid refreshments (I cannot comment on the food as we never had any) pre and post walk and very friendly locals and staff. I the weather was better it would have been an ideal spot for relaxing with a great view of the old bridge and River Teign as it bubbles past the outside seating area.

A great view from the Fingle Bridge Inn

From the pub, cross over the bridge and turn right to follow the path along the river (the Fishermans Path), we were greeted by carpets of bluebells at the start of this walk and the views down the valley were lovely with the virgin fresh growth of the trees just emerging from their branches was a beautiful sight.

View of the valley in its emerging glory

We followed the path along the river Teign passed endless pool riffles in the river and always listening out for the next sequence of rapids which kept us eager and spurred us on to the next turn in the path. The water here was a clear trout brown, which excited my father who was trying to capture a glimpse of the river's elusive trout or salmon, no luck though.

The path we followed acted as a dividing line between the two types of forest, on the left was coniferous, dark and mysterious and the valley on the right, deciduous, bright and green, a great contrast bringing a wide variety of wildlife this walk as it encompassed many niches for them to exploit, my favourite being the Dipper , which constantly bobbed up and down like a nervous meerkat.

Dense Coniferous Woodland

Green and bright deciduous woodland

One of the many fast flowing rapids on the Teign

When the valley sides start to get lower you will know that you are nearing the end of the Fishermans Path part of the walk. You will come across a really solid wall made out of the local stone, it looked as though some giant had made it, the rocks that made it up were huge, no idea how they built it. The whole area was covered in lichens and the gnarled, stunted, aged trees gave the feel of something out of Fangorn Forest from the Lord of the Rings, a very haunting place.

The wall of the giants.

From here you could hear the roar of the river, The wall ensuring the cause of the noise was kept secret. This always spurs me on and so the pace quickened until we came to the suspension bridge, quite an unusual one made of wood.  This was where we left the Fishermans Path and picked up the Hunters Path. We followed the trail right as we crossed the bridge, you can go left for a more harder trek up to Castle Drogo but we were limited to time so chose just to follow the river back.

There was a kind if manmade lake and weir which was a fly fisherman's paradise, a deep dark, still dark pool. The weir  was magnificent and the source of the roar of which the stone wall hid.

Source or the roaring water.

After admiring the force and beauty of the water and a quick refreshment, we headed along the Hunters Path towards the Hunters Inn. The path here had a few steep inclines and a few areas that may be dangerous when wet. The views were lovely and the sun kept trying to say hello too, making the walk quite hot and humid and now wished we did not bring coats.

The Flowing Teign.

After looking for more trout, we arrived back at the Hunters Inn, and sat down and said to ourselves "what a wonderful walk" which indeed it was, a short simple walk with local splendour, perfect for an afternoon stroll and a pint, could not think of a better way to while away a few hours rather than sit in and watch the same repeats on TV.

If you want a shortish, simple river valley walk with charm and splendour, I would recommend this one, just don't stand still too long in certain places as my father found out, as he stood on a termites mound, which made him jump a bit.

Tintagel to Boscastle

Tintagel to Boscastle Walk

On the 16th May the sun decided to bless us with company after a long week of rain and wind. I grabbed my things and my father and drove from Chulmleigh in Devon to Boscastle. I do not enjoy there and back again walks so decided to catch a bus from Boscastle to Tintagel. Whilst waiting for the bus we had a look in the visitor centre in Boscastle, highly recommended just to see the video of the devastation the flash flooding caused a few years ago, a sobering sight giving you a full respect for the weather where ever you are walking. we then bought some pasties for lunch later, hopped on the bus and headed for Tintagel.

Tintagel was a bustling town even out of season, full of tourists and many a school outing history lesson full of unconcerned children trying to avoid their teachers gaze in-case they get quizzed on some obscure historical fact. The stream of people clambered their way up to the Abbey remains on the cliff. We, on the other hand,  had a lovely cup of tea and then veered off into the direction of Boscastle. You must see the waterfall cascading onto the beach just by the cafe, the weeks rainfall made it quite impressive.

As we walked away from Tintagel the path became quieter and the views became more impressive, the sea was turquoise blue glistening in the sunlight, a rare occurrence so far this year and could already feel it's affects burning through the factor 30 I slapped on not 10 minutes ago. The route ahead was quiet straight forward, but there were some hidden gems worth detouring for.

The first little detour is to stride away from the main path to a slight headland, Barras Nose. The views of the rugged Cornish coastline were beautiful, just as good as the coast of Sardinia.

View of Tintagel looking East from the headland Barras Nose.

The view West of Barras Nose.

This was definitely a good viewing point and only a short detour off the path. My Father and I then proceeded to follow the coastal path in the glorious sunshine to the next headland where are stomachs told us it was lunch time or pasty time which were still warm in our ruck-sacks. This is a must for a resting place, so peaceful and picturesque.

This was the view from natures dinner table, not a bad sight with swallows and Wheatears flying around. After our quick lunch we headed around Bossiny Bay, keep looking out to sea as the caravan park dumped on the hill is a bit of an eyesore.

If you look around there really are some great hidden views.

The next goal was Rocky Valley. This is definitely worth a look, a hidden haven that is a gorge, nesting site, tropical waterfall paradise and looked like something out of James Bond, a warning though the rock at the bottom are rather slippy.

The guardian Rocky Valley.

 

Rocky valley, one of Englands hidden treasures.

After clambering back up to the coastal path we headed towards the main Rocky Valley wher a swollen stream cascades down a wanna be gorge. This was a unexpected suprise to me as it is not the ususal sight for a coastal walk. The views here are suprisingly better looking inland than out to sea. The going here is quite steep but worth the initial hardship.

After a welcomed rest, the next viewing pleasure we caught sight off was the lady's window, quite easy to miss so look out for it. I have no idea how it was erroded in such a way and so high on the cliff but it looks amazing and you can walk through it to a ledge on the other side, I would not recommend this in gusty conditions.

Looks a little bit like the Queens head on a coin. There is another point of view on this geological marvel as some people may visualize a dragons head trying to eat the cliff. see what you think.

However you look at this it is pretty impressive and one of the hidden gems of this walk. There is also a bench situated near there for a welcome rest and swig of water and suntan top up station.

We were about 3/4s into the walk now and were flagging a bit. The rest of the walk to Boscastle again had impressive sea views.

Some of these give you the typical iconic coastline captures of the rugged Cornish coast, the beauty amplified by the glorious sunshine pouring down on us. by now we were tiring a bit, need to lose some weight and get fit I think. There were a few more steep climbs and descents until the final one where the trail lead us to Boscastle Harbour, a natural hidden harbour, probably full of smugglers and pirates in years gone by.

Here the water, sheltered by the huge cliffs at its mouth, was so clean and clear. The end of the adventure was in sight. Happy that our feet could have a rest and sad because it had come to an end we decided to treat ourselves to an ice cream and a seat which gave us a time to reflect on the real treat of a ramble that we had just embarked on and wished that we did not have to drive back to Chulmleigh but stay and unwind with a cold pint and a meal.

This is the best coastal walk I have done to date. It has everything from amazing coastal views, hidden valleys, great geology, a gateway into Cornish history  to great people, pasties and wildlife. I highly recommend this walk to everyone (as long as you can cope with quite steep ascents and descents).

If I have given you inspiration to do this walk please let me know how you got on and your views. Enjoy.