Dartmoor 365

I had never been to the china clay pools before so was keen to see what they were like.  It was a grey day so I did not see them at their best, however, it was pleasant to walk around them.  There were some water lilies  and a family of geese to see.  I noted from the sign board that they are called Cadover Lakes.

I started by wandering around the village green at Meavy admiring the Oak trees, church and pub.  As well as the very old tree there is another younger specimen. I then drove down to the river, which was a favourite place of mine as a child.  There are stepping stones across the river and if there is not too much water cars can drive through.  Alternatively there is a narrow bridge you can use. As a child as well as playing in the river I remember having great fun in the woods.  A few years ago when I visited this spot I found the gate to the woods padlocked.  Today I saw a gap had been made between the wall and gate and a very clear path made along by the river.  It had been raining a lot recently so the path was rather wet and I did not have suitable shoes so I did  not go far, but I shall return to see where this path leads to.

In the past I have walked all the way round the Lydford Gorge, but I did not like the narrow path cut in the rock face so lately when I have visited this beautiful place I have just done short circular walks from both car parks.  As there is a one way system you cannot walk from one car park to another without going along the difficult path. In April 2016  I walked down from the first car park to Devil's cauldron then climbed back to the car and drove to the car park at the other end of the gorge and walked down to the White Lady Waterfall and back up again. When I visited in May 2017 the path to the Devil's Cauldron was closed so I only saw the White Lady Waterfall.  However, the bluebells were in flower and the woodland on the other side of the river by White Lady Waterfall was looking spectacular.

We parked the car just north of Mary Tavy at the side of the A386.  There was a clear path up to Wheal Jewell reservoir.  The walk was easy as it was flat and with wide ranging views.  We could see the Wheal Betsy mine works but as there was no definite path to it was did not go to see it closer but instead stayed on the path to the Wheal Jewell reservoir and then walked around that and then back again on the same path. John Hayward says this reservoir has no possible claim to beauty, but I would disagree.  We visited in April and it was pretty with the gorse growing around it. The leat that flows into the reservoir Pool beside the reservoir Wheal Jewell reservoir

Reading through "Dartmoor 365" by John Hayward I was surprised there is no entry for square T6. There is certainly plenty to see here.  The river Plym flows through this part of Dartmoor.  At Cadover Bridge it is wide and shallow making it a popular, safe place for children to play. You can walk along the bank of the river and very quickly it looks all together different.  The river runs faster as it tumbles over granite rocks, roaring as it goes.

It was a very hot day so I wanted a walk through woodlands.  I drove to Cadover Bridge (T6) and walked through the woods parallel to the river .To begin with the path was near the river and you could hear the water rushing over the stones. Slowly it climbed away from the water, and it was very quiet. At the end of the walk there was a steep drop down to the river and Shaugh Bridge. The footbridge Although I could have returned via Dewerstone it was too hot to attempt any steep climbs and it was a more exposed path, so I returned the way I had come. This was one of the first walks I did when I moved to Plymouth in 2011.  Then there was more water in the rivers. The road bridge

I parked at Two Bridges and walked up the signed path to Wistman Woods.  This was a good, clear path. When there was a fork I took the left hand moorland path that went parallel to the river.  This was not such a clear path to begin with, but it soon became more defined. Wistman's Woods is 1.3 miles from the car park and when I got there I clambered over the large moss covered granite rocks and admired the stunted trees.  I had heard how unusual and atmospheric this wood was, but I did not find it that special. Having explored the wood I returned the way I had come.

Being inspired by  "Dartmoor 365" by John Hayward that explores every one of the 365 square miles of the Dartmoor National Park I was keen to see if I could do the same.  Following the one square mile grid that had been superimposed over the map of Dartmoor I chose to start at grid reference R4, Roborough Down. John Hayward starts by focusing on The Rock.  I have frequently driven past the Rock as I have travelled into Dartmoor and as a child played on it, as have my children and grandchildren, but I was surprised that when I wandered around how much of interest I found.  Apart from the rock itself there was an old water pump and a memorial to Queen Victoria's 60 years of reign.  At the back of this structure there was an inscription celebrating Queen Elizabeth II 60 years, but the final date, 2012, had only been  drawn in the stone and not chiselled out.  Why was this, I wondered? Information Board about Roborough Down as an ai...