Sunday 31st April 2024
After a cold and wet night I woke on the edge of Dean Moor in Dartmoor to overcast skies with the strong winds that had accompanied the rain earlier in the night now easing. Finally, I set off from Water Oak Corner onto grassy fields that reminded me of Easter Sunday last year when I had been in the Yorkshire Dales and the skies were similarly overcast, but I felt upbeat. The fatigue that I had felt the day before was now gone after a good night that saw me going to sleep when it got dark and waking up when it got light. It was great to be untroubled by alarm clocks and able to sleep for as many hours as my body needed while the clocks changing overnight passed by without me noticing, though my phone soon reminded me that it was an hour later than my watch indicated. The route of the Dartmoor Way took me across Lambs Down to the crossing of Dean Burn set in delightful woodland before a short climb brought me onto a road whose banks were lined with wildflowers, most notably primroses that were very encouraging for me as I walked along the road. When I finally turned off I passed through some fields and into Bilberryhill Copse, which was initially covered in wild garlic and then bluebells, though tragically it was too early in the year for me to see them in flower.
Beyond, an abominably muddy path took me past a farm and onto a road that led me into the market town of Buckfastleigh where I stopped at the Singing Kettle for a late breakfast. On this Sunday morning everywhere else was shut so this tearoom was a welcome place for me to rest and recharge. Onward, I crossed the River Mardle and turned up a long flight of steps lined with beautiful wildflowers to reach the ruins of Holy Trinity Church before a steep descent brought me back to the road after what seems like a complete waste of effort. With blue skies briefly appearing and the sun briefly breaking through I crossed the River Dart and headed towards the town of Ashburton, largely on roads, though not direct as I made several unnecessary diversions before finally descending into Ashburton where I stopped for lunch. When I resumed my walk along the Dartmoor Way I crossed a grassy bank above the waters of the River Ashburn, which I followed into the woodland of Whiddon Scrubbs where, beyond a fence, a brilliant display of woodland plants could be seen, all poised to come out in flower, just not at this time.
Once the path became drier underfoot, then it was a pleasure to walk through this wood beside the slender river, despite overcast skies and a lack of woodland flowers. Eventually the path moved away from the river and climbed on a wet, muddy track to reach Lower and Higher Whiddon which heralded the start of a prolonged section of road walking. From Owlacombe Cross a relatively busy road brought me to Halshanger Cross where I turned right for a quieter stretch of road walking that undulated along the foot of the moors until finally I reached Birchanger Cross. I had not been on the moors so far this day and instead there had been a lot of frustrating road walking, which was only enlivened by the primroses that lined the banks but this last stretch even lacked that so I was relieved when I finally reached Birchanger Cross, turned left and descended to cross the River Lemon. Another muddy path brought me up out of the valley and onto the open moor where I was overjoyed to be finally unfettered and able to see the widespread, though misty, views behind me and ahead past the gorse bushes onto the moor.
When Haytor Rocks came into view I was blown away by the enormity of them, so it was a shame it was so misty and windy and that a road passes just below so they were covered in people. The Dartmoor Way passes to the right, east, of these two granite outcrops, but I elected to pass between them before descending the slopes beyond to reach the Templer Way and the tracks of an old tramway, which is unusually formed of granite rails, shaped to guide the wheels of horse-driven wagons. At this point I was thinking it was too early to stop where I had intended, but it took me so long to follow the trail off the moor and around the edge of Yarner Wood, where the granite tramway continued, that by the time I reached Reddaford Water at the foot of Trendlebere Down it was about five o’clock, so I climbed up onto the moor and found a spot to camp with views looking over the Bovey Valley. Apart from a fleeting bit of sunshine, this day was very misty and overcast with a lot of tedious road walking, but there were many highlights including some great woodland and Haytor Rocks, which I’d never seen before, and overall this felt like a good day.
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