Have a holiday based on Dartmoor – What to do on retirement

A walking holiday with hf holidays – 3 nights this time. This is the one to replace the singing holiday and lasted from Wednesday to Saturday.

So on Wednesday I drove to the house near Haytor on Dartmoor. I keep forgetting that my car is not keen on hills, but it does make it – slowly. I arrived in time to eat my sandwich lunch and then to book in. They weren’t really expecting me, as the office hadn’t passed on the change I had made, but the manager had no problem in sorting it out. Having unpacked, I waited for a heavy shower to finish and then walked up to Haytor.

I walked passed the ponies...... — I walked passed the ponies……

......and was able to get a view from the top even though it was very windy and raining a bit. — ……and was able to get a view from the top even though it was very windy and raining a bit on and off.

The other side of Haytor, to show I got there!

Walking down again - why was it 20 minutes up but only 10 minutes down? — Walking down again – why was it 20 minutes up but only 10 minutes down?

I then had an ice-cream, as that is compulsory when on holiday!

Back to the house to change and get ready for a glass of wine, the 3 course dinner and meet the other walkers, as we had a briefing and chose the difficulty for our walk the next day – easy for me, as usual.

Next day, after a cooked breakfast and picking up lots of food for lunch, elevenses etc. we were ready to get the coach to take us to the starting point for our walk. The easy walk started near Exminster, at some pub I failed to note the name of! We started walking across rough fields, that in winter would be full of birds and went across to the Exeter Canal and walked along the tow-path.

The tow-path was bounded by shrubs and reeds, especially on the canal side......... — The tow-path was bounded by shrubs and reeds, especially on the canal side………

…….and we heard birds, including reed-warblers in these. They were too well hidden to see them, even though they were so noisy! We also watched the insects – notably damsel flies and bees on the flowers. It was a lovely peaceful walk, except for……..

........the sounds of the M5 which went over the canal! — ……..the sounds of the M5, which went over the canal!

It was very beautiful, with the sun shining and a breeze so it was not too hot.

We got talking to a man who was training rowers on the canal and so going backwards and forwards on his bike. He said we could have elevenses on a bench by their club-house and use their “facilities”, which seemed like an excellent idea to us!

To get there we had to cross the canal by a bridge and we got talking to a woman there who pointed out a plaque. This commemorates the fact that the bridge over the canal and river had been used in May 1944 to practise for the capture of the “Pegasus Bridge” for the D-day landings. We were there 70 years later (5/6/2014) and the woman was there as her father had been one of those taking part!

The bridges apparently look very like the actual “Pegasus Bridge”, according to one of our number who had been there.

From there we continued walking into Exeter, but beside the river this time. We stopped for lunch before we got into the city proper and sat to eat it on a seat near this weir.

We continued on to……

......Exeter Quey....... — ……Exeter Quey…….

.....and from there into the city and the cathedral. — …..and from there into the city and the cathedral.

Altogether it was a good flat walk, (until we got to the city) but maybe a bit slow, which can be tiring. We then had plenty of time for cups of coffee, followed by some time when we could look round, do our own thing and then have cups of tea and go and get the coach back to the house, to shower change and have dinner.

This was followed by a quiz, given to all the hf houses via the internet. There was a competition in each house and the winning team got a mug each(!) and the winners from each house had their score submitted and the overall winners were given a bottle of wine to share on last night. “My” team won in our house (there were only 2 teams as we were a very small group) but didn’t win overall. Not sure I contributed anything – except a right answer (Stella Artois) that the other members didn’t agree with, so we didn’t get the mark!

After a cooked breakfast and picking up lunch next day we took the coach to the highest pub on Dartmoor, Warren House Inn – or the easy walk did. The walk took us round Challacombe Down in a sort of S-shape. We heard the cuckoo calling quite near the start – and found a bird watcher with a telescope trying to see it. We passed…….

....the remains of tin miners cottages...... — ….the remains of tin miners cottages……

......hillsides where we could see the remains of the terracing from mediaeval times..... — ……hillsides where we could see the remains of the terracing from mediaeval times…..

.....hillsides covered in bluebells...... — …..hillsides covered in bluebells……

....(a bluebell!).... — ….(a bluebell!)….

.....and even a field containing alpaca! — …..and even a field containing alpaca!

We headed on towards Grimspound, the site of a bronze age village....... — We headed on towards Grimspound, the site of a bronze age village…….

.....where we had lunch, in the remains of a hut so we were a bit sheltered from the strong winds. — …..where we had lunch, in the remains of a hut so we were a bit sheltered from the strong winds.

We went straight up the hill, so we could look down on Grimspound..... — After lunch we went straight up the hill, so we could look down on Grimspound…..

......until we reached the trig point on Hamel Down. — ……until we reached the trig point on Hamel Down.

It was then a windy walk along the top of the down, with the larks singing overhead....... — It was then a windy walk along the top of the down……

…….but with the sun shining and larks singing overhead it was lovely.

We stopped to look at this ancient cross...... — We stopped to look at this ancient cross……

.......and passing this (bronze age?) burial mound..... — …….and passed this (bronze age?) burial mound…..

.....and with amazing views, including across to Haytor. — …..and had amazing views, including across to Haytor.

The final part of the walk was down (quite steeply) to Widecombe, where we had time to look at the church, with fascinating roof bosses, and have a cup of tea before getting the coach back to the house. We only saw 4 walkers and the bird-watcher all day, until we reached Widecombe, so it was a wonderfully peaceful.

Time for a shower and a drink before dinner, a putting game(!) and bed.

Next day was cooked breakfast (might as well make the most of it!), packing and home.

So a good break and holiday? Yes! Lovely, sunny weather, but not too hot because of the wind; wonderful birdsong and flowers and pleasant company. The contrast in the walks was good too. And I only put on 2lb in the 3 days!

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