Buckland Abbey

I only wanted a short walk today so thought we would take the yellow route around Buckland Abbey estate and a wander around the gardens.  Part of the yellow route was closed off.  Thankfully other walkers told us about it so we did not have to walk down the hill and then up again, as there were no signs about the closure.  There was nothing of interest on the yellow walk, and the butterfly maze on the way there was also very disappointing.  However the gardens were looking lovely.  There was lots of colour in the Cider house border and the wild flowers outside the Abbey were a picture.

Cremyl to Milbrook

 Walking around Mount Edgecumbe is always good, and an ideal place to go on Bank Holidays when the roads are busy. We made an early start so we could get an car parking space near Admirals Hard and drank our coffee in Mount Edgecumbe Park watching a very large ship coming down the Tamar and out to sea.

  

There were a number of hydrangeas in the park, varying in colour to bright blue to pink. 

After walking around the Park we decided to try a new walk and go to Milbrook.  From the entrance to Mount Edgecumbe House we crossed the road and followed a path through woods.  This was a well defined earth path that initially ran parallel to the road but gradually went down hill.  Occasionally we had glimpses through the trees out to the river, even as far as the Tamar Bridge. 

The path became steeper towards the end and eventually it came down to the waters edge at Higher Anderton.  We then walked along the lakeside road towards Milbrook.  It was high tide so the Lake was pretty.  We crossed over the causeway and around the pond to the bus stop in the village.  As a bus was due I could not stop to take any pictures of pond, where there were geese and swans. 

The bus took us back to Cremyll and we sat again in the Park eating our lunch.  I always enjoy discovering new walks and this is one I will definitely be doing again.  I have heard there are lots of bluebells in Clarick Woods so I aim to come back next May.

Cadover - June 14th

 I have just realised I have not posted any blogs on walks I have done since the beginning of June.  There have not been many as I have spent time with grandchildren and  details of  the long weekend away in Padstow are in my holiday blog.  However there have been a couple of walks that I should record.

In the middle of June I drove to Cadover intending to walk to Shaugh Bridge.  This is a repeat of a walk I did when I first moved to Plymouth.  I started walking through the woods following a broken pipe line.   The path was rough with lots of tree roots and stones sticking up.  I took the upper path as I hoped it would be better than the one nearer the river.  At one point the path became smooth and so I was not watching my feet so carefully and tripped over a tree root.  I went flying!  Fortunately there was not real damage but I was shaken up.  I continued walking for a while and saw the Dewstone on the other side of the river, but when it came to a muddy slippery patch I did not feel confident to jump from one stone to another so turned back.

On the way back I took the lower path and there was some lovely views of the river.  It looks so different to  when it flows over flatter ground near Cadover Bridge.

It was a pity not to have made it to Shaugh Bridge, but having had many months not able to walk because of an injured knee I did not want to damage it again.  I am conscious I need to walk on easy paths these days.

Burrator

 Another sunny day so I made an early start and drove to Burrator.  As I approached the reservoir I was met with some highland cattle wandering along the road.  They did not seem to mind the cars, even though they had a young one with them.

I walked from the dam to Norsworthy Bridge, taking the inside path that goes along the shore of the reservoir.  Often there are beaches beside the water but today the reservoir was very full and came right up to the trees.  There were some purple rhododendrons and yellow azaleas that added to the beauty of the scene.  There were also patches of bluebells all the way along.

The path was flat but rough in places with tree roots and stones, so I had to be careful how I walked.  There was a lot of  water flowing into the reservoir but only one stream had overflowed across the path.  As I approached Norseworthy Bridge the river was flowing fast over the stones.

Being out early there was no icecream van at Norseworthy so I had to return without any refreshment.  There wasn't even one at the dam when I returned to my car.  It was a very pleasant walk, with very few people walking along the inside path, although there were a lot of cars at the dam and people walking along the road.  I think the inside path is a secret that few have discovered.

Cremyll to Cawsand

 It was a hot sunny bank holiday Monday,  I knew the roads would be busy and car parks full so I decided to stay local and walk along the South West Coast path from Cremyll to Cawsand.   I was out early enough to park in the overflow car park at Admiral's Hard and caught the 9.15 ferry to Cremyll.  There were a few other people on the ferry but not so crowded we couldn't social distance.

I started by  walking through Mount Edgecumbe Park.  The flower beds outside the Orangery  had been planted for the summer but were not yet making a show.  Further along the coastal path there were the camelias from the National Camelia collection, but these were past their best and only a few flowers remained.  Most of the bluebells had also finished flowering, although there were some in the woodlands.  There were however rhododendrons giving bright splashes of colour and I saw the first foxgloves of the season.

After we had climbed the long flight of steps which is the worse part of this walk, we expected a gentle downhill walk into Kingsand.  However, there was a fallen tree and the South West Coast path was diverted up through the deer park and then down a steep path through trees.  The ground was very dry with loose earth and stones so this was not easy walking and I was glad when we returned to the normal path.

It was high tide so Kingsand and Cawsand were busy with people who could not sit on the beach.  I thought about returning to Cremyll immediately by bus and arrived at the bus stop just when the bus was due.  After waiting for 20 minutes I realised the bus must have been early and I had missed it. So I walked back into Cawsand and found a seat on the terrace of The Bay restaurant and had a fish and chip lunch.  I then returned to the bus stop some time before the bus was due to make sure I did not miss it again.  The bus was late so I thought I would miss the ferry, but there were so many people wanting to return to Plymouth that they had put on an extra, large, boat and I was able to catch that one.

The section of the South West Coast Path from Cremyll to Cawsand is one of my favourite and I have done it many times.  It never ceases to delight with the wonderful sea views. Hopefully the fallen tree will soon be dealt with and it will be the easy walk that it has been in the past.

Lukesland Gardens

 I have visited Lukesland in the autumn and remember it was very colourful, but I have never been when the bluebells, rhododendrons and azelias are in flower.  As it was a sunny Sunday afternoon I thought I would got and see these gardens.  It was so beautiful!  The rhododendron bushes were huge, the azelias of so many different colours and the bluebells gave carpets of blue.  It was lovely walking beside the stream as there was a lot of water running down over the waterfalls.  It was quite a large area (24 acres) and so much to see and admire.  I will definitely be back!

Tavistock Canal

I drove to Yelverton then caught the bus to Tavistock.  It was a double decker and I was able to have the front seats upstairs so a great view as we drove along. From Tavistock bus station I crossed over to the park and walked down to the river which was rushing along.  I walked along this to the road then went through the underpass to the canal path.  I followed the canal until the viaduct, which took about 40 minutes.   In places the water in the canal looked dark and menacing, but in other places the sun shone through the trees and it was green with reflections.  I passed several families of ducks with small ducklings swimming away from their parents.  There were some bluebells at the side of the path, but they were passed their best.  The walk was flat all the way and it was an easy, pleasant walk.

When we returned to Tavistock we walked along the river into the town.  There was a lot of water coming over the waterfalls by the town bridge.  The town itself was packed with people having to queue to go into any shop they wanted to browse.  I was therefore happy to walk back to the bus station and catch the bus back to Yelverton.

Knowle Down Bluebells

 I read on social media that there was a lovely display of bluebells on the road between Horrabridge and Walkhampton, so I decided to investigate.  I was not disappointed.  As I drove from Horrabridge there were lots of bluebells in the hedges. I then saw the bluebells on the slope of the valley at the side of the road.  I came to a parking area and went to make a closer exploration. As I wandered around  Knowle Down I was surrounded by bluebells and their fragrance wafted up to me  There was no-one except a few horses admiring the view. It was a steep slope but a very worthwhile short walk

 

Longtimber Wood, Ivybridge

 After over a week of wet and windy weather where I have not done any substantial walks, the sun came out this afternoon so I took the opportunity to get out.  With all the rain we have had I knew the rivers would be spectacular so I drove to Ivybridge and parked under the viaduct and walked into Longtimber Wood and then along the River Erme.  Even from the road you could hear the river thundering down.  When we reached the river there were multiple waterfalls and white water and the river rushing through gaps in the rocks. It was indeed spectacular.  The trees had the soft green of new leaves and the sun shining through them added to the beauty of the walk.  At times there were streams running across the path but it was a reasonable surface most of the way.  When the path headed away from the river and got very stony I turned back.  It made a very pleasant afternoon walk.

In Search of bluebells in Whitleigh Woods and Southway Valley

 Bluebells are my favourite wild flowers, they are so bright and cheerful.  When they are in flower I try to visit as many bluebell woods as possible.  In the past I have been to Whitleigh Woods at this time of the year and seen bluebells so I decided to revisit this wood to see what sort of show the bluebells were putting on at the moment.  I parked at the end of Southway Drive and crossed the road to the woods.  I didn't see any bluebells until I reached the top of the woods, which was disappointing. The bluebells in the woodland by the road were not at their best as there were still flowers to come out.  However it was good to see some.

By the time I had walked back through the woods to my car I had only been walking for about 20 minutes so I decided to explore somewhere new.  I drove round to the other side of Southway Drive and parked as soon as I saw a sign to the Southway Valley Nature Reserve.  There were steps that led down to the wood.  I could have followed these to the valley floor but decided instead halfway down to walk along a path through the wood.  There were lots of bluebells here, but some were the spanish variety. 

After a while I came to a path that lead to the bottom of the valley where there was a large field.  I turned around and continued walking along a stream that was only a trickle.  Eventually I came to some steps that led up to by car.  

Again the bluebells were not fully out.  In another week they would look a lot more spectacular.  There were definitely more of them in this nature reserve than across the road in Whitleigh Woods.  I will certainly come back another later in the season.  Next time however, I will park nearer the bottom of the reserve so I don't have the steep climb into and out of  the reserve. 

Plymbridge

 Usually I walk from Marsh Mills to Plymbridge and then turn around.  On Friday I wanted to see the bluebells that are in the wood above Plymbridge.  I drove past Glenholt planning to park in Wood Park.  However, when I got there I found there was no parking space so drove down the road to Plymbridge itself.  There I discovered that the car park and road on the other side of river was closed, this must have been why there were so many parked at Wood Park.

As I was at Plymbridge I decided to walk up the river.  There were a few bluebells  and also some wild garlic.  I walked up the river and under the viaduct.  There was then some steps that took me up to the cycle path.  I then turned around and walked over the viaduct.  The Peregrine Project volunteers were not yet stationed on the viaduct although there was someone there with binoculars pointing to the quarry wall obviously looking for the peregrine nest. 

 After crossing the viaduct we went down steps that took me to the other side of the river.  I walked up the river a bit further so I could rest in the bench overlooking the weir.  This is a lovely place to stop half way along the walk. 

I then walked back along the canal.  Twice I had to jump over a stream as the edge of the canal was broken down and the water was running across the path and down to the river.  The canal path was much quieter than usual, probably because of the closed road and car park.

Bluebells along the River Plym

 When I walked from Marsh Mills to Plym Bridge recently I saw lots of bluebell plants so I knew it would be really beautiful when they were in flower.  I had heard that they were out so went to see.  The wood at the side of the path was full of  bluebells, but they were not out completely.  This meant there was a blue haze on the floor of the woodland but not a strong blue carpet. 

When I had crossed the bridge to the other side of the river there were more bluebells along the banks of the river.  The colour made the walk even more beautiful than usual.

Central Park

 Central Park is right on my doorstep so this morning I thought I would walk around that rather than travel further afield.  During lockdown it was so popular it was impossible to social distance there, but today it was much quieter.  There were just a few cyclists and dog walkers around and young mums pushing buggies.

Last week when walking with a friend I photographed this colourful tree near the Ford Park Road entrance.  I was glad I had captured it last week and today it had more leaves on the tree and was not so spectacular.

 However further along the path there were other trees  in flower.  There were also patches of spanish bluebells along the valley path and they made a lovely spread amongst the graves in the cemetery at the side of the park.

I walked along the valley path until Barn Park entrance then carried on up to Pounds House. The rhododendrons just before Pounds Park were just coming into flower, and only the purple one was fully out. However the cherry trees leading to Pounds House were in bloom giving a lovely sight.