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.   

Newton Ferrers

 I parked by the footpath that leads down to the riverside but before walking down there we walked to the end of the road and into Newton Woods.  There were some very posh houses to admire and the tide was in so the river was looking lovely.  It was a very windy day so there were white cap waves at times. 

 After walking through the wood for some time I turned around and walked back to the car then down the slope to the riverside path.  This led us past some quaint cottages.  Usually I would walk on to the pub at the bottom of the  village  but today as I didn't want to walk for more than an hour I turned around when I reached the harbour.  

This was a very pleasant walk around a beautiful part of the River Yealm.

Clearbrook to the Rock, Yelverton

 I parked at the car park at the end of the cycle path just above the village of Clearbrook and walked along the cycle path.  The gorse was in bloom giving a wonderful yellow colour to the surrounding moor. 

 There were not many cyclists on the path and it is quite wide so any coming along could easily pass.    There were a some ponies nearby and  we also passed some black and white cows.  The path followed the leat and in places you could see remains of the track of the Plymouth and Dartmoor railway.

When I got to the path that led to the road by the Rock I  I had already walked more than 30 minutes and as I had limited time I had to turn around. I could have walked on to Yelverton, but I will have to leave that for another day.

Brixton towards Steer Point

 I parked in Winston Lane and walked down the track under a railway bridge and on to the creek.  At times this was a very steep path and although a good surface there were walls and hedges each side so you did not have any views.  

To reach the path alongside the creek I had to climb over a tall stile and the path was then quite rough in places.  Unfortunately the tide was out so the creek did not look very attractive.  As we walked along you could see the remains of the old railway tracks that used to run in this area.  After a while there was an option to take the path by the water or go along the old railway track.  I chose to take the easier path!  

When the path reached the road I could have followed the road to Steer Point, but instead chose to make my way back to Brixton on the road.  It was a gentle climb up the hill, but much easier walking and occasionally when there were gates in the hedge you could see across fields to the creek.  As we approached Brixton there was a track that led to Winston Lane so I could return to my car without having to go all the way to the centre of Brixton.

This was not a particularly exciting 3 mile walk, although no doubt it would have been better at high tide.

Looe and Polperro

We parked at Hannafore as we know that along the sea front there it is free to park and there is a wonderful view out to sea and  over Looe Island.   We walked from there into Looe, first along the seafront and then up the river. The tide was in so it was a very pretty walk.  

After crossing Looe Bridge we walked through the town to the beach.  There were quite a few on the beach and crabbing along the quayside.  Because of the pandemic they had stopped all but essential vehicles driving through the town, which made it much better than usual and you could social distance.

After we walked back the way we came we continued on to the end of Hannafore.  Already the tide was out far enough to expose all the rock pools.  We then sat in our car eating our lunch, not only were we warm out of the wind, but it prevented the seagulls taking any of our food.  They are well known predators in Looe.

It was too early to go home so we caught the bus to Polperro.  There were only a couple of people on it to begin with and by the time we reached Polperro we had the bus to ourselves.  We walked through the village looking in the shop windows and around art galleries. Polperro is a very quaint village with lots of narrow streets and a stream running down the side of the main thoroughfare.  The tide was now out so the harbour was not as pretty as it could be.  We then wound our way back to catch the bus to Looe.

It was a very pleasant day out. This was the first time I had used my free bus pass on a journey of any length and it was lovely not to have to drive down all the narrow winding roads.  It is something I will definitely be doing again.   In total I had walked over 7 miles, so I had still had a good exercise.

Otter Garden Centre to Conflette Creek

 I had planned to walk from Brixton to Conflette Creek along the Plym Erme Trail, but could not find anywhere to park near the start of the walk.  When I came to Otter Garden Centre and decided to walk from there.  Back in lockdown I had walked from Elburton to Otter Garden Centre, so this was really an extension of that walk.

I went out the back of the Garden Centre car park and followed the fence until a kissing gate led onto the road.  I just had to dross over the road before I came to a track then a path across 2 fields.   The path went down  a very short length of road and then a green lane.  There was a tunnel under the old railway line and a short walk through a pretty little hamlet of old cottages.

Eventually I came to the edge of the creek.  I could not walk along the side of it as it was marked private.  I could have followed the road back to the Plym Erme Trail to Brixton but as I did not fancy a walk along the busy road I just turned around and retraced my steps.

This was just a short walk (30 mins) and it would be more worthwhile if linked with the walk from Elburton and when the tide was in.

Saltram House Gardens

 I have walked around the grounds of Saltram House many times lately, but not able to go into the Gardens as they were closed due to covid.  I know they always look glorious in spring so now they have opened again I was keen to see them.

Most of the daffodils have finished flowering, but some still remain, particularly the white ones.  The Lime walk looked impressive.  It is obvious that the National Trust have planted a lot of daffodil bulbs recently as I am sure there were not as many in the past.

There always seems to be something new to see when you walk around these Gardens.  Today I noticed a lot more tulips than I had not seen in the past.  Also a fallen tree trunk had been used to grown new plants.  Initially I thought something had seeded itself, but on closer inspection it appeared it had been done deliberately

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As I sat in my car drinking coffee after walking around the gardens I noticed a roe deer scampering away from the cows in a field.  I have never seen deer in Saltram grounds and wondered where it had come from.

It is only a short walk around Saltram gardens but there is so much to see, particularly during the spring, that it well worthwhile.

Wigford Down

As I drove over Cadover Bridge I saw some cars parked on the right so assumed this is where I should park, particularly when I saw a track on the left.  However, after following the track for a little bit I realised this was  leading just to the farm and I should be further up the hill.  In future I would have parked in the car park at the edge of Cadover Lakes as this lead straight onto the path I wanted to take. 

To begin with I walked along to the cross which I had often seen when I was by the river at Cadover Bridge.  From here there were good views up the river Plym.

I then followed the wall up the hill until I found a wide grassy path.  Where there was a junction of paths I took the left hand fork as I planned to walk to Dewerstone Rock.  To begin with there was not much to see, but then the view over Plymouth out into the Sound came into sight.  I could see right out to the Eddystone Lighthouse.

As I continued on I saw some cattle and one highland cow was stood in the middle of the path. Even though he was facing away from us we could see his horns and decided not to pass him.  It was a cold and windy day so it seemed like a good time to turn back to the car.  It was only a 2  mile walk, but that was enough for today.

 

Woodlands Wood, Budshead Wood and Warren Point

I parked my car at the end of Old Woodlands Road and walked down through the park to Woodlands Wood.  I was hoping the wild garlic would be out but there were only a few flowers to be seen. In a few weeks there will be a carpet of white.  After coming out of Woodlands Wood I crossed the road and walked through Budshead Wood.  I followed the creek, but unfortunately the tide was out so there was just mud to be seen.  At the end of Budshead Wood I continued walking along the creek until I came to the river Tamar.  You could clearly see up the river and down to the Tamar and Brunel Bridge. 

On the walk back I kept to the bottom path through Woodland Woods, keeping close to the stream.  As I was walking with a friend I did not stop to take many photos.  It is not a particularly picturesque walk but the paths are good and it was fairly flat.  It was over 5 miles so a good way to stretch my legs.

Seaton - Sea and River

The weather was promising today so I drove further and went to Seaton.  To begin with I walked along the sea wall.  The sun was out and the sea was a lovely blue colour. Unfortunately there was a cold wind so after a short walk I turned back.  I was concerned about straining me knee so chose not to walk on the sand, but it did look enticing.

After lunch of a Breakfast Bap  from the beach cafe, I started walking through the park up the river.  It was more sheltered here and was really warm in the sun.  They appear to have done some work on the path and it was in good condition.  In the past once I reached the bridge the path was so muddy, or even flooded that I have had to turn back, but today I was able to walk all the way to Hessenford.  The path was not so good at the end and I had to pick my way through tree roots, but it was lovely walking right beside the river.  I saw quite a few fish, trout I think.  

The walk to and fro Hessenford was 5 miles and it was a lovely walk.  At present the leaves of the wild garlic and bluebells were a bright green, with only an occasional flower.  In a few weeks time it will bright white and blue and I hope to return then. 

Cothele in spring

Some places and walks are best done at certain times of the year   Cothele is definitely at its best when the daffodils are flowering.  This area of Cornwall was famous for growing daffodils in the past.  During the war the fields had to be dug up to grow vegetables.  The farmers did not want to lose the daffodil bulbs so put them in the hedges with the idea of digging them up after the war.  The daffodil growing industry never returned so many of the daffodils are still growing in the hedges.  They make a colourful journey down the narrow windy road  to Cothele

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I parked at Cothele quay and walked up through the woods to the gate into the Valley garden.  There were primroses everywhere and the rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias put on a colourful display as you approached Cothele House

As soon as I entered the gardens of Cothele I was struck by the daffodils.  Many of the yellow varieties were dying but there were lots of white ones.  As well as around the house there were plenty in the orchard.  There were lots of other spring flowers to admire and it was a very pretty walk around the gardens.

From Cothele House I walked down towards Cothele Mill.  When in the woods I took a path to the left too early so walked back to the road through the wood rather than along by the river as I planned.  Nevertheless I was a very pleasant walk.

 

Antony House Gardens

 As it is Easter Monday I anticipated popular places would be very crowded, so I booked to go to Antony House in Torpoint where I knew there was plenty of space for everyone to spread out and socially distance.  The House was not open but I did not mind as I wanted to wander around the gardens.  The  magnolia trees were magnificent and were underplanted with primroses.

There was plenty of space for children to run and play on the grass.  A new addition was an area where they could build dens.  The daffodils, although past their best, were still colourful.

Usually having walked around the gardens I make my way down to the Antony Woodland Gardens, which used to be free for National Trust members visiting Antony.  This is a much more interesting garden than the more formal Antony House Gardens.  There is a lovely collection of camelias and delightful walk along the river.  Today, however, the sign said that because of Covid national trust members could not enter this garden freely.  I wondered if it really was because of Covid or whether they were attempting to make more money!  You could not even walk through the woods to the river.

Instead I walked down the Ferry Road towards Jupiter Point.  As I approached the water the cold north wind was biting, so having seen the view of  the river with the viaduct  from a distance I turned around and made my way back to the car.

It was disappointing not to have been able to wander around the Antony Woodland Garden. It only takes about half an hour to walk around the House gardens and so I probably won't be back until I can combine the two gardens again. 

Along the River Plym to Plym Bridge

 In the past I have always walked from the Coypool Park and Ride along the cycle track to Plym Bridge.  During the lockdown I found this was such a popular path with cyclists that it did not make a pleasant walk.  I therefore decided to explore the other side of the river and discovered you could walk all the way from Marsh Mills Roundabout up to Plym Bridge.  This is a much better walk.  It is along the river for much of the way, with a clear path above the waters edge. 

 It then goes through woods with roots making the path uneven and there is one tree trunk to climb over but it is not a major obstacle. The river is quite wide but not very deep at the moment.

The path comes to a bridge and on the other side you walk through meadows to Plym Bridge.

This morning I parked on the edge of the retail park and walked down the road to the river, just by the caravan park.  The wild garlic and bluebells are not yet out, but before long they will make the walk even prettier.  I did see a couple of native bluebells out in a sunny spot by Plym Bridge.

The walk from the industrial estate to Plym Bridge took about 30 minutes.