Tamerton Foliot to Lopwell - the Tamar Discovery Trail

Having driven quite a long way yesterday we wanted to do a walk near to Plymouth.  We therefore thought we would do the first section of the Tamar Valley Discovery Walk that starts on the outskirts of Plymouth in Tamerton Foliot.  We had a copy of the Discovery Trail booklet which gave a map of the trail and a brief description of the route, but basically told us to follow the apple signs.  We were sure we could do that!

We drove to Tamerton Foliot and found a parking area on Horsham Lane and followed the Lane until we came to a well marked footpath.  This was like entering a green tunnel as the trees in the hedges on both sides had met at the top.  To begin with it was a gentle slope down, but at the bottom of the hill it was a bit steeper.  At the bottom of the hill there was a large pool of water that nearly made the path impassable.  I do not think this would be a good walk to do if there had been wet weather recently.

We knew we had to turn left at some point but did not see any apple signs so continued to walk on.  When we reached a T junction we went left and eventually we reached Blaxton Wood and found an apple sign.  We realised we had missed a left turn and come a long way around.  Walking through the wood was pleasant but it was low tide and the creek was just mud.  Soon we came to a viewpoint where we could see up and down the River Tavy, but again as it was low tide it was not very pretty.

There was some heather growing in the wood, but it was straggly and not very brightly coloured.

When we came out of the woods we followed the road upriver.  After a while we were signposted off to the river bank but the path looked very overgrown so we chose to stay on the road.  Soon we reached Lopwell Dam where we were able to have refreshments in the lovely cafe.

As we retraced our steps we could see the tide rushing up the river, but the water still did not fill the channel.

When we came to the end of Blaxton Wood we saw the apple sign directing us right (on the outward journey we had come from the left).  We followed these signs and cut 15 minutes off our walk back.

The walk down to Blaxton Wood from Tamerton Foliot was not worth repeating but I would  walk from Lopwell to Blaxton Wood another time, when the tide was in and the spring flowers out.  

Buckland Abbey and Lopwell

It was a dull day with heavy showers forecast, so we did not want to go far so we chose to go to Buckland Abbey, which is just outside of Plymouth in the Tamar Valley and on the edge of Dartmoor.

Just as we arrived it started to rain, so we ran down to the reception ar a and were disappointed to see that the Abbey itself did not open until 11.30am.  We did not want to wander around the gardens in the rain if we could help it so we went into the shops in the courtyard.  As well as the National Trust shop there was a gallery with lots of lovely paintings  and embroidered pictures from Richard and Anne Woodgate. (www.annewoodgate.com  www.richardwoodgate.com.) There was also a second hand bookshop  and a garden room giving details of plants that could be seen in the garden.

By the time we had browsed through these rooms in the stables the rain had stopped so we were able to go into the gardens.  There was little to see in the Kitchen garden but the Cider House Garden and Wild Garden had plenty of daffodils and other spring flowers out.  

From the gardens we could see out over the fields where the sheep were grazing.  There were banks of daffodils flowering there.  It would have been good to walk around the estate to see what flowers we could see but the ground was too wet and the weather too threatening.

We often visit Buckland Abbey to walk through the woods but we have not been inside the Abbey for many years.  As we weren't able to go walking today we decided to spend the time exploring  inside.  Just inside the Abbey we watched a video that gave a brief history of the Abbey and told about the life of Sir Francis Drake.  We then walked around and were impressed with how well everything was laid out, with clear, brief explanations.  We could see that it would be a interesting place for children to visit.  The room guides were very friendly and knowledgeable.  We found the explanation about the ceiling in the dining room particularly interesting.

After some delicious soup in the restaurant we headed on to Lopwell Dam.  There were lots of wild daffodils in the hedges and in some of the fields which made it a pretty drive.  Once at Lopwell we could see that the water was coming fast over the weir.  It was a pity is was such a grey day or we could have crossed the river and walked in the nature reserve or towards Bere Alston.  Instead we sat in the restaurant and watched the river and the rain and hail!