Wild flowers at Burrator

Saturday morning was showery so we did not head out until the afternoon.  We wanted somewhere nearby and sheltered if the rain came back.  We therefore decided to go to Burrator and walk around the reservoir.  It was lovely to see the rhododendrons.  There bright purple complemented the blue of the water and green of the surrounding moor.

There were still some bluebells out.  I was surprised how many bluebell plants were in the woodland around the reservoir.  Generally the flowers were dying but we found one patch still looking good.  I must remember to return next year when all the bluebells are out as it should be a good display.





The foxgloves were just coming into flower and near the water we saw yellow irises.  At times the path was very muddy but the flowers and beauty of the reservoir and surrounding moor made the walk very worthwhile.

Cothele, bluebells and rhododendrons

Having walked 8 miles yesterday I felt too tired to drive far or attempt a strenuous walk, so we decided to take the train to Calstock and walk from there to Cothele House.  This is a lovely train ride as the line travels alongside the River Tamar most of the way.  As we approached Calstock we could see bluebells in the fields and apple blossom in orchards which is what we would see more of at Cothele.

From Calstock station it was a steep hill down to the river Tamar which we then walked along until we came to Cothele Woods.  The direct path to Cothele (which is about 1.25 miles from the station) goes up at the side of the wood, but we chose to carry up the Danescombe Valley as I wanted to see the bluebells in Cothele Woods.  After walking past the derelict Sawmill we took a path on the left that went uphill but away from the River Tamar.  To begin with this was a gentle incline but it then became steeper as we made our way to the top of the woods.  However, as we climbed we could see the bluebells.

The bluebells were not as spectacular as those in Wembury Woods.  It looked as if some of them were past their best.

At the top of the hill we turned left on to a flat wide path called Lady's Walk and continued along this until coming to a small path that went down to the main path from Calstock to Cothele.  As we approached Cothele we could see lots of colour from rhododendrons in the Valley Garden.  However, we decided to first visit the orchard to see the apple blossom.  Many of the trees had finished flowering but there were still a few at their best.

All the gardens around the house were looking lovely, particularly the beds on the terraced gardens.

After a delicious tea in the garden of the restaurant we went to explore the Valley Garden.  There were lots of large rhodoendrons trees giving bold colour and  orange bottle brush shrubs giving a bright contrast  against the purple, pink, red and white rhododendrons.

From the Valley Gardens we walked back to Calstock, this time taking the direct route.  As we were a little early for the train when we reached Calstock we continued on to the quay where there was a festival going on.  We browsed the stalls and listened to the music before heading up the hill to the station.

Bluebells at Antony

Having been away for a hectic weekend we were tired and did not want to drive far or have an energetic walk.  Antony House was therefore and ideal place to visit as it is very close to Plymouth, on easy roads, and the walk around the Woodland Garden is a gentle pleasant stroll.

The gardens around Antony House are not that special or extensive, although the irises were out against  the walls or the Walled Garden.

There were lots of bluebells out in the Woodland Garden, some growing amongst the long grass were not very spectacular, but in places there were carpets of them.

There was also swathes of white wild garlic and many azaleas and rhododendrons giving bright patches of colour.

The Woodland Garden is a delightful place to stroll around in the spring and we felt refreshed by visiting it and enjoying the plant growing there.

Caerhays Castle Gardens

Saturday was a bright sunny day so we decided to visit Caerhays Castle.  These gardens are renown for their magnolias, camelias and rhododendrons and we had wanted to visit them for a couple of years when we heard how magnificent they were.

The car park for the Castle was by the beach and we enjoyed sitting on the beach eating our pasty lunch.  Although it was only April and the weather had not been good so far this year there were still children playing in the sea.

As we walked up the drive to the castle we could see the colour of the rhododendrons in the background.

As we walked around the grounds time and time again we saw the most beautiful trees and bushes, with masses of primroses.  There were lots of camelias, many different types of magnolias. Some rhodendrons and azelias were out, although there were a lot more to come.  I saw my first bluebells here as well.

Walking around the gardens involved lots of walking up hills.  However the views from the top were worth the effort.

Avon Dam

When we went to Shipley Bridge 2 weeks ago the rhododendrons along the riverside were not fully out.  We realised they would be a picture when in full flower, so we decided to go back to the same area today.

There were still many of the  rhododendrons flowers to come out, but they were nevertheless a picture.  They were either side of the river Avon and up the banks towards the moor.

There was more water flowing down the river than when we visited last time, making little waterfalls, but there was still plenty of stones that were not completely covered in water.

We walked along the side of the river and continued up into the moor to Avon Dam.  Instead of taking the path to the dam itself we cut across the moor and came to the reservoir.  Along the way we came to a baby foal and its mother.  The foal was very unsure on its feet and must have been very young.

We followed the path around the reservoir hoping to cross to the other side to walk back.  We were not able to do this before the edge of the reservoir so continued walking up the river Avon.  The ground started to become marshy and we could  not see any crossing over the river so eventually turned around and came back the same way.  Looking at the map later we realised we needed to continue up the river further, but we would have needed walking boots for that part of the path.  Over the other side of the river we would have had to go up and down a hill, but the walk we did only had a gentle slope.