Wednesday 30th April Lopwell Dam

I have commented before how the two walking groups often do the same walk within weeks of each other.  In nearly five years of living back in Devon I did my first group walk from Lopwell Dam at the beginning of April and here we are starting from the same place again. But, this is a walk you can never tire of doing.

On the bank opposite the car park there were four Canadian Geese.
Two of them decided to swim across and say hello!
Just a bit further along on the other side was a Heron and an Egret.
On the banks of the car park were these beautiful cowslips and...
...bluebells and we hadn't even started walking!
















So off along the bank of the Estuary and the tide was in.

Past lots of red campian and...
...lots of wild garlic with that intoxicating smell.
















The estuary opened up giving us this superb view.

Soon we were following the footpath in the woods alongside the estuary.

With bluebells everywhere on one side and...


...the village of Bere Ferrers on the other side.

We followed the shoreline into Blaxton Creek and this is the old quay in the middle and then...

...all the way round the creek to get access from the other side. We took our break on the quay.

Looking up the Creek from the quay.

The quay was used to bring coal in from South Wales to operate the three lime kilns nearby.





















Another view up the creek...

...and back up the estuary.

No one wants to get we feet!

Then we met a digger!

We left the group to return through the woods.
 
Back towards the start past this Shelduck...
...and the gulls

















Two people crossing below Lopwell Dam on the tidal footpath.

Lunch was in the cafe at Lopwell Dam

With Anne, Stella, Brenda, Linda, Jane Sue, Keith, Terry and Jon.

Friday 18th April Tavy Cleave

I haven't done this walk for a while.  It was  beautiful sunny day with hardly any clouds in the sky.

Starting from the car park at Lane End - I walked up to the leat and followed it into Tavy Cleave.


















There were some ponies coming the other way.

The water is running towards the camera but this leat always looks like the water is flowing uphill, of course that can't happen!

This is the point at which the leat comes off the River Tavy.

There hasn't been any rain for a couple of weeks and the water levels on the river have gone right down.


Sharp Tor and Tavy Cleave Tors stand high above the valley.



Looking back down

Amicombe Hill ahead and the going gets a little tricky.

Looking back down the valley.

My route was to take me up and out of the valley so that I could return on the higher ground.  On the left is fur Tor in the middle are the range huts and the valley is the higher part of the River Tavy.

Tavy Cleave Tors from a different viewpoint.

Ger Tor..

..and finally the car park at the bottom.

Wednesday 9th April Bere Ferrers

The early morning mist had already gone at home but was still hanging when I arrived at Bere Ferrers - this looks out across to the other side of the River Tavy estuary (where we were last week).

We walked through the village and out on to the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail - minutes after this was taken...

...the mist lifted and we walked down to path next to the mud flats

Lots of mud at this stile - not surprising with the non stop rain over the weekend.
The blossom is just coming out.


















The view across the mud flats.

On the other side of the path in the now bright sunshine were lots of newly born lambs.

We took the green lane up past this tractor raking the grass.

Stopping for coffee we had this splendid view over the Tamar estuary.

At the end of the lane is this farm and it's a good job you can't smell it!

I left the others at this point to continue on the walk and I headed down to Weir Quay.


















Past the boatyard...


...and this cottage with the beautiful blossom in the garden


The clouds were now getting heavier.  This was view across the river - Cornwall on the other side.

An old winch to pull the boats in.

I followed the road back over the railway line next to Bere Ferrers station where people were waiting for the next train to Plymouth.  Could be a scene from 50 years ago.

Finally back to the start.

On the walk Liz, Anne, Eleanor, Terry and Tom.