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June 10, 2023
Devon Traveler
St Marychurch, Babbacombe, Kents Cavern
June 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
We are staying in St Marychurch, a small parish of Torquay whilst walking parts of the South West Coastal Path. Torquay, along with Paignton and Brixham, are located around Torbay, aka The English Riviera ( or "Torbaydos").

St Marychurch is named after one of its churches, St Mary, and we see this and the other church (the "twin towers") during a quick explore of the town before walking along the nearby Babbacombe Promenade - the highest in the UK - and on to Wellswood, where Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves are located.

Formed in the early Pleistocene period from Devonian limestone, the cave system has been occupied by at least eight separate, native populations. This Stone Age labyrinth of caves is spectacular and deservedly popular.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Cockington Court, Country Park, Village
June 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We take the 22 bus (again) through Torquay to Livermore Sands and walk up to Cockington, a village close to Torquay, via some lovely water meadows.

From the village, we follow a circular walk that includes part of the John Musgrave Cultural Trail, around to Cockington Court and Country Garden. The Manor House was owned by the influential Cary and Mallock families before passing to Torbay Council; the Country Park was created in 1991. There are interesting craft studios and gardens here, as well as the local village church (Norman).

We walk through the Country Park to reach Cockington Village itself; it is like stepping back in time, as it is very beautiful with many lovely cottages.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Torbay; Torquay, Paignton and Brixham
June 14, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The three towns of Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham are situated around Torbay and comprise the English Riviera; this post describes additional places seen on diversions whilst walking between them - they are described by the picture captions.

Torquay was originally a fishing port but is now a major, large seaside town comprising several parishes and villages (including St Marychurch, Babbacombe, Wellswood, and Cockington visited earlier). Paignton is a pretty seaside town that merged with the neighbouring villages of Goodrington and Preston as it grew. Brixham is still an active fishing port and extremely pretty.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Coleton Fishacre and Compton Castle
June 15, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Today, we visit two National Trust properties in this part of Devon.

The first, Coleton Fishacre, is near Kingswear and is an old country house in the 1920s Jazz Age Art-Deco style of that time. It was built 1923-26 for the D'Oyly Carte family, and the interior is very interesting. Not only that, the gardens are beautiful and are built around a narrow Combe that runs down to the sea at Pudcombe Cove (which is on the South West Coastal Path) and features many rare and exotic plants.

The second, Compton Castle, is near Marldon and is actually a fortified Manor House with high curtain walls, towers, and two portcullis. We are fortunate with timing and join a guided tour of the house and gardens; the inside features a medieval kitchen, a great hall, a sub-solar room, a solar room and a Chapel. The house is owned by the Gilbert Family (Sir Humphrey Gilbert was the half-brother of Sir Francis Drake); it has been in the care of the National Trust since 1951.

An excellent day out.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Haytor/Houndtor Circular Walk
June 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We leave our accommodation in St Marychurch and drive to the next, in Okehampton, via southern Dartmoor, stopping at the Dartmoor National Park at Haytor. We are recommended an excellent walk with lots of variety - the Houndtor Circular Walk.

From here, we walk to Haytor Quarry, the largest of five in the area, all of which were linked by granite tramways; these continuous rails were built from 1820 to transport granite downhill to Stover Canal and then on to Teignmouth Docks. Next, we walked on to Smallacombe Tocks prehistoric settlement; these were round houses with conical roofs thatched with rush, gorse, etc.

It's downhill now to cross Becka Brook via a clapper bridge mafe from granite slabs. Then, uphill towards Houndtor medieval 13th century settlement, a small hamlet consisting of the remains of four farmsteads (longhouses) abandoned in the 14th century. We pass Hound Tor itself, and then Greattor as we head downhill to cross Becka Brook again and walk up Holywell spoil heap, the remains of another old quarry, and join the granite tramways again.

We then climb up to the Haytor Rocks, dating from the Devonian Period, enjoy our sandwiches, and walk downhill to the visitor centre. It has been an excellent walk.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Lydford Gorge
June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Lydford Gorge is a steep sided River Gorge nestled on the Western edge of Dartmoor; it is owned by the National Trust. We pick up a leaflet at the NT kiosk and walk the "Lydford Gorge Trail."

We walk for about a mile along the top edge of the gorge and pass close to an old railway bridge before walking down to a bird hide. From here, it is back along the River Lyd to reach the 30m high, single drop Whitelady Waterfall. Then it's over a footbridge and along the narrow river path (hand rails) to reach Tunnel Falls; there are several small cascades before the footpath passes through a tunnel carved from the rock by Victorians (hence the name). We then walk on Devils Cauldron, named for the noise, and the many boulders washed down.

Then it's lunch before exploring Lydford Village and returning to Okehampton.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Widecombe and Lydford Villages
June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
This post covers two villages visited as we travelled between Haytor and Okehampton.

We visited Widecombe in the Moor after the Haytor circular walk; the village is very pretty and noted for its Church of St Pancras and its association with the old song "Widecombe Fair". The song is about a group of people travelling to the fair, including "Uncle Tom Cobley" - an expression that now relates to "anyone and everyone."

We visited Lydford after the Lydford Gorge walk; Lydford was originally an important town in medieval times as it was the most westerly burgh (fortified town) in Alfred the Great's Kingdom of Wessex. Its remoteness and changing times have caused a decline, but it is still very pretty and has relics of its past.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Okehampton
June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
We stayed at Okehampton, on the northern edge of Dartmoor, for the Lydford Gorge walk and the circular walk via Okehampton Castle, Lower Hadstock, and Belstone.

It is an interesting town to visit, and we had a quick look around the town centre before an excellent dinner at Brothers restaurant.

The next morning, we visited Okehampton Castle; it was founded after the Norman Conquest as a motte and bailey castle, guarding a crossing point over the West Okemont River. In the 13th century, the Earls of Devon owners (the De Courtneys) used it as a hunting lodge, but it went into decline in the 15th century after the Wars of the Roses. It is now managed by English Heritage. The ruins mainly comprise a 12th century keep and 14th-century domestic buildings and a chapel.Read more
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Devon Traveler
Dartmoor; Okehampton / Belstone Circular
June 18, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Today, we go on another walk; it was from Pathfinder Guides' "Dartmoor Walks," a book at the apartment. Apparently, this northern part of Dartmoor contains the highest land in Southern England, and also some of its wildest and loneliest.

After visiting Okehampton Castle (see previous post), we joined the West Devon Way for a while, passing through woodland, and cross over the A30. There are views of Okehampton Army Camp as we walk over what was once Okehampton Park (used by the De Courtneys for hunting) on our way to Lower Hadstock Farm.

We now cross bleak moorland topped with granite tors to reach Cullever Steps, site of an ancient Ford. Heading south, we pass a ruined wall on Belstone Tor; this is the Irishmen's Wall, built in the 19th century to enclose areas of moor, but it was pulled down by locals as quickly as it was built. We turn left at Winter Tor and climb up to the Higher Tor Rocks, where there are great views of the area.

Then it's down to a stream and up through Belstone village and on to the Dartmoor Way path; under the A30, this time, and through Ball Hill Conservation Area bt the East Okemont River and back to Okehampton.

It's been about a 10-mile walk. That's enough for us when there is a lot of up and down!Read more
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