Woodlands

Today's Route - Scorriton to Ivybridge
Distance - 22.9km
Beers Earned - 6.9 hard earned
Weather - only 13 degrees but tshirt and sunscreen

This section of the route is described as the most testing with navigation skills required. Navigation was definitely challenging and our buzzy GPS had a field day but the most testing aspect was two-fold. Firstly, over half the walk was on hard surfaces which is always tough on the feet but perhaps more so after spending the 3 previous days in boots. At least having lots to look at and amazing views is a distraction, which was the second part of the problem. For most of the distance the scenery was same, same, same and it became quite boring.

The first part of today's walk was lovely as we left Scorriton for a slow and steady climb back onto the moors. There wasn't a trail, just a target location somewhere out of sight on the other side of the climb. Buzz, buzz, buzz kept us heading roughly in the right direction. Mr Fit-Body still had plenty of energy to power up the long incline but Ms Office-Body was lagging further and further behind, taking quite a few opportunities to pause and admire the view (also known as having a rest).

Once we reached the top we passed by Huntingdon Warren, where rabbits were farmed from the mid 13th century until the 1950s, and crossed open country until we reached the River Avon. This is not the same River Avon of Shakespeare fame ... apparently there are quite a few Avons in the UK.

No wading required to cross the Avon, there's a conveniently placed clapper bridge (19th century) which makes getting to the other side very easy. There was another steady climb on the other side of the river, with lots of scenery admiration on the way, before reaching the Zeal Tor Tramway. The tramway was built in the mid 1800s with wooden rails for horse-drawn trucks to carry peat to the naphtha works.

It was at this point that the walk slowly deteriorated to a trudge. There is a second tramway which was built in the early 1900s for the clay workings, which seem to be right next to the peat diggings of the previous century. The Redlake Tramway track bed is now part of the Two Moors Way for 10km through the barren and lonely moorland. The surface is flat but hard packed and unforgiving on tired feet. Walking off the track bed is an option in some areas but in others there's a high probability of landing in a knee-deep bog. It was one foot in front of the other until we eventually reached softer ground.

The soft surface was short lived before we hit another 2km of hard surface into town. Our sore feet took us as far as the first pub to redeem one of our earned beers before our B&B host picked us up.

Thank goodness tomorrow is a rest day.Read more