We all managed to meet more or less at 10am on a cloudless and sunny day, Summer is hanging on! Powering down, over leats, passing a group of very large cows, lots of steaks there!! Apologies for any offence taken.
Following the path past Combestone Farm, over the pretty Aller Brook footbridge and onto the lower path through the woods following the pipeline from Swincombe reservoir to Venford. Lovely through there with tantalising glimpses of Dartmeet and tors galore on the other side
Down towards the waterworks and the twinkling Venford Brook for a refreshment break. We were lucky enough to have real nature lesson, buzzards, grey wagtail many emperor dragonflies defending their territories and hundreds of small fish, (trout?) next years lunch maybe? Yummy!
Powering on and upwards to the wonderfully scenic Bench Tor, utterly glorious, and then, of course, back down again! To the road to Holne and off again to follow a small winding stream, did someone say it was the leat? The man who specialises in bullseye stones found another one, bet that one's not on the map! Further on to follow the Sandy Way where we had a close encounter with a snipe before we devoured the contents of our lunch boxes. Some of us were starving!
Lunch gave us the power to power up towards Holne Ridge this time bypassing the interesting remains of Ringleshutes mine. Everyone relaxed, power gone, all downhill towards Horn's Cross, ye old meeting place for farmers to claim their sheep off the moors, scuttling fast, past Hangman's Pit, and back to our power driven cars!
A lovely day out, I reckon.
Brenda