And when we were up, we were up
And when we were down, we were down
And when we only half way up, we were neither up nor down.
And so it came to be.
Up and up through Bridford woods on a newly resurfaced track for disability chariots and old people - very slatey.
Out and still up for a short while on the B3212, turning into a field and down just a little to the ford through a tributary of the mighty River Teign.
We marched straight through, no messing, the Grand old Duke would have been proud.
More up through fields and old tracks, a steep bit through more woods and then finally to the top!
Mardon Down , a place full of archeological history and legends.
Rich with WW2 relics and stories of the 1500 American GI's that were stationed there.
The American Army Corps of Engineers were there to practice blowing up bridges before sent to Omaha beach during the D-day landings. Indeed we had our coffee break sheltered from the chill wind in one of the gun emplacements that they built.
Break over it was time to go down, down, down - what bliss!
Following tracks through Cod Wood, admiring the giant Redwoods or Sequoias, Amber wistfully tried a bit of tree hugging, but thought they were rather smaller than what she was used to. Past all the possible dormice boxes (Dunsford is a dormouse conservation area) and down to the ancient Clifford Bridge.
First sighting of beautiful daffodils,
Made us walk faster until, there they were, fields of fabulous pale yellow wild daffodils, trying their hardest to be uplifting on a rather grey day that just couldn't stop trying to rain. A perfect place to eat and drink and take in the perfectness of it all. Ahhhh.
Following the Teign in its rush to the sea a very striking pair of common mergansers or gooseanders were looking for a likely and safe place to build a nest.
Soon Steps Bridge and the end of our walk came into sight, just as it began to rain proper!!
Well worth the journey I reckon.
And when we were down, we were down
And when we only half way up, we were neither up nor down.
And so it came to be.
Up and up through Bridford woods on a newly resurfaced track for disability chariots and old people - very slatey.
Out and still up for a short while on the B3212, turning into a field and down just a little to the ford through a tributary of the mighty River Teign.
We marched straight through, no messing, the Grand old Duke would have been proud.
More up through fields and old tracks, a steep bit through more woods and then finally to the top!
Mardon Down , a place full of archeological history and legends.
Rich with WW2 relics and stories of the 1500 American GI's that were stationed there.
The American Army Corps of Engineers were there to practice blowing up bridges before sent to Omaha beach during the D-day landings. Indeed we had our coffee break sheltered from the chill wind in one of the gun emplacements that they built.
Break over it was time to go down, down, down - what bliss!
Following tracks through Cod Wood, admiring the giant Redwoods or Sequoias, Amber wistfully tried a bit of tree hugging, but thought they were rather smaller than what she was used to. Past all the possible dormice boxes (Dunsford is a dormouse conservation area) and down to the ancient Clifford Bridge.
First sighting of beautiful daffodils,
Made us walk faster until, there they were, fields of fabulous pale yellow wild daffodils, trying their hardest to be uplifting on a rather grey day that just couldn't stop trying to rain. A perfect place to eat and drink and take in the perfectness of it all. Ahhhh.
Following the Teign in its rush to the sea a very striking pair of common mergansers or gooseanders were looking for a likely and safe place to build a nest.
Soon Steps Bridge and the end of our walk came into sight, just as it began to rain proper!!
Well worth the journey I reckon.
Brenda