What a Grey Day!
Feedback already received stated that the walk
was - well, Epic! I suppose Odyssey fitted the bill better as maybe this walk
was a wander too far?
In mist, light wind and drizzle, drizzle and wind being our faithful, if unwanted companions for most of the day, we left the RVP to proceed upward to pick up a path along Hurston Ridge to head towards Fernworthy Reservoir. Surprisingly, under foot in this section it wasn’t too wet.
At the reservoir we took the skirting shoreline path, past a small, but superb hut circle example and down to the base of the slightly overflowing dam wall. On the other side of the dam we stopped for a cuppa seated on the dam wall and reservoir edge on a classic Dartmoor day. There was a sign nearby stating not to go onto the top of the dam as there was a ‘Danger of Death’ so we didn’t venture any closer as we were all too young to die yet!
Once fuelled up, we were soon around the reservoir to cut up through Fernworthy Forest near to Froggymead and its stone row just off our track that we stopped to admire.
We soon turned off this track and up to Tom’s Hill and Hemstone Rocks that no one could see as they were hidden by trees, to soon be confronted with a scene of destruction with masses of conifer trees blown over in a recent storm. However, as the trees had fallen like a box of scattered drinking straws dropped across our path, we had to climb over or go under trunks to continue our walk. Those of us (not me) with a more flexible disposition dealt with this with aplomb.
Before leaving the forest to enter open moorland we decided to shelter under the pines to be well shielded from the prevailing weather to have our picnic - a good decision!
The key target of the day was to visit The Grey Wethers stone circles, albeit restored, but still a magnificent and isolated site to see, this was achieved after our stop, but we had come a long way to do this which meant a long up and down walk to get back back, but we made it after a bit of cursing and aching joints and limbs.
Today’s walk was a long one, perhaps too long for the terrain chosen, but we made it!
A Grey Day was had by one and all!
Charlie