Roborough Down was our starting point today for ‘the five’, not exactly the Famous Five, but still five up for a good walk nevertheless.
Crossing the remaining footprint of the Iron Age fort we soon went past the entrance gate to Charity Bickham to pick up the footpath across open fields that would take us down to Milton Combe. It was mentioned that we hadn’t seen too many butterflies this year, when low and behold, we saw many as we progressed ever downwards!
In Milton Combe, it was suggested that we might be able to get a coffee in the village pub, but who would have thought it, the pub didn’t open until 1200, so we had our DIY drinks at the bus stop near-by instead.
Suitably refreshed we set off on the main and very narrow village road to pick up a footpath that runs through South Wood, part of the Maristow estate. The path wasn’t exactly maintained or marked as a public path, but we hacked our way through to Lopwell Dam – ‘manchette’ Anne would have been proud of us!
At the Dam, it was decided to have our picnic, albeit early, but a very scenic place to stop at to watch water flowing over the dam, passed Swans and a group of people determined to go for a paddle. From here our journey was along the river path adjacent to the mighty River Tavy, although today it looked pretty dormant between tides. We eventually came out on the Potter’s Bridge Road before picking up the shaded path through Blaxton Wood. Very pleasant and welcoming on a hot afternoon.
Until now we had been walking downwards or on the flat, now the sting in the tail of this walk – upwards was now the order of the day, up across steep fields, up a long muddy farm track, past Pound Farm, past Pound Cross to the path leading to Higher Park, its fields of thriving barley and the road back to our cars.
Charlie