The sky was blue, with a big yellow thing shining down, the air was warm – was it just a dream?!
From the rendezvous at Zoar, we took the road and track past Creason and Chilly wood to Hill Bridge. The River Tavy was quite low, but the force of the winter spate was apparent from a large tree trunk perched upon the weir.
We took the path beside the leat, as brown trout dated back and forth in the water, and myriads of water boatmen cast amazing shadows on the leat bed. Over the first stile of the day, and up the track to Horndon. Down the footpath behind the long-closed Elly’s Nest to a rather empty Kent’s Tor reservoir and a stop for coffee, or something cooler, while suitably entertained by a herd of cattle not sure what to make of the knee-deep mud.
Returning to the footpath, we crossed the fields (and more stiles) to reach Bennet’s Dry, from where we took the footpath back to the Horndon Road. Down the road, across Cholwell Brook, then along the footpath to Axna. Over the tenth stile of the day (a rather tricky set of “witches teeth”) and onto the road. Up the road to Kingsett, then more up to Kingsett Down, and a bit of open moorland. Along the boundary wall, then onto the track back to Zoar. Sadly, not enough time to visit the Wheal Jewel Reservoir on this occasion.
A short drive to the Mary Tavy Inn, and a fine lunch in the garden.
Phil