Up and across Prewley Moor in the teeth of a fresh and chilly southerly wind the eight of us climbed to Sourton Tor, where, on such a clear day the views were superb. Nearby, we looked down on Meldon reservoir and the villages of Lydford, Bridestowe and Sourton, while the high ground evident in the far distance led to some discussion as to whether we were looking at Exmoor or even the Quantocks. A thin silver streak running along the horizon suggested the presence of the Bristol Channel. From Sourton Tor we made a steady descent towards Lake, making a short stop for coffee en route - observed only by a solitary circling but totally disinterested buzzard.
Pausing at the London & South Western Railway’s Lake viaduct simply
to admire the precision and beauty of its Victorian engineering, we pressed on
across the Tavistock - Okehampton road towards Pool using a minor road and a
bridleway. The latter led us past the
former Lake quarry, now flooded, and a somewhat forbidding nature reserve. None of us were even remotely tempted by the
thought of a wild swim! From Pool a
succession of footpaths led across the fields, past former farms and a marshy
area which provides an annual display of orchids, to Sourton. From here, following a short stop to admire
the 14th century parish church we headed back along the Granite Way to the
start - and a warm and welcoming pub.