For once the Dartmoor weather was very kind to us, with great views and sunshine. Starting near the Warren House Inn, our intended pub stop, we headed down then up steeply to the summit of Birch Tor, topping out at 1577ft where we took a photo opportunity.
Today’s walk was pretty straight forward, following well marked paths. It was hard for an even dyslexic map reader, correction, on this occasion, a phone map reader today to get it wrong – I hope I didn’t go too astray!
From Birch Tor we pushed on to skirt around Headland Warren Farm watched by very inquisitive Alpacas wondering what we were doing on their patch. Once past the farm we picked up the path to Challacombe Cottages and the once site of a medieval village. One of the walls of an ancient still standing structure had a tiny door in it at the base for the local pixies to come and go – the ancients thought of everything back in the day.
At the cottages we were welcomed by two barking, fake ferocious, dogs who were soon our best friends as we approached our cuppa stop by the pond.
Suitably refreshed, our next path took us across the side of Challacombe Down where we had a clear view of Soussons Warren, sadly too far away for some to see the famous Ephraim’s Pinch, that pleasure would have to wait for another day.
We soon left our grassy Down path for one that, due to the recent rain, resembled a running stream, we didn’t mind though, the sun was shining and the Warren House was beckoning so we cracked on. The route of the path reminded us of the massive tin mine workings that took place in and around the whole area and the hardy souls who toiled in all seasons for little reward. Also, we were reminded that spring was just around the corner as some of our group spotted pockets of frog’s spawn lying in wait before hatching.
Without realising it, we had all been ‘live streaming’ now for some time, perhaps pioneering a new meaning of environmental tech – or maybe not!
Anyway, water now behind us, we climbed upward on grass again towards the parked cars and a welcoming and warm Warren House Inn.
Charlie