Looking towards Dartmoor

3rd June
It's very hilly in this part of Devon and steep hills rather than the gently rolling type. Thankfully for my out-of-practice walking up hills legs, the hills aren't too high, so the steep upness doesn't last tooooo long. However, once at the top and ignoring the complaining from my legs, I was glad it was hilly as the views along the way were fabulous.

So began our 7 mile walk around the countryside of Dittisham with a steep up through the narrow village streets. Into fields we continued to climb, far below we could see Emerald at anchor and in the other direction was a fine view up the Dart.

The walk passed along the edges of fields of crops where wildflowers had been allowed to grow in the hedgerows, creating a riot of blue, pink, yellow and white. The blue from lots of bluebells still on show, I guess because spring arrived late this year. Other fields had been left as meadows where buttercups ruled, producing a carpet of dazzling yellow. The views were now right across Torbay to Torquay and beyond.

We passed into land owned by the Raleigh family (descendants of Walter Raleigh, he of potato fame amongst other things) and past a fire beacon erected on the site where there was a fire beacon in 1588 as part of a chain to warn about the approach of the Armada. More fields, then steep down, looking towards Dartmouth before heading into trees along Mill Creek. In the woods the faint smell of garlic met us shortly before we saw the white swarms of ransoms.

Picnic lunch at the head of the creek where we watched a mother duck keep trying to round up her 10 ducklings and a buzzard soaring high up on a thermal. We then walked a short way down to the fort on the south side of the creek, mostly so we could have a nosy at the boats in the boatyard on the north side, but the trees were too thick to see much. But we did find a grotto with a gnome in it!


Pic: the gnome in the grotto

Back to the head of the creek, then along the road beside the river, before up again on a rutted track. Back into fields at the top where the views were now inland, across green fields dotted with terracotta patches of freshly plowed fields where the rusty red Devon soil was bare, towards Dartmoor hazy on the horizon. A short section of country road with high sides full of flowers before down again on a farm track, also lined with high sides full of flowers.

A peacock butterfly flew ahead of us as we made our way down the track, flitting from side to side, stopping to feed, then flitting off again. Across a field for the final stretch with three buzzards making lazy circles in the sky above us. That makes 4 buzzards spotted today (well I think they were buzzards).


Pic: Pretty sure it's a buzzard

We lost the path as we crossed the final slopey field and ended up doing that awkward walk where the ground beneath one leg is further away than the other. Back through the village and back to Emerald for ice cream and a glass of cold rose to round off a gloriously sunny day and a great walk.