Pilton Festival

Pilton Festival, known locally as Green Man Day, has been previously reported on in this blog. Held on the third Saturday in July it is an event which draws crowds no matter what the weather, but yesterday, in temperatures approaching the thirties, it was jam-packed.

In years when my children were younger it was a day of expense, as almost every fairground ride and kerbside stall had to be visited. Now, they have grown out of such things. Now, the best thing about the day is the live music. There are three music stages aptly named 'bottom', 'middle' and 'top'. The best, and the one that pulls in the crowds, is the Bottom Stage, and band that everyone talks about the most, 'The Liquidators'.

My 12 year old spent the day with friends spending her own money. My 16 year old, who wandered around with us, was quite happy to be bought a Hockings ice-cream but nothing else drew her eye. We wandered around for a while, then bought beer from one of the local pubs and stood about with the sweaty masses listening to 'The Liquidators'. When the heat got too much we came home again. Typically British - we moan when the weather is crap and still moan when it's glorious!

Tarr Steps

This is a beautiful and popular picnic spot on Exmoor and we came here to day to enjoy the sunshine along with many other people. I have never seen Tarr Steps so crowded.

Tarr Steps can be found easily by driving through Dulverton and following the signs. There is a large car park with a visitors centre half way down the hill to the river and then you have to walk the rest of the way. We decided we'd try and follow the Google maps suggested route today, via North Molton, and ended up approaching on entirely the wrong side of the river where there is no car park and no access to the official one unless you want to drive through the river. Driving through is perfectly possible, if you have a 4x4, but not if you are in a Citroen. So we drove back down the road for about a mile, until we found a small clearing to park in and walked from there. It was a nice enough walk, but not the one I was planning on.

The nice walks around Tarr Steps take you through woods and fields and along footpaths, not roads.

We enjoyed our picnic though. The dog had a lovely time chasing a stick into the water. She even got the hang of letting it go again so we could throw it some more. There was hardly a space available on the grass there were so many people there - and lots of other dogs too. The cafe was doing a roaring trade, as was the ice cream van. We stayed for a couple of hours, until the children started moaning that they were too hot, then returned the same way we came.

Ice skating

It was Dec 2009 when I last reported on the (plastic) ice skating at Let's Go Superbowl in North Devon. At the time I seemed to think I was quite good at this while daughter no.2 couldn't do it at all. Now our roles have been reversed. She whizzed round the ice rather elegantly and I edged round by the barriers with my backside doing it's best waddling duck impression.

It was a very wet afternoon in the school holidays and still the ice was practically empty. That may be something to do with the cost which is now £5.95 for a 45 minute session. And the guy behind the desk was keen you stick to your 45 minutes too. You'd have thought, with no one else desperate to get on, he'd have let us have a little while longer - but no!

A new thing, since last we came, is the little penguins on wheels which toddlers can use to push around and stop them from falling over. They were quite cute, but at £2 for 15 minutes, also very pricey. I think this is a once in a while treat thing rather than a regular day out.

Westleigh

Westleigh is a tiny village in between Instow and Bideford. It has narrow, windy roads, a church and a popular pub (see earlier post). Today we came for a quick Sunday stroll through fields filled with lambs. There are many footpaths to be taken with the village as a starting point with walks of up to 6 miles posted on various webpages. We walked for about a mile and a half, maybe a bit more if you count the time we almost walked around one field twice looking for the exit. The lambs were cute and the views over the estuary were nice, and for one it wasn't raining! What more could you ask for?

Torrington

We spent just over an hour today walking around Torrington. When you drive through it you tend to forget there is more to the town than just the one road, but we discovered quite a lot of it today. We did a Treasure Trail that my daughter was given for her birthday. It was quite an easy one to follow, although we spent a long time in the church yard looking for the date the church was blown up. We walked through the town square, shown above, with its 17th century pub, The Black Horse, through the tiny Pannier Market, and round to the back of the town where there are stunning views into the valley with its winding river. If you have time to kill its worth a little wander, and there is always Torrington 1646 to visit as well (see earlier post for more details).

Verity

We had friends down this weekend and for lack of anything else to do on a wet and windy Sunday in February, we went for a walk around Ilfracombe with the chief intent of visiting Verity. It's the first time I've been since she went up in October. Verity stands on the edge of the pier in Ilfracombe, a 20 meter bronze statue by artist Damien Hirst. She's like statue-marmite; you either love her or hate her. I think she's great. From the town side she appears to be naked, but anyone approaching from the sea can see the skin striped away and all the muscle revealed below. The face is really quite wierd, and you can also see the baby inside the womb. She's definately something else, and if you are in the vacinity, I think she's worth a visit.

Wimbleball Lake

We were after a nice easy stroll this afternoon, nowhere too muddy or wet after all the rain and floods, and somewhere easy to drive to. We opted for Wimbleball Lake and a walk up to a small village called Withiel Florey. We didn't make it that far.

We were supposed to be finding a free car park near a bridge across the northern end of the lake. What we managed to find was the pay and display car park at the activity centre in the middle of the west side of the lake. We got out and walked anyway. The dog loved it, she ran round like a mad thing sniffing goodness only knows what. We walked towards the north end of the lake, along nice man-made, largely mud-free paths. The sun shone. It was lovely.

Then we found the bridge where we were supposed to have parked. We tramped along the edge of the lake through muddy fields, across the road and into a nature reserve. It was quite muddy, but also pretty and offered great views of the lake. If we'd have had more time we'd have kept going on up into Withiel Florey, but we'd been walking for nearly an hour by then and weren't even half way round. We had no choice but to turn around or we'd still have been walking when it got dark.

Not long after that the heavens opened and we got drenched. Good job we were on our way back. I'm not a big fan of the there-and-back-again walk. I prefer to go around in circles and see something I haven't already seen. Still, it was nice to get out. Perhaps we will make it all the way into the village next time, and see the other side of the lake.

Morte Point

Amazingly the sun actually came out this morning. Taking advantage of this rarity we all donned wellies and headed for the the coast. We were actually out and strolling around Mortehoe by 11.30am despite the protests from my teenager and pre-teen about needing to do homework. Serves them right for spending all their waking hours watching telly.

From the tiny village of Mortehoe we followed signs past a church and pub towards Morte Point. There were many other families of walkers around, some with dogs, some without. The views from the cliffs were stunning. We took a slight detour at one point and instead of coming at Morte Point from the south arrived at it from the north. The path to the south was littered with sheep and we decided not to put the dog on the lead. There are footpaths that criss-cross the headland however, and its easy to take any one of them.

Once down at Morte Point the cliff path heads towards Rockham Bay and on towards Bull Point Lighthouse. We followed it as far as Rockham Bay and then headed back to the village. The path hugs the coast although you are balanced right atop the cliffs. It is possible to look down at the rocks where the seals like to play. We didn't spot any today, but we did meet people who had. Perhaps if we'd have stayed for longer on the many seats and benches that grace the path we'd have been lucky too. We'll have to come back another day.

Baggy Point in Summer

 If walks along the edge of cliffs are your thing then you really must try the walk from Croyde to Baggy Point, its stunning. I walked the dog there yesterday late afternoon with daughters no.2 and 3, although 3 moaned a lot about not wanting to go for a walk. Aside from that it was glorious. There was cloud in Barnstaple, but it was boiling in Croyde and it wasn't long before we were all wishing we hadn't worn jeans.

At the far end of Croyde, nearest to Baggy Point, is a National Trust car park. The sign on entry read 'Parking £5' (although it is free to NT card holders). I arrived at 4.45 and wasn't at all happy about the price given that were only going to walk the dog to Baggy Point and back again. The guy said at this time of day we only had to pay £2, they just didn't bother to adjust the sign. Thank goodness for that.

The walk is 3/4 of a mile from the car park. I have blogged about it before, but the last time we came out was the dead of winter. It's very different in summer. We met lots of other dog walkers, saw sea gulls and comorants on the rocks and black sheep grazing at the top of the point. There were even climbers still on the rocks, if you look closely you can see them in the photo.

Several times the dog gave me kittens when she went too close to the edge but we walked on the higher path on the way back and that made me less nervous. The coast path goes all the way round to Woolacombe but that signpost said 4 miles, it was getting late and daughter no.3 would have had a fit if we'd decided to go on. We opted for an ice cream in Croyde instead.

When we got back to the car park the kiosk was all closed up, even though the sign said parking until 9 o'clock. I suspect if I'd've arrived after 5 o'clock I might have got away with not paying altogether. I'll have to test that theory next time.

Ilfracombe Princess

This was the best picture I could get of the Ilfracombe Princess this afternoon without actually losing my place in the queue. Then when we came in it was to a different spot in the harbour and the view was even worse. If you google it, you will find their website easily enough and it will give you a much better picture.

The Ilfracombe Princess offers cruises around the coast of North Devon. We went on the Seal cruise today, in search of seal's, strangley enough, but they also run one which goes east out of Ilfracombe in search of other wildlife, caves and waterfalls. Cruises last an hour and half and the friendly captain of the boat offers an informative commentry as needed. We travelled west in deep water towards Woolacombe and stopped to turn around at Morte Point on the north side of the beach. From their the return journey took us slowly along the coast hugging the shore line and stopping frequently to search for the elusive seals. We spotted one bobbing his head up and down out of the water until the yellow helicopter from Chivenor flew overhead, circled the boat and frightened him away. Later we saw another, swimming around a little cave. Our captain told us that there are around 20 who live in those waters, but where they were today was anybodies guess.

We saw some different birds - seagulls, an oyster catcher, commorants ("Is that a penguin?" my 13 year old neice asked, much to the amusement of those nearby). And got a good look at villages and beaches from a different vantage. It was nice to be in a cool breeze but still enjoy the sunshine.

Tickets cost £12 for adults, £6 for children and under 5s go free. If you are thinking of making a trip I recommend phoning to reserve your tickets as it is very popular. Also, trip times are different each day according to the tides. I really enjoyed it and I don't even like boats!

Berrynarbor and the coast path

 We took the dog and the children out for a walk today. Strangely neither of them moaned, although daughter no.2 was initially reluctant to exchange her jeans for shorts as she hadn't shaved her legs! She was persuaded in the end and was probably glad she had because the temperature outside was showing 26 degrees. It was lovely.

We drove out towards Combe Martin and parked up in the tiny village of Berrynarbor, proudly displaying it 'Prettiest Village' award on entry signs and near the local church. We headed uphill out of the village in the direction of the Sandy Cove hotel where we found the local coast path. We were hoping to find some caves we saw marked on the OS Map but when we got to that point the coast was barred with hedges and a campsite.

We did find the path down the cliff to Broadstrand Cove, which looks very beautiful. However the 227 steps down to the bottom are down an almost vertical cliff and after going about one third of the way down the girls and I chickened out, thinking of the long walk back up. My husband and the dog went down and both were very puffed out when then made it back up again. Perhaps we'll go another day.

Pilton Green Man Festival

Yesterday we made our annual trip to the Pilton Green Man Festival. It is right on our doorstep so not to go would be rude. And this year it was blessed with lovely weather - no rain, although slightly overcast at times. It was packed out by about 2.30 when we got there.

Pilton Street is lined on either sides with stalls of tombolas, jewelery, clothes, cakes, etc. There are three sound stages which always cause bottlenecks, and the local pubs, hotels and chip shop are all open for business. It's a great atmosphere and everyone has a good time.

We made our way up to Rotary Gardens off the top of Pilton Street, to find the Hockings Ice Cream van. Then a walk round the stalls in Rotary Gardens (the tent with Indian Head Massage looked inviting, but I didn't go in) led us back into Pilton Street where we sat on the pavement in the sunshine and had a beer. After that it was back home, stopping to spend a bit of money on the stalls as we went.

There are pagents and street entertainment, and a look at my earlier post on Green Man day will give you all the information you need.

Roadford Lake

Roadford Lake is outside North Devon, but only just. It's on the North West edge of Dartmoor just past Okehampton, so not too far away really, and an hour and a bit drive from most places in North Devon. If its a nice day, it's worth a visit.

There are lots of walks from the Visitor's Centre on the east side of the lake, mostly along nice gravel cycle paths. I visited on Thursday and Friday with a bunch of school children, and we were dropped off 4km from the Visitor's Centre. Unortunately we were given a defective map and it took us some time to find the nice gravel cycle track, by which time we were all very muddy, having tramped through woodland and fields. Still, the children enjoyed it - mostly. I recommend starting from the Visitor's Centre, then you can't go wrong. It also has a nice cafe, with lovely cakes.

A short ferry ride across the lake you will find the Outdoor and Active Centre. Here you can try your hand at many water sports :sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, etc. They also have an indoor climbing and bouldering wall, archery, and high ropes. On Friday the children tried a few of these out. I went out in a row boat with one of my colleagues. I also made it as far at the top of the tower at the start of the high ropes course, but no further. It just looked a long way down. I wish I'd done it now, but I suppose there's always next year!

Next to the Outdoor Centre is a campsite. We were almost the only ones there on Thursday night. Everyone else had more sense. It was raining and blowing a gale all night. The facilities are good though, nice wash room and showers, an undercover picnic area, a large barbeque. If all this sounds like your cup of tea, I would recommend a visit. I'd go down again, perhaps with the dog and the children - although next time I might give the camping a miss.

Robber's Bridge

I have written about this place before, but as it is six years now since I have been writing this blog, I thought I would need to revisit some of the places I have written about for the benefit of new readers.

We took advantage of the lovely weather yesterday and went for a picnic, knowing that today we would be the only part of the country under a raincloud! It was gorgeous there, and, as most other people had headed for the beaches, we were one of only two families to occupy the spot. This may also be because very few people either a) know about it, or b) want to undertake the trek to get there.

Robber's Bridge is located at the East end of Doone Valley on Exmoor. From Barnstaple it is a 45 minute drive past Lynton and Lynmouth heading in the direction of Porlock. You will find it down a narrow country lane with sharp corners and room for only one car to pass at a time. It is a beautiful spot with nothing at all there, not even an ice-cream van. Perfect. My favourite picnic spot.

We ate our sandwiches, threw the ball for the dog, and went paddling in the river. I sunbathed and my husband and daughter no.2 played with my camera. It was so hot even the dog vountarily went paddling, and she hates water!

Muddiford

 Muddiford is a tiny little village about three miles outside of Barnstaple on the old road to Woolacombe. For the majority of people it is driven through, a means to an end, rarely stopped in.

Today I discovered it has plenty of features to recommend it, not the least of which is its surrounding countryside. I walked up a side road to the right of the phonebox, heading towards Viveham Farms. And I soon found myself tramping along country lanes next to babbling streams. These lanes took me up to the farms, then on through a few fields and up onto high ground. I could see for miles. Birds chirruped, small animals rustled in the hedgerows enticing my dog, and flowers of every shade added splashes of colour to the sun-brightened greenery. It was great. I expected to get thoroughly muddy but amazingly everywhere was dry.

As its not far from my home I think the dog and I will be out here walking again. Next time I'll bring some money so I can visit another pleasant looking feature of this village - the pub.

Westleigh Inn

Just outside of Instow, on the way to Bideford, is a small turning signposted 'Westleigh'. Westleigh is a tiny little village on a hill overlooking the river Torridge. Despite it's diminuative size and narrow windy roads it attracts many visitors because of the reputation of its local pub.

The Westleigh Inn has two indoor rooms with plenty of tables and comfy sofas, and a large beer garden with spectacular views of the estuary and a selection of play equipment for children. We arrived here at lunchtime today and despite the car park seeming quite crowded we found a table for seven of us with no difficulty at all. The meals were reasonably priced, a burger and chips coming in at around the £8 mark, the bar staff friendly and there wasn't long to wait until the food arrived on our table. If you are passing and you're hungry or in need of a break, it's worth a small detour.

Challacombe

This afternoon will become known as the Sheep Walk. We went to the tiny village of Challacombe on Exmoor to follow a walk I found on the internet. It took us through the village, along the path of a pretty brook and through a woodland of tall trees out into the fields above. Here there were many sheep. The dog went off the lead, on the lead, off the lead, on the lead.

All the fields had lambs, some of whom were shooed out of our way by their mums, some of whom were very curious and came running almost straight up to us. One of the fields, very close to the farm, had loads of sheep and lambs, all of whom came running over to us thinking we had food. They soon became disappointed and wandered off again but the girls had great fun watching them.

It was a great little walk, only 2.5 miles long, and not to strenous. I think it may have taken us less time if we hadn't stopped to admire the lambs quite so often, but it was nice to get out. Before we came back we stopped in the Black Venus pub for a drink and a game of pool. A great way to spend Easter Sunday. If you want to try it yourself then follow the link below. I can recommend it.

http://www.holidayexmoor.co.uk/walks/challacombewalk.htm

Bideford Estuary Walk

This was a nice little walk I did on Sunday. I started in Bideford Park and followed the exit through the car park behind the Rubgy Club. There are houses there now (they weren't there when I was a little girlie) but the public footpaths are still clearly signposted. I walked behind the houses next to the river bank, and then under the new bridge.

From there you can walk down onto a small beach at low tide, or take the high tide path. You end up in Limers Lane, full of beautiful houses I would like but will never be able to afford. After this a fork in the road takes you right into Appledore Woods and as far round the coast as you would like to go. I opted for the left fork and a muddy country lane up to my mum and dads where I was lucky enough to get a roast dinner (after I'd bathed my muddy dog, of course).

Instow Beach

Instow in winter is place of driftwood and dunes, but arrive at any given daylight hour on a weekend and you are bound to encounter dog-walkers also. My dog loves it and whined this morning when I didn't open the car door quick enough.

If you are lucky you might chance upon a parking space along the narrow sea front where, once all spaces have gone, cars can only travel in single file. I usually opt to park in the dunes-end car park, a small patch of potholes and sand next to, strangely enough, the dunes. This means me and the aforementioned dog get to start our walk along the paths that criss-cross through the dunes and the dog gets to run round sniffing like a mad-thing.

It can be windy on the beach in winter, but the sand is usually wet and doesn't blow around too much. The beach is at the edge of the river Torridge, not the sea, so opposite are views of picturesque village Appledore. And if you don't have a dog to worry about you can always pop into The Boathouse for a quick drink or a leisurely meal - ideal after all that exercise.

Saunton Beach and the Sands Cafe

Time for a breath of fresh air after being stuck inside for days. Lots of other people had the same idea as us and took their dogs for a walk along the beach. It was very bracing. And, despite it being New Years Day, the Sands Cafe, placed fortuitiously between beach entrance and car park, was open. So after running the dog ragged we left her in the car and went for a drink of hot chocolate.

Parking charges still apply to Saunton car park, although rates are reduced in the winter months to £2. We did notice, however, that as we left the hatch was closed, so, if you want to save a few bob, arrive after 3.00 and you may be lucky. Hot chocolates in the cafe cost £2.95. They also serve cooked meals and snacks.