Today Crosby and I are back on the Tarka Trail, our starting point is the small hamlet of East Yarde a few miles outside of Great Torrington.
Parking the car in the small car park besides the trail (Grid Ref SS491144) I join the trail by a busy café.
It is a warm spring afternoon and surprisingly quiet as I head towards Speccott Moor.
One of the joys along this trail are the interesting, strategically placed benches. The ceramic bench near Dunsbear Halt very unusual, it is a work by the Bristol based artist Katy Hallett and is known as the Bird Trio.
I reach the old platform at Dunsbear Halt, this opened in 1925 but closed to passengers in 1965.
Now I cross a minor road and continue along the trail soon passing the large clay quarries at Clay Moor and Marland Moor, I only get occasional glimpses of the quarry as it is protected by a high bank. Shortly before arriving at Petrockstowe station I reach another interesting ceramic sculpture, this is another one produced by Katy Hallett and it is called The Guardian.
I leave the trail at the car park besides the site of Petrockstowe Station and join a minor road where I immediately fork left on a road running besides a cricket pitch.
This country lane leads to North Town on the edge of Petrockstowe.
I reach a cross roads and go straight over passing an old petrol station. As a teenager I worked “on the pumps” at a local garage. The pumps were very similar to these, it was prior to self-service, and at busy times I was operating four pumps at the same time. Payment then was virtually all by cash and my BP coat had bronze in one pocket, silver in the other with notes in the top one. How times have changed!
Leaving the village on the country road I head uphill and soon get fine views of Dartmoor in the distance towards the south.
I stay on this road until I reach a junction at Hembury Gate where I turn right taking the road towards Peters Marland.
This narrow lane passes farm buildings and then steadily heads uphill, where another road joins from the left I take a right turn along the farm track, this is a diversion from my route but enables me to bag my 136thOrdnance Survey trig point situated a short distance along the track in the hedgerow.
After bagging the trig I carry on along the track for a few hundred yards to get a view of the disused Heanton windmill, apparently this was built in 1756 for grinding corn, but I have been unable to find out much more about the mill.
Now I retrace my steps back along the farm track to reach the road and turn right and follow this country lane until I reach a fork in the road at Rosebank, here I go right. It is now a bright sunny afternoon and pleasant waking along this lane.
At the next junction I turn right following a signpost for Peters Marland and Torrington. This leads to the hamlet of Winswell which I go through and continue on to reach my starting point at East Yarde. My afternoon stroll in the sunshine has covered just short of ten miles.
To view this 10 mile walk on OS Maps Click Here
To follow our walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer Map 126 – Clovelly & Hartland and Outdoor Explorer Map 127 – South Molton Chulmleigh
4th May 2019
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2019)