Different walk today and a different direction, as is the way when you are walking from the same starting point each time, you will get some crossover of walks and some repeated parts. This one was different right until Hollacombe, so only the final quarter was a repeat, which was nice. I also saw a tor, not one in the distance, but nose to rock. Brixton Tor isn’t on Dartmoor, but its a tor and a decent sized one at that and at the moment that will do for me! The weather again was glorious and very warm, Easter Saturday turned out to be a very lovely day for this 4 1/2 miles around South Hams. So we are into week 3 now of this and I won’t be alone in looking for signs that this lockdown is coming to an end. As it is I hope everyone is safe and well and looking forward to days out around the hills.

Walking through Elburton, I’d done my shopping duty for an isolated family member and then set off. That’s the Ship on the left, a well frequented watering hole by myself.

Across the roundabout in Elburton and then a right on to this lane. This will take me down to the old railway line which ran from Plymouth to Yealmpton and was closed by the Richard Beeching cuts in the 1960s

Fordbrook estuary and Cofflete Creek. The patch of concrete ahead disappeared and then reemerged again in 5 minutes as I arrived bang on high tide. The people sat there managed to get there before the water came in (its about a foot deep) and sat there drinking coffee. A lovely spot in this weather

Blue skies ahead. You can see a white house above the yellow rape seed field. I’m heading for there as that is Hollacombe

As you can see, the white house has a bloody good view. Dartmoor is the backdrop. I now join the route I did on week one of the lockdown, you can find that walk here

I came across here a week or so ago and the farmer has now ploughed the path ready for growing whatever it is, I followed a rough direction to the far corner
Walking through thise fields, I hope you don’t suffer from hay fever. If you start sneezing you might be forced to “self isolate”!!
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No hay fever for me. Spring is my favourite season, I love the smell of gorse, rape fields and wild garlic at these times, plus the sight of bluebells everywhere
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Indeed. I’m more limited with respect to walks from home, but at least have some fairly extensive woodland nearby. I can vary my route a little but I have enjoyed seeing how the vegetation is changing slowly. The bluebells just starting to bloom these last few days.
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It’s one of the surprising upsides of this whole predicament, getting to see daily changes – new flowers emerging, new additions to the birdsong – I’m enjoying that aspect at least.
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And you can hear the birdsong (and woodpeckers) as the background roar of traffic we get round here (less so your way) is almost gone
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Hearing it every day I feel like I’m actually making a little progress with identifying some of the songs too.
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Our bluebells only making their first tentative appearances, but a profusion of wild garlic.
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Smashing views! What a boon this god weather is. If we’d had 3 weeks of constant rain, we’d really be getting stir crazy – as I’m sure many others are who aren’t so lucky to have open spaces on their doorsteps.
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Its why we are seeing so many people in the parks of the cities. These people have to go somewhere I suppose
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The fields of Rapeseed are stunning around my locale as well. I’ve taken a few photos from my bike rides which I may post up on the blog at some point. The latest guidance seems to indicate a short drive to go for a walk is acceptable. The National Park is closed off but I’m hoping I can escape for local walks in due course but the guidelines are very vague
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I saw that change in guidance as well. Not sure what it means, tomorrow I’ve got a click and collect slot, the only one I’ve managed in 4 weeks, in a Tescos 25 minutes drive away. I could get to Dartmoor quicker. I’m sticking to one longer walk every 6 or 7 days, and a shorter bimble around the fields most days. What I don’t understand is going out to these wide open spaces is far safer that a shop in a Tesco’s. My mum went the other week for a full shop and was there for 3 hours, queuing in the car park/following the arrows slowly around the shop/avoiding people/waiting to move forwards/ then queuing again to pay. Why the hell is that ok to do but a walk outside in a national park isn’t.
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I read the official guidance very carefully and it seems clear to me that a short drive to undertake a walk is fine s long as you obey the social distancing rules which, as you say is far, far easier in the outdoors than shopping. My wife did the shopping last week and the couple behind her, simply refused to keep the 2m distance and when she politely reminded them, they just laughed at her. Small wonder with folk like that around that everyone else is frustrated.
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Recognize every inch of this though now I live near London, walked over all this territory hundreds of times as a child, with the ‘piece de resitance’ being Cofflete Creek especially on sunny days sat on the ‘beach’ on the bend in the creek ‘bay’ toward the end.
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It was a lovely walk, one of the good parts to the lockdown is getting to explore the local area again, in more detail. Cofflete Creek is a lovely spot
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