No the title isn’t a misspelling, it is the name of the house, a Grade 2 listed property near to Bovey Tracey and is the headquarters for the Dartmoor National Park, despite being a mile or so outside of its boundaries. It offers a simple couple of miles of walking around the River Bovey, with a bridge at either end making it a nice circular. The length of walk is up to you but around 2 miles is about right. There’s a decent café which we frequented at both ends of the walk for cake and drinks. The main reason for coming here, apart from it being a Dartmoor 365 square (the 366the one actually!!), was get out and about again and start putting one foot in front of the other in anger. A few laps around the nearby field didn’t really count, so after 2 weeks of tonsillitis I needed to start walking again, this would do nicely.
Todays map, we are following the red line heading right to left south of the river, and then it wriggles down to the river and the bridge at the far end. Before following the black line which hugs the river side on the north of the river
First however tea and scones. Which way was right. Well right is right of course. However I have been know to stuff both halves together and eat it that way so it doesn’t matter!The walled garden at Parke, plenty of netting to protect the cabbages
Slight climb as we cross a field
Which gives us a decent view back down towards Bovey Tracey and its houses. Some of the hills in the distance are around Haldon HillUsAs the path wriggles its way down to the river you get glimpses through the treesThe River Bovey and the wooden bridge, we will turn right at the far side and follow the river path backThe River Bovey isn’t the easiest river to photograph. Plenty of low trees make getting the photo along the river difficultThe weir is just over there. The trust have had difficulties in this section with the river wanting to cut the corner from the right to come out this side of the weir. At high levels the river was running straight across the bank and into the river here. You can see temporary fencing in place on the right of the photo at the back, which is where they have reinforced the bank to keep it on its natural courseThe old Moretonhampstead railway line runs through this area as well, now a cycle path and path.The bridge over the Bovey at the other end of the walk. All that is left is to head up the hill to the carAnd passing the Parke House on the way. Home of the Dartmoor National Park, just not in the national park!
Odd that HQ isn’t actually in the NP!
I baked some scones over the weekend (very nice they were too) and we were debating the right way to eat them. I don’t like clotted cream but seems to me the Devon way, cream on the bottom is the practical solution. Much easier to spread jam on cream than the other way round 😂
Agreed the cream acts like the butter for me and is easier to spread on the scone first. The cornish claim that the scone should be warm and thus the cream will melt off the scone, so they put the jam on first to protect it. For me I’m not fussy so deliberately do it both ways
treksandtors 
Some very good walks from there, right up to Lustleigh and the high ground above the Wrey Valley.
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Odd that HQ isn’t actually in the NP!
I baked some scones over the weekend (very nice they were too) and we were debating the right way to eat them. I don’t like clotted cream but seems to me the Devon way, cream on the bottom is the practical solution. Much easier to spread jam on cream than the other way round 😂
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Agreed the cream acts like the butter for me and is easier to spread on the scone first. The cornish claim that the scone should be warm and thus the cream will melt off the scone, so they put the jam on first to protect it. For me I’m not fussy so deliberately do it both ways
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These are the important issues that need to be discussed!
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