My last walk of a fantastic week in the Lake District and I guess eventually it had to rain, forecast said it would stop just before lunch, so I figured a bit of shopping and a bite to eat in Keswick and a quick walk before the long drive to Plymouth. Great Mell Fell was…
After a tough walk around the Fairfield Horseshoe yesterday I felt like a much easier walk and a visit to Buttermere, which is a lovely part of the world. Unfortunately walking the Wainwrights rarely means an easy walk, the torture on my legs, straight up the Knott Rigg ascent from the Newlands Pass, wasn’t much…
There’s something about bagging a large amount of Wainwright’s in one go that gives great satisfaction at the end of a day. The horseshoe walks in the Lakes do just that, 5, 6, 7 or more fells can be climbed in a day, putting you so much closer to that magical 214. The classic Fairfield…
Fourth walk in the Lakes and a chance to catch a glimpse of the highest points in England, The Scafells, as well as look at the fantastic Eskdale. It also meant a trip across one of the toughest driving roads in the land, with first the Wrynose Pass and then the Hardknott Pass to be…
After two days of fantastic sunshine the inevitable happened with rain most of the day on the Sunday and some again Monday morning, thankfully it brightened nicely in the afternoon allowing a nice walk from the house up to Holme Fell. I have to say our route up wasn’t conventional and we certainly lost the…
Second day in The Lakes and a second walk already! This time straight from the rented house in Little Langdale up to Lingmoor Fell with its fantastic views of Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes. My dad joined me and to make a circular of it we headed down to Blea Tarn before walking back along…
As always a week in the Lake District is much anticipated and goes with plenty of planning, this year the house was in Little Langdale. However, this walk was not really on the agenda, but after 6 or so hours in a car from Plymouth and an hour or so before being allowed in the…
Like Ducks Pool on the south moor, Cranmere Pool is one of those places that if you like walking you will need to visit. To say you’ve been!! It’s the site of the oldest letterbox on Dartmoor dating from 1854 and the tough trudge is worth it for the peace and quiet. The boggy hike…
The weather looked promising this evening so I decided on a quick walk over Leeden Tor taking in Fur Tor (Walkhampton) and then Ingra Tor for the sunset. I wasn’t disappointed.
A walk to prepare for a week in the Lake District which is coming up at the start of August. Starting from a new place for me, beside Okehampton Camp, I made for Yes Tor taking in a couple of other tors on the way. Once at High Willhays I extended the walk down to…
I’d originally set off and gone to Wembury for a walk but I knew a better sunset would be had on Dartmoor, this walk didn’t disappoint in that respect. Good views and an orange sunset glow around Brentor in the west lifted the spirits at the end of a hard day. I knew this would…
This was just one of those times when only a walk would do. I had to get out, the weather wasn’t great but I managed to visit some new spots and tors. Plus I finally visited the other side of the Plym from Ditsworthy Warren House! The walk back following the leat which runs parallel…
Another lovely evening and a quick decision to walk around Burrator, once halfway round i noticed that the cloud was clearing a bit and the possibility of seeing a sunset became more likely. By the time I reached Down Tor, at just after 9pm, the setting was perfect to see a sunset in a dip…
Another lovely evening and a chance for an evening walk around the southernmost points of Dartmoor, whilst I’ve been to Western Beacon before the other 3 were new to me. It was a lovely evening for a short walk with some fantastic views across South Hams and a bit of a sunset at the end.
It’s June and time to lengthen the mileage walked, I headed first over tors I have visited before in the Staple Tors and Roos Tor. However this time I carried on out the back of Roos Tor to Cocks Hill (not worth the effort!) and Lynch Tor (more than made up for Cocks Hill), before…
Not so much a walk this one but more of an opportunity to watch an evening sunset, not bad for the first one of the year though. I headed above Burrator reservoir to Peek Hill which gives a good view west to the descending sun alongside some lovely views down to Burrator reservoir.
My first proper evening walk of the year and a great one it was. Haytor in the sun is a very popular place however in the evening you get great sunsets from this area with far less people about. The path to Bag Tor is a permitted path at this time of year which climbs…
Another week and my second bus journey to Burrator, getting a habit this!! Not the weather I wanted but this is a great route, with tors, historic monuments and old farms to keep you interested. The only hard climb is to Eylesbarrow otherwise it’s all fairly simple going.
A new one on me, a bus journey to the start of the walk and then a bus back home at the end. As I was a little early getting back I was able to walk the length of Burrator and get an ice cream whilst waiting for the bus!! The walk took some of…
Another lovely start to the day weather wise, which gave me some fantastic coastal views, however the high point of today’s walk was definitely walking through the golden yellow rape seed fields, absolutely stunning. There were also a few bluebells out overlooking Plymouth Sound which makes for some lovely colour in the photos.
If your after a simple walk, nothing too tough but still with views and maybe some history thrown is as well, this walk is perfect. Perfect for families, old and young. The old railway track bed leaves Princetown running parallel with the Plymouth road and loops around the back of Swell Tor and Kings Tor.…
Time for a quick walk up to Down Tor and then across to Combeshead Tor before descending to Cuckoo Rock. It was all in the name as I heard the first cuckoo of spring whilst walking back to Norsworthy Bridge!!
Another coastal walk and this time somewhere I’ve never been to before, Start Point. Its an easy walk from the nearby car park however walking from Beesands, and passing the lost village of Hallsands, makes more of a day of it and means the ice cream at the end has been earned!! The views across…
Today was a walk into the wilderness and typical terrain that is Dartmoor, away from any roads although the military presence can be seen all over this area. It’s a stunning area however the part across Black Dunghill and the last part by the Cowsic Bridge can get pretty boggy but that is more than…
A new area for us this time, the Willsworthy range has been on the radar but travelling north on the road from Tavistock we’ve headed for Lydford Gorge or Yes Tor instead. This time however we parked at Lane End and tackled the area around Hare Tor. In hindsight we should have headed for the…
It was the day of the half solar eclipse but to be honest, on Dartmoor, it kind of barely happened. It went a bit darker I guess and a bit cooler, but nothing like a full solar eclipse!! I grabbed a quick photo as it emerged behind a cloud which obscured the glare from the…
As mentioned before this is one of the best places to visit on Dartmoor. Again starting from Postbridge this time we took the west side of the East Dart first and headed over Broad Down. The views were hampered by the haze in fact at times good photos were difficult to get. The area above…
Fowey (pronounced Foy by them locals!), is a pretty harbour town where we had the intentions of a quick walk followed by fish and chips. Well the walk was fine however not a fish and chip shop in sight! So Mevagissey was visited to sort that part out!!
Today was time for something a bit different, this walk gives you a bit of moorland, woodland tracks and quiet lanes. It is perfect when perhaps the weather isn’t quite as good as you would like! You could park at either end of this walk, at South Brent (where I did) or Shipley Bridge where…
Another nice day and time for a walk on new ground, on a circular walk of Royal Hill. I have to say I didn’t expect too much from the walk but the views to the north are very good. However the walk back from Tor Royal to Peat Cot was fairly boggy at this time…
I hadn’t been out on Dartmoor for around a month and was getting itchy feet for some new granite!! I decided to visit a tor I have been to before in Cox Tor and add on a visit to Roos Tor and the Staple Tors. It was a very pleasant way to spend a few…
Time for me to take a walk to a nearby beach and return via the fantastic South West coastal path with great views to Plymouth and over the Sound to Cornwall.
We had a bit of time for a quick walk and Leather Tor seemed like a good option. The weather was amazing, still a bit of snow on the ground, a cold nip in the air and lots of blue sky.
Another place on Dartmoor that I wanted to visit. I had been a few times to Avon Dam and seen the dimple in the distance that is the Redlake spoil heap and planned a walk that would get the best out of this area. The weather was absolutely stunning, crisp snow in places, sun and…
Duck’s Pool was one of those places that I wanted to visit but didn’t know what it looked like or what to expect. I knew it would be boggy getting there, even with some ice on the ground. I would class this a bog rating 4 out of 5 especially the part from Great Gnats…
Bitterly cold day on Dartmoor and only a shortish walk to South Hessary Tor and back. Starting from the Princetown car park and heading along the path behind the Plume of Feathers pub (used at the end!!). It’s a walk that requires little effort and no special navigation as the tor is right next to…
A walk to remove the excesses of Christmas and what a walk we had, fantastic blue sky, crisp and a great route. This has to be one of my favourite walks on Dartmoor and you can add more onto this walk if the days are longer heading on towards Rough Tor and back via Beardown…
A walk out of necessity to get out of the house, there wasn’t a lot of colour out there today however the walk from Cadover to Shaugh Bridge and back is one of my favourites. Ironically, looking back, the same walk was done in glorious sunshine at the same time last year
It was a lovely November day, cold on the tops but lovely and sunny with superb views all round. Bellever Tor was the choice today for myself and the boys and a great walk it was.
Our last walk in The Lakes before the long drive home to Plymouth, a decision was made to attempt a bit of a bogey hill for us in Dodd. Previously we had attempted an ascent and been monsooned off the hill by heavy rain!! We started out in sun knowing by tea rain was due…
Staying in Troutbeck it would have been daft of us not to have a walk up to Wansfell via Nanny Lane, the weather looked as though it would cover the tops in low cloud, however as we reached the summit it cleared enough to give us some views.
After a couple of damp days in the Lake District we finally woke to a clear day and the prospect of a fantastic day in the fells. The weather turned out to be better than it should have been, and was warm for late October and these two little fells provided a fabulous walk. These…
We have come to The Lakes in autumn for a week to sample the changing colours and weather at this time of year, with that there will hopefully be less bracken than in the summer as well!! We were staying in Troutbeck, so whilst waiting for the house to be ready, we popped over the…
A birthday walk around Avon Dam which didn’t quite go as planned. The ford which was marked on the map even after a long period of dry weather was 12 inches deep which meant boots off and wading was in order!! Still an area I’ve never been to before and its better than sitting in…
Time for a no rush, easy walk from Pork Hill car park, with some lovely scenery but nothing too strenuous for a Sunday afternoon! Some new hills collected, shame that the sun only came out at the end but it at least meant that the ice cream van got some custom!
I have to say I wasn’t expecting much from this walk from Watendlath. The road up here is narrow but once at the end a little oasis opens up with high ground all around. Both these two fells have many lumps on their summit vying for the highest point but it is the views that…
An evening walk up a smaller fell but giving it a bit of respect. Rather than just and up and back from the church at the bottom of the hill we decided to park in a layby beside the A591 and walk along the base before ascending from the church as normal. Weather was warm…
I think it’s fair to say that the Old Man was the first mountain I knew the name of. I don’t know why but it was. So this was a bit of a pilgrimage for me and parking at the end of Walna Scar road I was excited. We set off in good sun but…
A much derided little fell this one, however for me it has its place. For those of us that have to drive hundreds of miles to get to The Lakes, fells such as Little Mell have something that loftier mountains cannot offer and that’s a quick walk to stretch the legs whilst bagging a Wainwright…
Day off work and time for a walk, decision made on an ascent of Penn Beacon and adding on Shell Top for good measure. A good track from Quick Bridge takes you to open moorland just beyond the Lee Moor clay pits, before heading up steeply. Once on top the views are good especially over…
Time a quick walk somewhere in the Princetown area and we plumped this time for Great Mis Tor, not too far and with the easy track no need for map reading. For some reason each time I’ve been up on this tor it has never been overly warm, again today despite it being July a…
The mast on North Hessary Tor has to be one of the most recognisable landmarks in any of our National Parks, it certainly is on Dartmoor. This walk is an easy 4 mile circuit with only one real climb up to the mast itself, with the majority of the rest of the walk on old…
When you start walking hills and mountains, it is always the highest places that draw you in. South of the Peak District the highest is High Willhays and today was the day for us to attempt an ascent. The weather did its best to put us off but we made it round without too many…
A day off work and a chance to get out for a walk, not too far from home but this is a first visit to the stone row behind Down Tor and its a fine example of its type. Another chance to climb my first ever tor of Down Tor and one of my favourites.…
A lovely day and time for a quick walk to Ditsworthy Warren house and back via the Eylesbarrow tin mine track. As it was such a nice day there was time for a well earned ice cream from Cadover Bridge!
Day out in Padstow meant fish and chips and a chance to walk off the calories! Stepper Point is a lovely walk from Padstow and the lookout station at the point were nice enough to invite us in and show the boys all the radars!
We took advantage of a glorious spring day to get out for our first visit to Nun’s Cross before heading over to Plym Ford and back via Eylesbarrow. The views across Fox Tor mires to the distant North Dartmoor hills are fantastic on this route although it helps to have a bit of blue in…
Another walk that I have wanted to do for a while and one that didn’t disappoint. Pick a warm spring day after a little rain (not too much otherwise you cannot cross the waterfall) and there’s not a finer walk on Dartmoor. Starting in Postbridge, using the roadside parking opposite the pub, its an easy…
I’d been wanting to do this walk for a while so despite the dreary start to the weather we set off from Two Bridges heading for Crocken Tor and along the ridge to Longaford Tor before dropping to the West Dart Weir and back along the Devonport Leat. its a fantastic walk not too difficult…
Grabbed the opportunity today to nip out for a quick walk up to Sheeps Tor. Parking at Norsworthy Bridge and walking part way round Burrator and heading up the steep side of Sheeps Tor. Not a great deal of mileage involved but the steepness meant a few pauses for breath were required! Then it was…
A day off from work and a good chance to get out and about. Starting from the car park near the Two Bridges hotel we headed for Beardown Tor and Lydford Tor following part of the Devonport leat. However looping back via Cowsic Bridge brought with it some issues with very boggy ground, between us…
Pre-Christmas walk to banish the December blues and take advantage of a batch of glorious sunshine! This walk follows the clay pipe route out through the North Wood heading for Shaugh Bridge before crossing the Plym and heading up the track to the top above The Dewerstone. The return is back across Wigford Down with…
A lovely circular walk which tops out on two tors, the views from Bellever Tor are superb, especially northwards towards Longaford and the Beardown Tors. There’s also the added bonus of a pint back in Postbridge and a chance to see the famous clapper bridge.
Talk of the Lake District and walking mountains and inevitably The Langdale Pikes will come up eventually. For a large number of visitors that head to The Lakes only to stay around Lake Windermere then The Langdale Pikes sit high dominating the view to the north of the Lake. Starting up Stickle Ghyll we headed…
Catbells is a classic walk in the Lake District, arguably the most popular fell in this particular part of England. It attracts families, those on route to higher places and those out to bag a Wainwright! The views back to Keswick grab the attention however the vistas into the Newland valley in the opposite direction…
If your in and around the Grasmere area of the Lake District, then Silver How is a superb walk for those not wanting to head out to loftier heights such as the Fairfield Horseshoe. This route also makes a nice round loop giving good views especially from the summit. The walk could easily be extended…
This is lovely family walk, with a good tarmac path 95% of the way following the course of the River Avon as it heads downstream from the Avon Reservoir. The weather was warm and sunny and a paddle in the river was needed to cool off with a picnic!!
A lovely walk taking in a film set, a Bronze Age settlement, a couple of tors and an old tin mine! Shame the sun couldn’t shine. This is a cracking place, the history in the area is well worth seeing, especially Drizzlecombe
When you look at climbing mountains inevitably you will look to the highest and want to climb it. Scafell Pike is that such a mountain in England. This route was out from Seathwaite Farm and up to Styhead Tarn and then via the Corridor Route to the summit and back over the boulder field to…
Cooler walk than yesterday when we were on Barrow (here), unfortunately the warm sunshine is replaced by cloudy, hazier conditions. The views to Derwent Water however are just as good from this glorious viewpoint and the layering of fells to the south is superb. This has to be the best view in the Lake District…
Family walk up a cracking little fell near to our base in Braithwaite. The views down to Derwent Water were spectacular, especially on the way down, and it was a fine way to spend a couple of hours. Topped off with a nice pint in the pub to finish.
We had spent a week near Fort William in Scotland and the long drive back to Plymouth required a stop off and some leg stretching. This fell, not too far from the M6, provided a perfect walk before tea in Windermere. We could have picked any of the Mell Fells or perhaps Gowbarrow Fell but…
Second walk of this holiday and a classic one at that. Wainwright claims the mile of walking across the Crinkles to be the finest ridge mile in Lakeland. That’ll do for me, with the bonus of Bowfell at the far end and a fantastic descent by The Band. The walk was a tough one, and…
After getting a taster for Lakeland fell walking last summer with our Helvellyn walk (here), this was our second Wainwright and a much more sedate family friendly walk and the boys first attempt at a fell. Rain threatened later in the walk as we reached the summit but thankfully stayed away, although it did cool…
Our first major walk in the Lake District and one of the classics to boot, The weather was tricky across Striding Edge due to the drizzle and as a result we used a mix of staying to the ridge line and dropping occasionally to the path just below. Once the cloud cleared a bit on the summit the views were superb.
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