Devon is more than just cream teas and Dartmoor, it has some of the most dramatic coastline in England. I felt like walking to a lighthouse so I did some research online and found that Start Point Lighthouse was right on a dramatic section of the South West Coast path. Hallsands Lost Village I drove to …
The South Downs National Park varies in landscape by the mile. Exposed flint-strewn hills, steep chalk escarpments, dense wooded slopes. My recent 24 mile walk took in all of that. I would walk a route that I had walked before in sections but not all in one day. Recently I have been walking east, towards …
Disused canals normally conjure up images of discarded shopping trolleys and part submerged cars. The semi-restored Wey and Arun canal offers walkers the chance to get right amongst nature and couldn’t be any more removed from the stereotype. Billingshurst to Houghton Bridge Explore the South Downs without the car. A station to station canal walk. …
A 31 mile hike to Devil’s Dyke in East Sussex, starting from Storrington in West Sussex. Walking along the South Downs Way under a gorgeous blue sky. At the beginning of May I had walked 25 miles in a day, which at the time was a personal best and I knew that I had a …
You’ll read it and hear it over and over again; do not walk Dartmoor without a proper map. With that in mind my first few walks were along well-defined tracks in a straight line. There and back. My reason for a lack of map was simple, I wasn’t planning on visiting Dartmoor or indeed living in …
Huntingdon Warren Clapper Bridge – Dartmoor Walks Read More »
A 19.6 mile walk to Cissbury Ring just outside the village of Findon in West Sussex. Taking in two hill forts and views of ancient flint mines. Starting off in Storrington West Sussex, a bustling village at the foot of the South Downs I headed up to Kithurst Hill and walked east, towards my first …
High up on the South Downs in West Sussex, a short walk from Kithurst Hill car park, surrounded by peaceful fields, wildlife and crops, sits a now silent giant. A beast of a man-made machine. Over 75 years ago this area of the South Downs, rising above Storrington, Cootham and Parham House would have been a …
A very popular family walk around the magnificent Petworth Park, in the South Downs of West Sussex. With a herd of over 900 fallow deer, views to the North and South Downs, plus wide open lawns to fly kites, Petworth has to be one of the most popular National Trust venues in the South East …
What better way to end the working day than a walk around your local area; in my case that meant a walk along the South Downs Way close to Storrington in West Sussex. There is a rough tarmac track that leads off of the Amberley to Storrington road, the B2139. The track barely signposted from the …
The first week in March should have been filled with the joys of spring but for reasons that will be explained it was far from idyllic. I don’t often feel guilty when out walking, why should I for I am sharing the stunning South Downs through my words, walks and photos; bringing a little happiness …
I expect when I write about aches and pains from hiking most of my regular blog readers will be nodding in agreement; it’s a pain in the….. I’ve always been a little heavier than perhaps I should be. I’m 6’1″ tall, 43 years old (2015) and broad build. I get stuck in kissing gates on …
I had read about another magnificent stone row in the Sheepstor area of Dartmoor and planned a circular walk to explore. I parked at the foot of Gutter Tor, you will see the car-park marked on the OS Map, by the old scout hut nestling in some trees. The car park does get busy as …
Sheepstor Ditsworthy Warren – Dartmoor Circular Walk Read More »
My quest to hike Dartmoor and discover its less than hidden prehistoric past was going well. A scan of my OS Explorer Map and the internet revealed a beautiful stone row and circle not far from Burrator Reservoir, a location I knew well. Down Tor Dartmoor I parked at the eastern edge of Burrator Reservoir, …
I’ve never been to Stonehenge, I have driven the A303 a multitude of times on trips to the West Country. My reason for never visiting is the location. A busy noisy holiday traffic route only a short distance away, fences keeping people from doing harm to the stones. Coach loads of people arriving by the …
I wanted to walk a short distance but take in a spectacular view of Dartmoor from a tor. I had driven from Postbridge to Moretonhampstead before and knew of lanes that turned south towards Widecombe-in-the-Moor. With the sun low in the sky as it was late afternoon in August I set off to find a …
Living in South Devon I am spoilt for choice when it comes to stunning walks and scenery. I can head to Dartmoor and hike the wilderness or I can head to the South West Coast Path and witness the power of nature. Both options never fail to impress and each offer their own escape in …
You may have noticed a change in scenery if you follow me on various social media platforms, yes myself and my Border Collie ‘Dave’ have moved for a while to Devon. Now to me Devon means three things, Dartmoor, coast and cream teas. So far I have indulged quite well in two out of three. …
“What, in one day?”, “I bet you hurt after that?”, “why?”, “I could never do that”, “Good luck”, “wishing you the very best luck”, “well done you”, “really proud of you”, “bet you felt great.” Just some of the many comments made to me before and after my modest plan to walk 40 miles along …
Large red words on the OS Map spell out a warning to hikers and tourists alike: Danger Area restricted access. I had this notion that the northern landscape of Dartmoor was a fenced off landscape, uninviting to hikers. Littered with UXBs and danger! I was of course very wrong and my hike to Yes Tor, …
Dartmoor in Devon has several large areas of forest and one location that caught my attention was Wistman’s Wood, one of only three remote high-altitude oakwoods. A friend had read about the wood and suggested a walk. I’m not one to turn down a hike to a quirky location, that’s for certain. Two Bridges to …