Dartmoor Way by Cherry Bird
A dedicated small group of us completed two more days of the Dartmoor Way, managing to avoid the thunderstorms and heavy rain that kindly fell overnight. Saturday (18th June), from Moretonhampstead to Chagford, both charming villages, was a shorter day but when we included a detour to the top of Cranbury Castle (360 degree views on a clear day, which it wasn’t!) and around the grounds of Castle Drogo (not entirely as planned) we did a respectable 10 miles. On Sunday (19th June) we started from the lovely square in Chagford, ending on the edge of Okehampton – a long day of 12.5 miles. Fortification in that late afternoon “low energy spot” by the most delicious ice creams at Belstone village was most welcome!
Both days covered a fantastic range of really interesting and lovely countryside that included superb woodland, ancient hidden green lanes, riverside paths, narrow lanes and picturesque villages, as well as some spectacular traditional Dartmoor moorland, with the distinctive granite tors. Once again we marvelled at the creativity of those who designed this long distance trail, as it takes one into places that are a bit off the beaten track and along routes one might not otherwise have thought of.
Somerset Walking Club 