Month: June 2010

So sad, but we’ve reached the last full day of our spectacular stay at Blackhall Cottage. Though it’s been a relatively quiet day, we had multiple short walks (I did two and Mallory three). First thing, M & I found a nice little rough path, in fact called the Tarka Trail, which we walked over and back before breakfast. Then, right after breakfast, the four of us drove a short distance to the neighboring village of Sticklepath. From there, we headed up a wonderfully wild and wooded trail along the Taw River. The Taw is actually as small as the average Colorado creek, and the trail next to it reminded me of one back home as well. Below is a view of the creek…

After that, Deborah had to get back for her volunteer shift at the church hall next to St. Andrews, where they serve what’s called a “cream tea” a couple of days a week. It’s a long story, but the important point was that she was having to work it alone, when normally it would have been two volunteers working. So, naturally Mallory offered to pitch in. It was a good thing, as there was a steady stream of customers all afternoon!

A cream tea involves tea and a couple of scones, served with Devon clotted cream and your choice of jam. Clotted cream is amazing stuff, thick and sweet, almost like butter-cream frosting! So good…

Peter and I went over for tea at four, and we were joined by a good friend of theirs named Meg who apparently is the local historian. She ended up giving Mal & me a private tour of the church hall. The building, like the church, dates from the late 1400’s, and was extensively renovated in ’05. Like D&P’s cottage, it has a thatched roof, and we were astonished to learn that most of the first layer, that you see from inside the second floor, is original! Rye stalks that are more than 500 years old… And all the renovations, so lovingly carried out, really made the place shine!

Lastly we went out for dinner at their favorite “authentic” local Devon pub, called the Railway Inn, where we had a splendid meal. Bookended by a nice local ale called Pheasant Plucker and a tasty local ‘honeycombe’ ice cream, it really was a perfect ending to a smashing visit! Cheers!!

Friday began with our earliest breakfast yet, as Peter had warned us the night before that his friend (and Tarka Walk booklet collaborator) Carol Coombs would be arriving promptly at 10:30 to pick us up for the day’s walk. For anyone who doesn’t know already, Peter wrote a colorful little booklet last year called Tarka Line Walks, subtitled “22 Self-Guided Walks from the Wayside Stations of North Devon’s Scenic Tarka Line”, which has turned out to be so successful that he’s in the process of getting a second booklet published!

The Tarka Line is a little railroad line through the region, and the walks all begin and/or end near one of the stations. So, today we got to experience one of the new walks with the author himself, along with his friend Carol, her two dogs and Peter’s lab Scrumpy. It was another beautiful hot sunny day, and the walk took us down lovely little country lanes lined with tall wildflower-laden hedgerows, past fields of rye, barley, wheat and even corn; over stiles, leats (ditches) and small creeks to the New Inn where we stopped for lunch. Fortunately, the shortest bit of the walk came after lunch (which had included its requisite real ale) and of course we were home in time for tea and cake! After all that, Peter and I needed a nap!

The photo above is of the St. Andrew’s church clocktower, right next door to D&P’s cottage. Late this afternoon, Mallory and I had the honor of a climb to the top of that 15th century structure with Peter! It entailed maneuvering up an amazingly steep, narrow, dark, 101-step solid granite spiral staircase, which got even narrower at the very top and gave me the distinct impression of having stepped back many centuries in time!!

The views from the top were as spectacular as you would imagine, and though I’m afraid you’ll have wait until our return to see pictures from my better camera, you can at least enjoy a couple from the iPhone. The first is of Blackhall Cottage, and the second is of this intrepid blogger/photographer (taken by Mallory), looking like a lichen-covered gnome! Jolly good fun, all around!

Today was another beautiful day in Devon. D&P tell us this is the first summer since 2003 that the weather has been this nice!

We were up a tad earlier, but had another good night’s sleep, and were greeted by Peter’s usual splendid country breakfast of homemade oatmeal with fresh strawberries followed by crumpets with any variety of jam or marmalade you could want.

We then headed out for Tavistock, about a half-hour away, where there is a nice little indoor market, much like a flea market back home. After a quick bit of shopping, we headed off for a drive through the middle of Dartmoor. But first, we decided we ought to sample the wares at the Trout & Tipple, a pub we’d passed on our way into Tavistock that featured a banner touting its real ales. Below is a photo of the happy samplers (minus the one behind the camera).

Today’s moor tour included less walking and more driving, but we took in myriad sights such as ancient double stone lines, old abandoned quarries, and Dartmoor Prison, not to mention lots of wild ponies and free-range sheep & cattle.

Then it was back to the cottage for a little down time before Deb served up another spectacular dinner which we ate out in the garden under a clear late-evening sky.

What an absolutely fabulous day!