August Bank Holiday and where better to go than the edge of Dartmoor for a taste of West Devon life. The hostel at Okehampton is especially handy for the railway station, it having been converted from the old goods shed. Naturally this meant that several people joined us for the weekend by rail, thus dodging the bank holiday traffic.
We arrived at the hostel in dribs and drabs, discovering a quaint building, comfortably appointed, but with possibly the smallest kitchen we’d ever seen. In theory the hostel sleeps up to 127 people, yet they thought that a single kettle would be sufficient for everyone’s needs. The fridge space was also a logistical challenge, plus a single oven and only 4 rings on the hob. We started the weekend with the idea that we would self-cater two evening meals, but that soon got down-sized to just the one.
Friday night we started the weekend in style with a slap-up meal in one of the local pubs, The Fountain, as a celebration of Jim’s birthday plus a great way to kick off our stay. A modest amount of drinking also helped make the climb back up the hill on a balmy summer’s evening a little less noticeable. However, the warm night & the modest windows in the goods shed meant it was a stuffy night’s sleep.
Saturday dawned and Dave managed to hog the kitchen long enough to produce 15 breakfasts whilst Cressida & co worked on the sandwiches. This was fuel for a foray on to Belstone Common on the edge of Dartmoor. First lunch was at the somewhat mis-named Scarey Tor. There was nothing scary about it at all on a sunny afternoon in August. A pleasing jumble of weather rounded rocks from which we could see valleys and tors in all directions. From Scarey Tor we headed east to the main ridge of Belstone Common with the historic Irishman’s Wall and Nine Maidens stone circle. Having worked up a bit of a thirst, we were very relieved to discover The Tors PH in Belstone village. A very traditional pub doing a nice line in beer and cider (the two things not to be confused, Doug).
We managed to get back to the hostel fairly early, so we bagged the kitchen and Ali produced a very tasty Moroccan chickpea tagine. It was a lovely evening, so we ate outside on the picnic benches.
The railway west of Okehampton is disused and has been transformed into a cycle path, with fantastic views of Dartmoor and the surrounding countryside, leading 11 miles to Lydford. The route passes over Meldon Viaduct, a rare wrought iron lattice structure, now a scheduled monument.
On Sunday we had two main activity groups: a team of cyclists taking on the Granite Trail; and a walking group intent on summiting Yes Tor. Both groups were successful, but team cycle saw more cake stops. Not that we needed the extra calories with an evening meal planned for the local Wetherspoons. However, I can heartily recommend the Devon cream tea served in Sourton Parish Hall by the volunteers.
Bank Holiday Monday saw another parting of the ways. The group members travelling by rail really had to get going, so it was a tearful farewell waved from the platform before the car travellers headed out to explore Lydford Gorge. Even though we arrived shortly after opening, there was still a bit of queuing for the prime viewing point for the Devil’s Cauldron, but we had a lovely lunch sat at the foot of the waterfall. The gorge was the perfect walk for a hot day with its wooded slopes and water features. Lots of dappled shade plus a magnificent slime mould that I insisted on pointing out to everyone (it really was good: a white blob with a pearly metallic sheen). After a final tea stop in the National Trust café, it was sadly time to go home.
Ali