Synopsis: Two sides of the triangle, Chudleigh to Trenchford Reservoir in the morning, then on to Bovey Tracey in the afternoon. Going out is mostly up, coming back is mostly down. Preference?
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album) It is imperative that you do not attempt this walk! Or rather, this walk should not be done until the bluebells are fully out. It was obvious to me what a great bluebell walk this makes, but I was just a bit too premature. There were some bluebells out, mostly where the sun filtered through the canopy and warmed the ground, but the majority were not in bloom. There are stretches of excellent bluebell woods both on the journey out, and the journey back. I would love to do this walk again when the bluebell season was in full flow.
Early 'free school' for Chudleigh - 1668This was another bus walk, so as usual, an early start was required to be at the bus stop to catch the 8:30 bus. It is only a short 30 minute journey to Chudleigh, so I was walking by 9:00. I didn’t spend long in Chudleigh, but I did catch sight of the very early ‘free school’ building. I wonder what classes were like back then?
The tablet on the wall reads: “John Pynsent, of Lincoln's Inn, esquire, born in this parish, hath erected this for a Free School, and endowed it with ttiirty pounds per annum for ever, 1668.”
I accidently stroll into this farmyard, having missed a footpath sign, and come across an elderly farmer. We stop and talk a while. He tells me how he thought I might be his son. Wait! Let me rephrase that. He had mistaken me for his son who would be coming around to cut grass from the sheep’s tails. Apparently “grass gets sticky at this time of year” (are we sure it’s the grass that’s sticky?). There are large birds running around the farmyard, birds I don’t recognize, which are apparently guinea fowl. The elderly farmer tells me they sit in the hedge where the fox comes and picks them off. Doesn’t sound too smart to me. There’s a lovely old barn that faces onto the farmyard. Apparently the farmer has had offers for it, from people wishing to convert it into a dwelling. It would be a shame to change its appearance, as it’s so historic looking, so I hope the farmer holds on to it. He tells me he is 76, born in 1934. He was telling me of a farm submerged below Trenchford Reservoir, and was rather insulted when I asked him if he could remember it. He told me he couldn’t, they were stories his father told him. 
Apparently the horses on this farm were impossible to handle the year before the farm was to be closed, as if they sensed the looming fate due to befall on them.
Teign Village 'main' (only) streetThere’s a rather odd looking village named Teign Village I pass through on my climb up towards Hennock. I say odd, because it feels so planned and uniform. I suspect this is mining/quarrying houses. There are a lot of signs of both activities in this area. Within the village there’s even a sports field and a car park, all suggesting urban planning not typical of a Devon village.
The water trough, Hennock, opposite the Palk Arms
I found a bench to sit on by the water trough in Hennock, opposite the Palk Arms. I was very glad of this bench, as it had been a pretty steep haul up to Hennock. Hennock feels strung out along the hillside, probably because that’s how it is. I noticed the Palk Arms advertises its ‘panoramic views’ to all potential customers passing by. I didn’t venture in, but I suspect it is quite able to live up to its claims.
Hennock Church, the rood screenOn my way through Hennock I stop off at the church to look around it. It has these wonderful paintings on its rood screen. I suspect these are very old, possibly medieval. The rood screen is in remarkably good condition for its age. There’s also quite an interesting font, although the date of this wasn’t obvious to me. It did not appear Norman to me, but on checking later I discovered it is classified as late Norman. I notice the vicars of Hennock go back to Benjamin of 1207, although the body of the current church is obviously later than that.
Trenchford Reservoir
There were some lovely forest vistas that open up to me as I approach Trenchford Reservoir. I eat my lunch looking out over Tottiford Reservoir. After lunch I walked on to Trenchford, where, as intended, I did a circuit around the reservoir. By now the sun is trying its best to break through the clouds. Many of the trees are a bright green, as they’re just coming into leaf.
Views out over Dartmoor
There are some splendid views out towards Dartmoor as I begin my descent towards Bovey Tracey. Then I enter woods near Shaptor Rock, and once again I’m greeted with thousands of bluebells, some of which are in bloom. The sun is out by now, and the day is warming up. I pass by old cottages as I enter Bovey Tracey. I seem to be on the old Moretonhampstead road, which would have been the main road prior to the bypass being built. I’ve passed some big houses as I’ve approached Bovey Tracey. There was obviously some money in this area at one time, I presume from the mining and quarrying industries nearby.
Bovey Tracey MillI have just time to drop down and view the old mill at Bovey Tracey before tracking down the bus stop, as I had only 10 minutes before the 16:00 bus, and I was keen to catch this service. I had arrived home by 17:00. It had been yet another splendid and varied day’s walking, which could only have been bettered if the bluebells had been in bloom, but I wasn’t about to complain, after having had such a lovely day’s walking in the country.
The bluebell wood sections of this walk are the stretch just north of Hennock near Great Rock and the permissive path through Shaptor Wood.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 12.0 m
Moving Time: 4hrs 40min
Stopped Time: 1hr 37min
Total Ascent: 563 metres
Maximum Elevation: 252 metres
Buses: 39
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