Synopsis: A walk in the forest this autumn time. The mixed woodland that I walked through was full of colour. The walk includes Trenchford, Tottiford and Kennick reservoirs, north of Bovey Tracey.
The thought of autumn colour suggested a walk in a forest somewhere and the terrain around the three reservoirs just north of Bovey Tracey sprung to mind. With no walk prepared I had to sit down and quickly plan a walk route the morning of the walk. Thankfully this is a really easy job to do using the relatively new Getamap service from Ordnance Survey. It wasn’t long before my GPS device was loaded with a ten miler and I was on my way.
Blackingstone Rock - in the midday sun
I parked my car under the impressively looming granite outcrop of Blackingstone Rock. This huge rock really does seem to have a presence all its own. There are steps up the side of it, so you can climb it if you wish, but no time for me to be doing this. It was now nearly midday and I had a ten mile walk to complete, and the days are not so long at this time of year.
Path through the woods of Wray Cleave
From Blackingstone Rock my walk took me on a descending trail towards the A382 road that links Moretonhampstead with Bovey Tracey. This is a beautifully scenic road to drive, but today I thought I’d do it on foot, in that I was walking the valley shared with the road. I soon picked up a path along the edge of a mixed woodland that was full of colour, illuminated by the acute rays of sun shining across the valley. I spotted a couple of roe deer on the track ahead of me. I was able to stop, watch them for a while, and even get my camera out, but as soon as I moved a twig snapped underfoot and they were gone. You might just see them if you look closely at this photo.
Trenchford Reservoir
Of course there was going to be a price to pay for losing all that height, and yes, it was time to regain some of it on my approach to the three reservoirs. I’m unclear if there is a collective name for these three reservoirs, but individually they are named: Kennick, Tottiford and Trenchford. I would walk in the vicinity of all three today, but my first objective was Trenchford. I was soon on the path that skirts the reservoir heading towards the car park, which was much too busy and noisy for my taste, so I walked on to lunch sitting on the bank of the Trenchford dam which was warmed comfortably by the sun.
Of the three reservoirs it is Trenchford and Tottiford that are designated public access, with Kennick being primarily designated for fishing. It is possible to walk around all of Trenchford and Tottiford reservoirs, but only parts of Kennick are accessible to the public in this way. Today this reservoir area was very popular with visitors, with Trenchford car park nearly full. I believe these reservoirs serve Torbay.
Tottiford Reservoir - water levels very low
After lunch I skirted further around Trenchford Reservoir and then picked up a path that took me up to a road and then on a footpath through trees towards Tottiford Reservoir. My path through the trees was scented with the smell of the pine trees which I always find so appealing and fresh. This path led to a point on Tottiford where there is a footbridge across the reservoir. From here it is very evident how little water there is in the reservoir. I believe this is not a concern at this time of year as we’re through the busy tourist period and entering into the rainy season.
I stumbled upon, whilst checking out Divine Dartmoor Walks web site, the fact that the Channel 4 Time Team were here on Tottiford during August 2010. They investigated a number of Bronze Age remains including stone rows and a stone circle. Because the water is so low at present I believe these are visible once again, as I think I saw them today. Although I was unsure what they were, it did occur to me that I was looking at a prehistoric stone row.
Kennick Reservoir
My path took me deep into the forest circling east of Kennick Reservoir which I then briefly clipped before my path joined a road. From here it was simply a matter of following the road back to my car. This was rather a circuitous route, but there were no paths to be found that would have shortened my trek. The calm of evening was by now descending, visitors having gone home for their tea, leaving me to watch the sun setting as I approached my car.
It was good to be out walking again, after a period when all my work commitments had rather curtailed my exploits. And this was an exceptionally fine walk to be doing at this time of year, so one to remember for future autumns.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 10.9 miles
Moving Time: 4hrs 6min
Stopped Time: 38min
Total Ascent: 449 metres
Maximum Elevation: 346 metres
Buses: (none)
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