Synopsis: Lydford Gorge with Mum. Picnic lunch at Bellever in the cool shade of the trees by the East Dart River on this hot and sunny day. Lydford Gorge was tranquil and streaked with late afternoon sun.
The weather forecast for today was sun, sun, and yet more sun, not so common this ‘summer’ as could be ignored, so I suggested to that great British adventurer, Mum, a trip to Dartmoor. First stop our local Tesco store for sandwiches and yoghurts, top up with petrol, and we were off. For a change I chose to drive a route through Bovey Tracey and then on to Moretonhampstead, which is very varied and picturesque.
Bellever
The question in my mind was where to stop for lunch. We really did require some shade as we would otherwise be baked in the midday sun. On a number of my previous walks I’d passed a picnic spot on the East Dart River near Bellever that seemed very popular with families. We headed there and found a place under the trees just perfect for our lunch (car park ticket £2.00 for all day). I got the kettle on and we were soon in the lap of luxury. There was the smell of barbecues wafting our way, but we were more than content with our sandwiches and cuppa.
Bellever
After lunch we took a short stroll along the banks of the East Dart River where all the families were to be found in their little enclaves. Children were playing in the river with their rubber rings and inflatable dinghies. It really did look the perfect place to bring children.
Lydford Gorge
Mum and I then set off in our car in the direction of Tavistock and then followed the Okehampton road till we took the short detour into Lydford. At the Lydford Gorge National Trust visitor’s centre we were given a map of the walk and told the full loop typically took 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. It was now just a little before 3pm and I knew we’d be longer than 2 hours so I checked we would still be able to exit the gorge and was told that, although the visitor centre would close at 5pm, access to the car park remained open.
Lydford Gorge - White Lady waterfall
I had underestimated the walk through the gorge, which was more demanding than I’d remembered. Even the walk out, along a track that follows the upper level of the gorge, proved strenuous, as there are several steep, sometimes stepped, climbs to make. Anyway, taking it steady, and breaking at the odd bench to rest, we made good progress and eventually reached the half-way point of the White Lady waterfall. There was quite a significant flow of water from the waterfall, which gave it a dramatic appearance.
Lydford Gorge
From here we began the slow steady low-level climb back up through the gorge along the banks of the river. The path, very narrow, steep and often wet in places, meant progress was quite slow. This hardly seemed to matter as the afternoon was warm even in the depths of the gorge, and the late afternoon sun streamed down the length of the valley lighting the fast flowing torrent of water and the dripping fern strewn sides of the gorge. It was a lovely place to be, and Mum and I were more than happy to take our time.
It’s a little bit of a climb out of the gorge back at the visitor reception, but nothing too alarming. We felt we could do with a cup of tea and a muffin on reaching the car, so I drove us to the National Trust car park at the opposite point of entry to the gorge, where I knew there was a picnic area by the car park. To my great alarm I found my picnic stove wouldn’t light, so we had no tea. Muffins, biscuits and a cup of water was the best I could manage. The jet on my poor old stove must have become blocked and I had no way of freeing it up.
Although a tiring day, especially for Mum, we both enjoyed our outing, and Mum coped extremely well with the terrain (not bad for a 77 year old), even the climb through the gorge. It truly is a great place to be on a summer’s afternoon in August. So, what’s your excuse?
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 2.8 miles
Moving Time: 1hrs 24min
Stopped Time: 2hrs 24min
Total Ascent: 221 metres
Maximum Elevation: 328 metres
Buses: (none)
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