Synopsis: Two rivers walk, starting from Ivybridge on the River Erme, and ending at Noss Mayo on the River Yealm. Less well known than Dartmouth and Salcombe harbours, but equally enchanting
The start of this walk out of Ivybridge is a repeat of a walk I’d done earlier in the year, but after a couple of miles my path diverted from the River Erme and I was on new territory. This early part of the walk is slightly marred by the noise of traffic on the A38 that fills the valley. It was a relief to get out of earshot of that.
Horse ChestnutI really must take more time to look at plants close up. As I picked my way along a heavily rutted dirt track I passed a Horse Chestnut tree just coming into flower and was taken by how lovely the flowers were. The name of the tree, Aesculus hippocastanum (remember that, as I’ll ask you later) is Greek for horse and Latin for Sweet Chestnut, so I presume either name goes, which finally dispels a confusion I’ve had for many years. Apparently the tree is not native to these shores, but was introduced from Greece shortly after 1600.
Toll house
At Yealmbridge, where I crossed the River Yealm, there’s an old toll house, thankfully no longer collecting tolls, as I would have had to fork out a whole 1d (that’s one penny to you youngsters who don’t recognize old money) just to cross the bridge. If I had my bullock with me it would have been 2d, and if I’d been in my horse and cart, the fare would have been a whopping 5d.
For my lunch break I perched myself on a high bank over looking the River Yealm at a point where a huge granite boulder sits in the river. A family with young boys and two dogs came by and they had great fun playing in the water, loving the chance to make a splash. There were quite a number of dog walkers passed me by as I sat in the woods eating my lunch.
Noss Mayo and Newton CreekNoss Mayo was looking beautiful in the sun. There were quite a number of people ‘messing about’ in boats and canoes in the estuary. It’s a very picturesque place strung out on the steep banks of the River Yealm. Noss Mayo looks across to Newton Ferrers, it’s sister village on the other side of the estuary. It was strange to think the busy city of Plymouth was less that ten miles away, and yet here was total peace and tranquility. A commuters paradise if only one can afford the property prices.
St Peter's Church, Noss Mayo
I took a quick look around St Peter’s Church as I had time to kill before my bus was due to arrive. This appeared to be quite a modern church with something of an Arts and Crafts movement feel about it, especially the wall paintings on both walls of the chancel. Other than this the most noteworthy feature of the church is it’s commanding position on the hill overlooking Noss Mayo and the Yealm Estuary. I noticed that there was a church notice saying that it was not suitable for wheelchair access, recommending a church in one of the neighbouring villages for anyone in a wheelchair.
I would have liked to have stayed a little longer in Noss Mayo but I did want to catch the 16:15 bus, as the next would be 2 hours later. My Stagecoach bus day pass wasn’t going to get me out of Noss Mayo, as I need a First bus to get me to Plymouth, but at only £2.90 this is a very reasonable price for this one hour journey. Bit of a bone shaker of a bus, but quite a journey along the banks of the Yealm Estuary. I only had a thirty minute wait for my bus to Exeter. I was keen to get home by that time, as I had a beef chasseur simmering away in the slow cooker at home, and the thought of this was what kept me going.
I saw some interesting wild flowers on this walk, plants I wasn’t familiar with. These I subsequently identified as Yellow Archangel, Henbane and Pink Purslane. I’ve always liked the month of May, for the wild flowers it brings forth.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 12.4 miles
Moving Time: 4hrs 37min
Stopped Time: 55min
Total Ascent: 433 metres
Maximum Elevation: 153 metres
Buses: X38, 94
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