Post by Dave on Sept 13, 2010 18:09:37 GMT
Loddiswell & Lower Avon Valley Sunday 23rd May 2010
What a beautiful day it has been today and much to nice to want to stay in and so today we were able to do part two and the best part discovering the original Primrose railway Line that used to run from Kingsbridge to South Brent.
A month ago Carol and I were on holiday and on the first Sunday went to Kingsbridge to check out what remains still standing from the old line, sadly as you may know she became very unwell and out of our ten day break, we were only able to go out for the first three days.
She is so much better now and this is a walk I would recommend you all go and do some time, its three and a half miles in total and most of the walk is very easy, its only the very end that goes up and up and up a very steep hill that really gets those leg muscles aching.
The second half of the walk you walk along the track bed and its all through the woods right beside the river, you can almost feel the old steam trains still there and it must have been so wonderful to have enjoyed a train ride through the Lower Avon Valley.
Simply drive to the village car park at Loddiswell, its completely free to park and go back out the bottom of the car park and turn left and you will soon see the old church. Simply take the tarmac lane to the left of the church and then you come to a cross roads called Ham Butts, keep going straight on and you drop down a hill and soon come to Reads Farm.
Just before the farm there is a gate marked public footpath on the right, open the gate and just follow the small stream until you reach the main river and then turn left and just follow the riverside footpath.
The path is a bit tricky in a few parts, there are some rocks and a few man made steps in places but its not to difficult and you are soon rewarded for you efforts when you clap your eyes on the old railway bridge. There is a very small climb to get up onto the bridge and when you do you then need to turn right and walk over the bridge and on the old track bed.
There is something really romantic and nostalgic walking along the old track bed and I could not help feeling what a terrible shame it was that money must have been the deciding factor to ripping such a beautiful line up.
I joked with Carol that if I won big time on the lottery I would reopen the line, she replied it would take millions and millions more than I would win, I just told her I would find some train enthusiasts who I’m sure would work for nothing just to see the great line reopened again.
After a while you come to a point where there is a gate across the track bed and you have to go over a style and onto a narrow footpath. There is a notice telling you that the path is private and someones garden and while you can use it, its never intended to be a public right of way. It also says it is closed one day a year and that day is the first Monday in January, I have no idea why that is done, maybe its done for legal reasons so it can never be claimed as a public right of way.
Very soon you cast your eyes on the old Loddiswell train station, its now just someone’s home but I do know when it closed as a station it was opened up as a tea rooms for many years and yes they served good old DEVON cream teas in a plain scone with the jam on first and the clotted cream on the top.
Carry on down the hill and under another fine old railway bridge and just a few yards past the bridge open the gate on the right(marked public footpath) and cross the meadow going over the turnstile at the end. Turn right over a wonderful old bridge and stay on the road.
You will see the entrance to Avon Mill Garden Centre on your right and you may want to stop there for a while as the old mill building is now a café where you can get a good old DEVON cream tea.
Back onto the road that goes behind the mill and you come to the first left hand bend in the road, I will warn you this is the worst part of the walk as its all up a very steep hill .you then come to the second left hand bend and on the right you will see a tarmac drive and just above that a rough track and that is the one you must take. 20 or so yards later there is a fork in the lane and you take the left fork and sorry its still going up hill for a while yet.
In the end you come back out at Ham Butts and you turn left and head back to the village, its worth stopping and taking a look inside the church, its open as you would expect a village church to be, there is a fine old organ and pipes up near the alter.
To finish the day off it was back to Totnes and the Old Dartmouth Inn for that wonderful deal of a carvery and a sweet for just £5, yes that’s only £5 and we left feeling rather stuffed and felt we really should go on a long walk to work it all off, but we decided to come home and put our feet up instead.
