Post by Dave on Sept 26, 2010 21:58:33 GMT
Primrose Line Part 3 Diptford/Avonwick
I sure have got Carol into all sorts of sticky situations during so many of our days out walks, but today I went one better and turned her into a criminal, nothing more that a common trespasser but it was not easy let me tell you as she just said you go on to me as I’m not going with you. Well its no good being famous as a man who can talk his way in and out of a paper bag if I could not get Carol to change her mind and it did not take too long to get Carol to climb though the wire fence and onto yet another section of the old Primrose Line. She has just showed me her legs and ankles that are covered in scratches, I laughed and told her at least I give you days out you will never forget.
Today has been a whole day affair as we combined what I wanted to do with a very very long walk from Diptford to Bickham Bridge then to Avonwick and back to Diptford, my legs really are now seized up and are going to need time to get working again from all the miles we covered today.
Carol and I have now walked all the Primrose line that is not now on private property and I wanted to try and find if there was any track bed that could be walked on at Diptford and that’s were we headed today. When we got there I had to try and find someone who I could ask about the Primrose line and where I could find it and yes if I can walk on it.
I found a very nice man in the end with good local knowledge that pointed me in the direction and told me that a long time ago he had walked on the track bed but was now unsure if it was possible to do so.
Right beside the church is a path that he told us to take, we did this after checking out the church first, it’s a very fine church inside only I’m sure the steeple was never meant to be white and it looks a bit strange and does not look right at all.
Through the gate and down the path we went and came out onto Mill Lane where we turned right and soon came to the Manor House that is right beside the river Avon. We went over the road bridge and then saw the remains of a bridge that took the Primrose Line over the road. The top has been removed and for good reason as this bridge is very low and anything bigger than a van would not have got under it.
I looked for a way up onto the track by the bridge but there was barbed wire everywhere and then I noticed a gate that looked like it lead into the Manor House second garden across the other side of the river from the main house. Getting Carol through this gate was not too difficult; it was the scramble up the bank and the squeeze between the fence wires onto the track bed that proved far more difficult.
I got there in the end and once up on the track bed we soon leaned how over grown it was on this section of the line and nature has really taken over again. We had fallen trees to get over and had to carefully pick our way through brambles etc and all was going so well until it was time to start negotiations all over again.
“Look Carol its me who is going to find it hardest to get over the five bar gate that’s now stopping us walking any further along the line” once again I came out the winner and we were doing so well until we came to some really ugly and thick barbwire blocking our progress any further. I know when it’s best not to push my luck any further so went the other way and told my dear Carol this was as far as we would be able to walk the line. We turned around and headed back the way we came and when we got back onto Mill Lane we walked up the hill only we did not go back on the path to the church but carried up to the top of the road and turned right heading for Bickham Bridge.
The lane to the bridge is a very narrow Devon lane and we never came across one single car the whole time we were walking along it. When we got to the bridge that is yet another road bridge over the river Avon I went over it and saw a five bar gate on the right and thought it must be another part of the track bed. But looking on the other side of the road all I could see was a field and no evidence the track crossed the road at that point.
We carried on walking up another steep hill and the road swung to the left over another bridge and looking over it I could see this was a road bridge that went over the Primrose Line. What that means is the line moved inland away from the river as it got to Bickham Bridge and that’s interesting as it means one of the bridges I have yet to find that took the line over the river Avon must be between Bickham Bridge and Gara Bridge as by the time the line got to Gara Bridge it was on the other side of the river again.
We carried on walking until we came to North Huish and to be honest apart from a church there is hardly anything else there at all apart from a few houses down a lane off the lane that takes you through the place. Just before we did get to North Huish we looked over a gate and saw an enclosure that had been built using many of the old railway sleepers from the old Primrose line and it was good to see further evidence of the line that once was.
The church at North Huish looks fine from the outside but inside it’s in very bad condition and I would not think they hold any services in there anymore. It did look like some work might be in progress as on one side all the pews were missing and it might have been done to do work on the floor.
The walk from North Huish to Avonwick was a real killer but it was worth it as I got to the last remaining standing station I had not seen before. I was surprised how far the station is from Avonwick itself but soon got busy taking some pictures. I was a naughty boy as I went through a gate and got to see the other side of the building where the platform is and very quickly got a few shots before getting back out onto the road again.
Time to start another very long walk back to Diptford to get our car and we drove back from Diptford back past the station as I wanted to see if there was any track bed around or near Avonwick itself. We went over the bridge where the garage is on the left and the pub on the right and drove a few hundred yards and turned right and went over the steepest and narrowest bridges you will ever drive over, it’s only a short bridge but had me worried due to my car having a very low front spoiler.
I should have mentioned I was able to establish the track bed was all still there from Loddiswell to Avonwick and wanted to know if there was anymore heading for the final station at South Brent.
Once over this bridge I could see a gate and the line is behind the gate and so we drove along the lane heading for South Brent and was able for a good distance to keep the line insight. In the very last picture you will see another bridge with the top taken off it the line went over. As far as I can make out the line carries on until it reaches the A38.
We got to South Brent and headed back for Totnes and yes I know I had a carvery yesterday but Carol fancied one and so into the Dartmouth Inn in Totnes we went for their famous carvery and a pudding for a fiver. Really good meal once again and I had bread and butter pudding in custard for my desert.
Great day and how great has the weather been today, it has been more like a summer day and all I must do now is tell myself once again I’m getting to old for these marathon walks.
A small section of the 150 pictures I took today in the order they were taken
