Post by Dave on Dec 21, 2014 17:49:51 GMT
Dart Valley Cycleway / Dartington 21st December 2014
I’m not really someone who enjoys cycling in the rain and that fact is one of the main reasons I have not been out on my bike for a while. I was a bit disappointed when I jumped on the bathroom scales last night, most of the weigh I had lost because of my cycle rides as reappeared. Lyn broke her knee two months ago and having her at home on a Sunday ( she works every other one) has also been a reason for my lack of bike rides.
She went back to work yesterday and I was determined to find the motivation this morning to get back on my bike and do some sort of ride. I knew I was not looking to break some record for the longest ride I have done, well I knew it was going to be a hard ride due to the fact I have not been out riding for a good while.
I decided to ride from Totnes to the Darlington Estate, a place I have never really looked around before. Some 25 years ago I remember making a delivery to the school and I think that was the last time I was ever there. I did watch a football match there a number of years ago, but they pitch is some distance from the school site and Dartington Hall itself.
I made a small packed lunch and rode my bike around to the garage I rent to keep my car in. Got the car out of the garage and put the back seats down and removed the front wheel of my bike. Then I put the bike in the car and headed over to Totnes. I was lucky to be able to park on the road right beside the start of the Dart Valley Cycleway. You can only park on the road on a Sunday, but there is a car park next to where I parked that is a pay and display type.
The first part of the track has a clear section for cyclists to use, but that never seems to matter as people always walk on the part of the path they should not be on. The first great thing you see is a weir on the River Dart, with all the recent heavy rain of late, it looked even better today. The first part of the track soon comes to an end and it’s a short ride on the road before joining the track again.
Before you know it you are at the Dartington Cider Press Centre and here you need to get off your bike due to all the people who might be there. I say might as its not as popular as it once was, the shops are very overpriced and they now also change people to park there and its not cheap.
Once I got through the centre I found another track that took me onto the road that leads to the Dartington Estate. I started cycling towards the estate and noticed a footpath sign on my left hand side. I decided to see where it went and I ended up in the middle of a wood. I do not think I was allowed to cycle on the very narrow path through the wood, but I did anyway as there was nobody there except me.
I came out of the wood onto a small road and then turned left and headed back towards the church you see on the main road. I turned left here back onto the estate road and headed for Dartington Hall. I first went and checked out some of the old school buildings, sad to see them empty and not in use anymore.
It was time to explore the Dartington Hall area and gardens and boy I was I impressed with the buildings on display. I went under the archway and stood there thinking what a great site it was. I soon found myself around the back of the hall in the gardens and do plan to go there again and explore them more fully next summer.
I could see an old church tower but was unsure how to get to it, but once at the front of the hall again, I found a pathway to it. I was surprised to find only the tower is still standing, surrounded by a number of gravestones. I have since learnt the church was built in the 13th century but was demonised in 1778. Some of the stones were used in the building of the new church beside the main road.
You can go into the bottom of the tower which I did before deciding due to the rain falling, it was time to head back to Totnes. I loved my little ride today, I loved Dartington Hall and I just so much love living in Devon and Torbay in particular.
