Post by Dave on Nov 12, 2017 16:36:07 GMT
River Erme & Long Timber Woods Revisited 12 November 2017
Rivers have a real magic allof their own and walking alongside them has to be the most relaxing pastime ever. Last week I walked along the River Bovey and the week before that along a part of the River Dart at Dartmeet up on Dartmoor.
But there is one river in Devon that is my all time favourite and I consider it to be the best place to spend an afternoon in the whole of Devon. You can forget the over priced Becky Falls that was once free for all of us to enjoy because the River Erme is not only better, it’s completely free.
The River Erme rises near the centre of southern Dartmoor on the Abbot's Way less than a mile to the south of the source of the River Plym. It flows in a generally southerly direction past some of the best-preserved archaeological remains on the moor. It leaves the moor at the town of Ivybridge and continues southward, passing the settlements of Ermington, Modbury and Holbeton. Near Holbeton it becomes a ria and empties into the English Channel in Bigbury Bay, between the rivers Yealm and Avon.
Park in the centre of Ivybridge and just follow the river to Long Timber Wood, at the entrance to the wood you go under a very high viaduct that carries the main train line to Plymouth. Right beside this viaduct are the old stone pillars of the original Brunel viaduct who lived in Ivybridge while it was being built and originally the line that was going to run on it was Brunel’s Atmospheric Railway.
The world we live in is not always a beautiful place but all around us nature reminds us how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful place. We have great costal walks to enjoy, lovely woods to walk through. Great rivers to walk along side and the moors are also a special place to enjoy.
Take a walk along the River Erme and marvel at is beauty and I promise just for a while you will forget all the troubles you may have.
