Post by Dave on Nov 18, 2018 16:35:00 GMT
Hembury Woods Walk 18th November 2018
I still failed to do the walk I have been planning to do for a number of weeks now, but thankfully I had a plan B I had to put into operation today. I should have set off a bit earlier as my planned walk was Holne Woods and to do this walk I needed to park in the car park at New Bridge.
This time of the year canonists are allowed to use the River Dart and they had already filled up the car park to capacity. I drove towards Two Bridges but that area was also packed and so I turned around and headed for Hembury Woods that was also on my must visit list.
To get to Hembury Woods you drive past the entrance to Buckfast Abbey and take the next right turn. You follow this road turning right at the end of it and then very soon afterwards take the right fork along a very narrow lane. You soon come to a parking area in the woods; I drove amongst the trees and was very lucky to find the last parking space that was going begging.
I crossed over the road into the woods on the other side and soon I had to make a decision, did I want to take the very steep path up to the Hembury Fort site, or take the path down to the river. I had seen pictures on line of the hill fort and it did not look all that interesting and so the river path it was.
After making my way down to the river bank I soon learned the path along the river was closed due to erosion and to continue I had to retrace a few steps and head up some very steep man made steps. At the very top them it was down some more steep steps back to the waters edge.
Sadly most of the wonderful autumn colours are no longer as the trees have now mostly shed their leaves, but the walk beside the river is still very pleasant. At some point further on I came to a fence which marks the end of this National Trust Wood and on the other side of the fence is land owned by the River Dart Country Park.
So It was a case of having to turn around and head back the way I had come, some of those canoeists who were probably parked at New Bridge came down the river and at least they provided a good photo shoot opportunity.
A rather leggy walk and one that was a bit wet in places, not as spectacular as I had hoped but still very enjoyable all the same. It is more about not wasting any days off work and end up staying in doors when at least its not raining.
