Templer Way - 2

Today we both walked part of the Templer Way, 7.6km in 2 hours including a coffee break. Terry keeps shortening my stick, by a few millimetres a time, until we get it right. Nearly there I think.
Next week sees us aiming for some longer or more strenuous walks. I also need to get used to carrying my new rucksack regularly. At present it weighs around 3.5k without water and includes a complete change of clothes, my waterproof poncho, fleece and a few 'odds and ends'. I need to add in a towel and liner-sheet for weight. As the bag is only 20 litre my Crocs will have to tie on the outside when needed. However this was the most comfortable fit for me and Terry has said he will have room for some of our shared items - First Aid kit etc. We are not expecting to take sleeping bags so that will be space saved.



Photos:
The footbridge is over a stream near Teigngrace.

The railway from the Heathfield Industrial Estate to Newton Abbot only gets occasional use!

Templer Way

A longish walk today: 12 kilometres on the Templer Way, local footpaths and by-roads. Valerie went off to meet with a friend and dropped me at Stover park. The Templer Way runs from Hay Tor quarries on Dartmoor to the river Teign near Teignmouth. The first part follows the line of the granite tramway down from Dartmoor to Stover near Bovey Tracey. It then picks up the line of the Stover canal which it follows to Newton Abbot. Part of my walk today was along the old canal, now totally derelict and overgrown. It is well 'way marked' (a railway truck wheel with a barge tiller) and easy to follow.
After walking the Camino I do miss the coffee stops! In the U.K. there are very few 'bars' and the traditional English pubs are getting fewer every day! Today though, I called in at a local hotel/restaurant and had a black coffee. Black because another thing the English don't do very well is 'cafe con leche'!




Photos:
The path near the canal. The Templer Way marker can be seen on the post.

"Light and Shade" The footbridge over the River Teign. (The green box is part of the flow-meter system.)

On Dartmoor

A lack of posts over the past weeks was due to time spent with small grand-daughters; on holiday on their own from Sheffield! We had the joy of introducing them to 'The Moor' which is only 8 miles from our home. They enjoyed finding and taking imprints of the stamps from 'Letterboxes'. Looking under rocks for the plastic containers and scrambling up and down. Needless to say they loved it.




Pictures of Saddle Tor and Widecombe from Bonehill rocks.

Glastonbury - cradle of English Christianity

The tower is all that remains of the chapel of St. Michael on the top of Glastonbury Tor. In traditional folk tales the Tor was one of the entrances to the 'Underworld'. The Wisht Hounds also called the Wild Hunt were reputed to come out and hunt the wicked across the sky. Remember the American song "Ghost Riders in the Sky"? It may be that the early church wanted to put them to rest so a chapel was built, dedicated to St. Michael, conqueror of the Devil.

The view is across the levels to that other ancient site of Brent Knoll.

Introduction

As Valerie and I hope to go back to Spain next year to walk some parts of the Camino del Norte, it seemed like a good idea to start a new blog and detail some of our preparation.
These 'training walks' take us to all kinds of places of interest - England has its own pilgrimage sites some of which we already know, others we hope to visit in the future.
To begin, here is a photo of Glastonbury Tor taken from Brent Knoll across the Somerset Levels.

See http://walktocompostela.blogspot.com/ for photos and details of my Pilgrimage from Exeter to Santiago de Compostela; a walk of 411 miles.