Dartmoor on my doorstep

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When you live and work in an area it is not the usual place that you want to blog about but I love where I live, the seasons surely change the way we look at an area and where and how we walk or use the area. The 'go to' dog walk is walking either way from Tor Royal Farm along the Devonport leat either towards Princetown Prison or to Peat Cott the other way - a short 15 or 30 minute walk towards the prison takes us (me and Gem the terrier) out of the 17th century court yard @torroyal turning right towards Bull Park - immediately after crossing the leat bridge if you turn left you can pop through the gate and continue along the leat, now, we are lucky and have both otters and water voles making their home here. Small brown trout also dart along the bank through the weed. After crossing the sluice bridge with its old rusty brown corkscrew and granite sleeper bridge if you are lucky you might catch a peek of some red deer in the small woodland on the far side of the leat, the field to the right is abundant in wild flowers, orchids, ragged robins mingled amongst the rushes. This field usually has a few ponies and sheep grazing.

After passing the wood there is a style by the next strip of coniferous woodland on the right which takes you through under Tor Gate House and the old tin works. When you reach the strip of concrete below the next leat bridge there is a choice of turning right or left, go right if you want a short walk and make your way down past a very small old silage clamp towards Batchelors Hall which was one a bakery and accommodation for tin miners whilst working away from home, hence the name. Now you can follow the track either to the left or right, left takes you a longer walk and right brings you back through two gates with easy walking along the track past Bull Park on your left. Just make a right turn and the concrete track brings you back to Tor Royal... you may fall over a few sheep on the road and the Rhododendrons are lovely when in bloom.

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