Saturday .... my locals and the locals!!

A lazy start off at 9am !!!

The camp field was very much needed Luke!!

And away up the quiet country roads, first junction and I meet the first people of the day.... And they were from my home county of Northants! A group of cyclists riding from Northampton to St Austell just getting their first taste of Cornwall! Good luck! 

They like me were enjoying the good weather and it seems set to stay for a bit! 🤞🤞🤞

Sunshine on the high bank roads really glows green with the profusion of mosses herbs etc.... Flowers all along here just damn pleasant! 

Still dealing with the Cornwall rollercoaster for a bit we but the views distract. 

Downhill to Packhorse bridge and finally we leave Cornwall!! and start the Devon rollercoaster!! This shouldn't be as long. 

Up and down through woods and fields with the sunshining on, early midday finds us at a place called chip shop .. No chips the pub was closed still but the pub has a shop! The Copper penny farm shop free coffee and a donation from the proprietor! 

And as I sat eating one of their pies another £15 of donations came in one from a lovely lady author whose house we'd passed! Her stories were very much fairy's and forests and all for her children and grandchildren... Pleasure to talk with her. 

Through Ottery and Mill hill and the sunshine was too good to ignore half an hour just soaking up rays instead of rain! 

Downhill and into Tavistock beautiful place with my first impression being of a statue in someone's garden gate... Did appear to be being garrotted! Or just stopping it's head falling off.... Odd first impression! 

Bustling little town with no sign of the decay of my local towns this is very much alive! 

Ice-cream eaten, provisions purchased and I'm feeling the last seven days walking properly tired now!!, out of town and over the river and I'm at my rest day location Hartford bridge park!!!

Ohhh how I sleep tonight!!!

kings and angels

A slightly overcast start to the day heading off from a precarious wild camp, the Cornwall rollercoaster was again in full effect, but this time with views! Yes the cloud was lifting eventually actually becoming sunny!!

The sun and the views made me realise just how hedged in (puns! I can't help myself!) we'd become with the grey misty weather! 

Walking above the river Fowey I descended to a small nature park near the falls of Golitha, I didn't see the falls but I was drawn in by a beautiful smell of cooking from Inkies smoke house!!! They weren't open yet but gave me a free coffee!! Looking on the just giving page later they'd also donated £50!!!!

First trail angels of the day!!!!! Thank you so much!! 

From Inkies I crossed the Fowey and a short wander later I was at King Donierts stone! The last king of Cornwall really stunning stones!

Onwards and up towards Minion I passed another cross in the moors, wide open views sunshine and hills beautiful to see an expanse of country!!

Into the village Minions (Kevin!) my first stop was the Hurlers three stone circles grouped together, had a nice chat with a family there, then into the village cafe/shop for my second coffee plus cake! Met my second trail angel here a lady who I shared my story with who then donated as she left 😊

Down from minions the view was panoramic with the hills of Dartmoor brooding in the far distance but they are another county and another days story! 

Through Upton I sat for a few minutes with my pack off and just enjoyed the sun on my back! 

Simple pleasures !

Continuing down I walked through the pretty village of Rilla mill stopping at the manor inn for lunch.... Much needed breakfast had been slim! 

Up hill again (well it is Cornwall!) then down again! I found a little bridge over fast running stream I could access, boots and socks off and painful feet are going numb in the cold waters..... And clean!!! I have to apologise for anyone downstream as I also washed my rank socks..... Damn they needed that!!!

Feet dried in the sun and off to meet another trail angel..... This one I know! Fellow detectorists Luke who walked with me for some miles to his home village where he'd arranged a field I could pitch in nice to settle early and not worry about getting kicked off of a wild camp! 😁

getting more and more cross!!!

Starting from our campsite at Mena farm we head off into the quiet little b roads that would dominate today (blessed relief!) twisting and turning and crossing over the saints way footpath where we started to get cross('s) ancient and quite a few on our path!! Also a Neolithic burial likely a dolmen (portal tomb) couldn't quite tell from the road!

Onwards to the national trust Lanbydrock house to visit the cafe! The house looked nice from a distance but not on our route and the feet still hurting kept us on our path!

Coffee and cake for second breakfast powered a deep descent into Margate wood and equally steep ascent straight out up long downs hill..... Our poor feet!!!

On through the village Mount to Goonzion downs with moorland in very low cloud reminding me of the old classic American werewolf in London! Love the roadsigns here (pic).

Irritating Tracey with recitations of jokes from the film and awful impressions of the characters in an attempt to distract from our foot sore condition we descend into St Neot (sis!) and step off the path to visit a holy well! .... Which was flooded 😁

Back into the village and waited for the pub to open called the London Inn I had to refer back to my wolfish jokes (?) of earlier and call it the American werewolf London inn comedy timing far exceeded the humour but I wasn't going to let that stop me! 😁

Fed (not slaughtered lamb----the American werewolf jokes end now!) and watered we headed off to find a wildcamp for the night..... 🤞

Sorry couldn't resist that title!!!