My Easter weekend was spent at a very lovely hotel in Dartmoor National Park, Devon. It is surrounded by acres of moorland and very few other houses. It's comfortable and informal, with blazing log fires in the main rooms, and delicious food available all day. Their specialty is the Cream Tea!
The river runs through the hotel gardens, where a flock of very fat geese seem to live. It was, as you can see, a very wet weekend.
Between the showers I managed to do some walking, one morning with a tour guide, who took me up to one of the Tors, which are Towers of granite, some bigger than others. It was a long wet walk and we never quite got to the top, but you can see the bleak and unforgiving scenery. It's not safe to go walking without a compass, first aid kit etc.
Opposite the hotel is a path leading to Wistmans Wood, a site of special scientific interest, and one of the highest oakwoods in Britain. The oak trees are stunted but covered with rare lichens, as are the boulders amongst the trees. I walked past this little farmhouse and wondered what it would be like to live there,
The woodland setting. The oaks are said to be up to 500 years old. It's quite an eerie place.
I sat on a boulder and listened to the river Dart rushing by. It seemed to be in a hurry. Further up, some children were having a good time trying to leap from one stone to another. I think they got very wet,
The hotel has no transport and no buses come by, so if you have no car, a taxi is the only way to get anywhere. I booked one to take me to Tavistock, about 20 minutes away, for the lovely Easter Sunday Service in St Eustachius' church. On return there was a delicious Easter Sunday lunch.
I have definitely eaten too much, always easy when someone else is preparing meals!
It was a lovely, restorative and comfortable break.
21 comments:
That little get-away sounds wonderful ( except maybe the weather that could have been better).
The solitude of that hotel must be what folks look for. Both walks that you took sound so interesting. Hopefully you can return when sunshine is in the forecast.
That sounds like a perfect get away!
What a lovely way to spend a weekend.
My goodness, what a lovely holiday you had. So peaceful.
God bless.
It looks like the faerie folk could be living in that oak forest. Very eerie. But what a lovely break in a lovely spot.
Your pictures are lovely, Elizabeth. I am in awe over all those boulders covered with moss. Gorgeous! It sounds and looks like you have a very refreshing Easter weekend.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of your photos and the accompanying commentary. What a lovely time away. Living in that farmhouse looks like it might be a wee bit lonely.
Looks like Fingle Bridge to me...a magical place.
I love the pictures mp, what a blissful couple of days you had
Good morning,
I love everything about your weekend and enjoyed all the pictures. It sounds simply perfect! I'm glad you had such a peaceful Easter.
Blessings, Linda
How lovely, I love a cream tea! My brother is going to be up on Dartmoor next week dowsing - his new found hobby! It is so beautiful there but so isolated and mobile phones don't usually work either so, as you say, you do have to make sure you are properly prepared if off on your own exploring. I am pleased to see you are getting out in nature. Betty :)
So beautiful! I love every picture...
Love from Titti
Wonderful pictures of your Easter weekend in Dartmoor. A lovely peaceful break. The cream tea looks delicious and something enjoyed even more after a walk. Have a great week x
Your photographs of the wood and stream with the 'greened' boulders look very much like one of my favourite places in Cornwall - Golitha Falls - and ancient oak woodland with the River Fowey flowing through.
https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/attractions/golitha-falls.htm#google_vignette
A wonderful video of the walk alongside the river.
Beautiful photos Barbara! Despite the rain, it seems like you had a lovely Easter.
Long ago we rented a house in the Dartmoor and I loved it . I was driving in the small lanes and we also had wonderful cream tea with cream, such a good cream and strawberry jam!
Wonderful, I like the scenery... and a nice quiet cozy hotel is just lovely.
Now I feel like baking scones... it's a shame, we don't have clotted cream - I mix sour cream, quark and whipped cream :-)
Thanks for the beautiful pictures.
Many greetings from Viola.
That sounds like a lovely holiday! Thank you for taking us along!
Hello, new here!
What a beautiful get-a-way...and I'm so sorry about the loss of your husband.
Have a happy and peaceful weekend!
hugs
Donna
Lovely! We visited England many years ago and fell in love with the beauty of the countryside. We loved cream teas also.
Your description of your simple but rich outing makes me think more about the advantages of getting away by myself... now that I am usually "by myself" at home, I forget how good it is to also have the "getting away" part -- away from the usualy commitments and housework! So far I've only had these times once a year, at our mountain cabin, but there are so many other places that would be a pleasure to visit.
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