Walks with . . . Winnie
A flat walk that’s easy to follow
This walk has been kindly written (and walked) for us by Denise Horner of Dartmoor Nordic Walking with her dog, Winnie.
www.dartmoornordicwalking.co.uk
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Approximate time 45 minutes - one hour
Around 1,000 steps and approximately 2.8k (nearly 2 miles)
This walk can be followed without a map, as the path is quite clear. Starting and finishing at Finch Foundry Car Park in Sticklepath, this is a circular walk following the River Taw.
Park behind the Devonshire Inn. Access is via an archway by the Foundry but is very narrow, so alternatively you could park on the main road. Winnie brought her friends Betty and Coco along for our walk too.
This is a flat, easy walk, suitable for all of the family and dogs, with plenty of places to swim, however, it’s not suitable for wheelchairs. Care will be needed during the winter as the path along the river can be wet, muddy and slippery in places and on occasions of heavy rain, part of the walk may be inaccessible. During the summer it really is a lovely walk in the shade of the trees.
The walk starts from the car park, but first, take a look at the 19th century Summer House, next to the Quaker Burial Ground. The summer house was built by Thomas Pearce of Sticklepath and given to the village. The Foundry is the only water-powered forge in England and definitely worth a visit. Usually open from April - November, it has a cafe and shop with toilet facilities too.
Take the five bar gate from the car park, following the path, go over the bridge and turn right. Continue along the path to the next gate and take the lower path to your right. If you would like to increase the distance of your walk and add a steep hill, take the left hand path!
The walk is easy to follow from here and stays by the river which is on your right. You will pass a salmon pool at the first bend with lots of deep pools for swimming. You are now walking through Skaigh Valley, with steep slopes on either side on the river. Continuing along the path you will see some very large trees that were part of a large estate at one time.
The next bridge you come to is the ‘Tarka Bridge’ - have a look at the handrails to see the poem inscribed here. Continue into the trees for a few metres and take a right turn, which will bring you onto the path on the opposite side of the river.
Walk along for about 100 metres - at this point you can either take a right down to the river’s edge or stay on the wide path to head back to the main road.
Once you have reached the road from either path, the way back takes you into Sticklepath along the main road, turning right before the Devonshire Inn to get back to the car park.
You have plenty of places to eat and drink here, The Devonshire Inn, Taw River, the local café and of course the Finch Foundry Café during the season.
If you would like to join us for this as a guided walk, we will be meeting on Wednesday, January 17th at 10am. Please book your place at www.dartmoornordicwalking.co.uk