We went to Lydford gorge, a few minutes down the road from the hotel. Paid our National Trust entrance fees and had a coffee in the cafe then went down the gorge to the Devil’s Cauldron. Steep paths and steps down to the river. We stopped to watch a Dipper and a Grey Wagtail on the way.
Walkways cut into the side of the rock led to The Devil’s Cauldron itself, a gushing torrent of white water.
Back at the top we saw a Small Copper butterfly.
We went up to the top car park and walked along the old railway line to a bird hide. Some tits and chaffinches came to the feeders.
We went down to the bottom of the gorge and had a look at the Whitelady waterfall.
We went back to Lydford to have lunch at The Castle pub next to the castle. Lovely pub, wood fire, pumpkin soup, Cod goujons, nice pint of Jail Ale.
The we went round the castle next door, which was actually a prison built in the 12th century and used to house prisoners up until the 19th century.
Next to the castle was the church, and beyond the church were the mounds from a Norman castle.
We walked to the other side of the village and had a look at and walk on the remains of Saxon defensive ridges.
We drove 10 minutes to the Willsworthy firing range car park. The army weren’t firing today, luckily. We walked over the moor to Wheal Jewell reservoir, the flooded remnants if an old tin mine. It’s a small sinuous reservoir. We walked round it. Not much happening there, so we came back.
Another excellent meal at Lewtrenchard. After dinner we sang folk songs collected by Baring-Gould while sitting on the carved oak bench (currently situated in the porch at Lewtrenchard manor) that some of his source singers sat on when they came to visit him. People like Sam Fone and John ‘Ginger Jack’ Woodrige.
Here are various pics of the manor:
