I had to take Linas into town this morning so he could catch a train. He's gone down to Plymouth for a few days so that he can find himself somewhere to live once he starts his new job in 2 weeks time. It's a good time of year to look as the university students will be going home for the summer but he only wants a short-term let as his internship may only be for 2 or 4 months so that may make it more difficult to find somewhere.
Peter and I decided to make the most of the good weather and headed out for a walk at the Valley of the Rocks. This is a valley running parallel to the coast with incredible rock formations and a population of wild goats. Being a wide valley with few trees even the small number of visitors about made it feel quite crowded. It is kept in its natural unspoiled state by the National Trust but is actually only 1/2 mile from the town of Lynton.
We walked past Castle Rock and found a rough path leading to a small cove. We stopped to eat our lunch when we were still about 200 ft above the beach as the rest of the path was very winding and difficult (not good for Peter's knee and ankle), plus we didn't fancy the haul back up again.
At this end of the valley there were hardly any people about and the paths were simple tracks. This type of bracken undergrowth is a typical habitat for adders, one of only 3 British snakes (and the only piosonous one) so I was glad I wasn't wearing shorts.
After a pleasant lunch stop contemplating the sea and listening to the seagulls we followed the more popular cliff path back along towards Lynton. In Victorian times this area of the coast was a popular holiday spot as the Victorians preferred walking and enjoying the dramatic scenery to the present day past-times of surfing and sunbathing.
We completed our circular walk by taking the steep path that lead back up over the cliff and into the Valley of the Rocks once more. Will post more goat pictures tomorrow but there's one sitting on the rock stack in the foreground of the above photo.
Down in the valley the only building in sight is a farmhouse? that includes a tea room and enclosed tea garden. A game of cricket was taking place and Peter attempted to make me interested in a game I've always found terribly boring both to watch and play. Still it did look very English. Check out the semi-enclosed area beyond the cricket pitch. A group of glossy Exmoor ponies had decided to graze in this bit of pasture.
Peter and I decided to make the most of the good weather and headed out for a walk at the Valley of the Rocks. This is a valley running parallel to the coast with incredible rock formations and a population of wild goats. Being a wide valley with few trees even the small number of visitors about made it feel quite crowded. It is kept in its natural unspoiled state by the National Trust but is actually only 1/2 mile from the town of Lynton.
We walked past Castle Rock and found a rough path leading to a small cove. We stopped to eat our lunch when we were still about 200 ft above the beach as the rest of the path was very winding and difficult (not good for Peter's knee and ankle), plus we didn't fancy the haul back up again.
At this end of the valley there were hardly any people about and the paths were simple tracks. This type of bracken undergrowth is a typical habitat for adders, one of only 3 British snakes (and the only piosonous one) so I was glad I wasn't wearing shorts.
After a pleasant lunch stop contemplating the sea and listening to the seagulls we followed the more popular cliff path back along towards Lynton. In Victorian times this area of the coast was a popular holiday spot as the Victorians preferred walking and enjoying the dramatic scenery to the present day past-times of surfing and sunbathing.
We completed our circular walk by taking the steep path that lead back up over the cliff and into the Valley of the Rocks once more. Will post more goat pictures tomorrow but there's one sitting on the rock stack in the foreground of the above photo.
Down in the valley the only building in sight is a farmhouse? that includes a tea room and enclosed tea garden. A game of cricket was taking place and Peter attempted to make me interested in a game I've always found terribly boring both to watch and play. Still it did look very English. Check out the semi-enclosed area beyond the cricket pitch. A group of glossy Exmoor ponies had decided to graze in this bit of pasture.Back home I cut all the grass again as the weather is beginning to change and it looks as if I shall be working for most of next week.
