If you would like any further information or would like to be added to the group mailing list, please contact Jon Whitehead at j.whitehead53@btinternet.com, 01647 281454, or Dennis Milton 01647 272844.
Update on Walking Group arrangements June 2018
Following the decline in numbers on the regular dates and due to the postponement or cancellation of several walks due to inclement weather, it has been decided to change to a more flexible and varied schedule.
In future the dates will be decided a week or two in advance governed by the forecast and other events.
Dates of future walks will be posted on our Facebook page and emails will continue to be sent to those on the mailing list. These dates will be anytime during the week, not necessarily at the weekend. Although we are still hoping to continue with our summer evening walks on 3rd Wednesday of the month.
We are always looking for suggestions for future walks, near or far, short or long!
Update April 2018
At present we usually meet in the YFC Building car park at 10.00am on the first Sunday in each month. However, do always check on our Facebook page for changes to this. See (Cheriton Bishop Walking GroupǀFacebook) for details.
Summer Evening walks: Third Wednesday in the month 6pm for 6.15pm departure from YFC Building car park.
A review of 2017
Looking back over the past 12 months…
We changed the date to the first Sunday of the month and had a new start time of 10.00am, meeting at the YFC centre. This has allowed us to have a longer walk if wished and still time to meet for a quick drink in the Thatch, or another pub. Additionally we introduced a Wednesday evening walk on the longer evenings. These changes appear to have been well received from the comments made and general attendance, although we would always welcome more people (and dogs) of all ages and abilities.
Over the past year we have travelled all over Dartmoor as far as Merrivale and Burrator and even a longer trek to Cranmere Pool, the site of the first Dartmoor Letterbox. On days where the weather has been less favourable we stayed nearer to home and have explored all areas around the Teign Valley.
The locations for the walks in 2018 will be announced nearer the date on our Facebook page and by email to all those on the circulation list. We will try to be fairly adventurous, but with the winter weather being more variable, it was felt that it would be best to decide as the date approaches!
Below is some background information from Jane Hancock, one of our founding members, but if you’d like to see some more recent photos and information about the walks we’ve been doing then go to our Facebook page.
“We set up the walking group in January 2014 and I am delighted to say that we have kept up the momentum. Our regular walking day was originally established as the third Sunday in the month, meeting at 1.30pm for a 1.45pm departure sharing cars where possible. We have no designated leader of the walking group. It works because members come up with ideas of where we should go. This way all of us have experienced walks which may well have been unfamiliar to us. We try to go somewhere where we can do a circular walk and always end up at a café, pub or on several occasions at the Spalding Hall, or occasionally supping from the back of a car! for a drink and a chat. Over past years we have walked from the village for a summer walk and at Meldon, Belstone, Sticklepath, along the Teign, Tedburn, Mardon, Chagford and Crockernwell. We have been very fortunate as generally we have escaped bad weather and often managed to walk between showers. The first walk we took was at Fingle Bridge. 37 people came that time and we have never quite attained those dizzy heights again. However there are often 14 or 15 people who come along and we welcome all-comers and encourage children (we’d love to see more of them) and dogs to join us too. Our walks are usually 3-4 miles in length for around an hour and a half –ish. Wherever possible we have alternative routes so people can decide how they feel on the day. We don’t do ‘yomps’, so if you are thinking about giving the group a try, please do. We use the Ordnance Survey GetaMap resource to plot the walks which can then be used again. The walking group is a great way to explore areas you may not know, or perhaps see them in a different light. Personally I have walked in places I thought I knew and found bits I’d never noticed. I’ve made the acquaintance of people who also enjoy the countryside and walking and had the opportunity to chat and have a laugh while pursuing a healthy outdoor activity. It’s a win-win for me! I have included a number of photos taken on recent walks. I haven’t always remembered to take the camera, so it’s not completely representational of our walks. I am hopeful that we will begin an archive of pictures and routes on the Walking Group files of the website which will be available for anyone to dip into and use as a resource for the walks in the area.”
Here are details of some of our past walks:
17th Sept 2017 walk Okehampton
Lustleigh Cleave walk on 4th June 2017
7th Feb 2017 extraordinary meeting poster