The woman looked at me as though I had had a stroke.
I am stood in the Oggy Oggy Pasty Shop in Exeter and have just been asked what brings me to the area. Replying that I was intending to do some walking on Dartmoor was what brought on the horrified reaction. I knew that the weather was due to be a tad inclement but have been informed that the forecast for later in the week is torrential rain and 80mph winds. The plans may need to be reassessed. This was my first inkling of the approach of Storm Austen.
Now in amongst visiting sacred places and areas of astonishing natural beauty, I have been following a secondary mission of visiting some of the spots where the Michael and Mary energy lines cross, and this has partly driven the current trip, in conjunction with attending a gig in Exeter. I could have seen the same artist nearer to home, but this would not give me an excuse to be in the southwest of course.
Anyway, a tertiary mission is to source a fine pasty.
But not just any pasty. Oh no.
I am in search of a wholemeal vegan pasty which I used to be able to get in Nottingham - until threats of pasty taxes caused all of the specialist shops in town to close down, leaving only the thin, tasteless fare of the Greggs pasty available. Of course the wholemeal pasty also used to be available at franchises in service stations. Sadly these have now also vanished.
But Exeter is awash with pasty shops and so (having completely failed to en-pasty in my last southwest visit) this is the first order of business in Exeter and explains how I find myself in the Oggy Oggy Pasty Shop.
Having acquired my loot, and with mouth watering, I am keen to tuck in.
Sadly, having appraised me of the weather situation, the lady in the pasty shop regales me with stories of how she has never spent any time on Dartmoor. A whole mess of useful tourist information there! Sigh. I don’t want to be rude, but if I don’t extricate myself quickly, I may drown in saliva. Luckily her colleague has seen the issue and intervenes.
Mission accomplished, the evening is now free to explore Exeter and to head off to see Kristin Hersh (never a disappointment) before figuring out what tomorrow may bring.
Now my original intention had been to spend a day exploring some of the stone rows on Dartmoor before heading into Cornwall to revisit, and do some dowsing around, some stone circles there. The weather on Dartmoor is notoriously changeable, with sudden rain squalls being likely even when the weather is generally fine. Today it is not fine to begin with. A little research suggests that I can visit some places within sensible distance of car parks, rather than risking heading deep into the moors.
I head out and drive across the bleak beauty of the moors, before my progress is impeded by cattle on the road.
I assume that they will move as I get closer.
They do not.
One in particular seems especially intransigent and stares me down, stubbornly blocking my progress like a bovine Gandalf on the bridge of Khazad-dûm.
I actually have to drive around, partly off the road in a timid and thoroughly un-balrogly manner.
First stop, Wistman’s Wood … or at least a nearby car park. I sit in the car for a few minutes, watching the rain sweep by and considering the wisdom of having parked under a tree. Eventually I figure that if I am going to see anything on this trip, I will just have to bite the bullet and so, as soon as there is a brief break in the rain, I strike out towards the wood. It is not far, but I seem to wander through multiple seasons all the same.
The phrase stinging rain is only occasionally apt. This is one of those occasions.
And so I arrive at the Wistman’s Wood, soaked to my skin and chilled to the bone. At least it affords some shelter.
It is an otherworldly site, with stunted oaks (not the mighty beasts of Sherwood Forest, but I guess all that can be managed in the conditions here), covered in moss and lichen. Absolutely stunning. Local tales speak of it having been a druids grove too. You can totally see it.
And having bravely completed my quest to get there, the universe rewards me with some sun and sudden warmth - to the extent that my soaked trousers start steaming in a disturbing manner.
But of course it doesn’t last. The word “changeable” doesn’t really seem to do Dartmoor justice!
From here it is just a small distance to Merrivale Prehistoric Settlement, also mercifully close to a car park.
This is a fairly impressive place and must have been a huge settlement in ancient times. You can still see the outline of many of the huts.
Nearby are a couple of stone rows. No one seems quite sure what these were for - possibly processional routes as part of funeral rites (there is a what appears to be a tomb here too). Both rows seem to have energy currents running along them and oddly, just within them. There is no energy outside of the rows and the lines only seem to run the length of them. Make of that what you will!
Off to one side there is a stone circle and large standing stone. This may not be the most impressive site on Dartmoor, but it is impressively accessible and that works for me today!
Looking around the landscape, the numerous Tors look pretty impressive and imposing and may warrant another visit (probably in summer) for a Tor tour.
Now the upside of the weather (there is always an upside if you are inclined to seek it!), is that it does not encourage extensive investigation and spending of extended time in any particular place, and so off I head to St. Michael’s Church at Brentor.
This has been on my list since first encountering it when reading the Sun and the Serpent. Not only is it on a crossing point of the Michael and Mary lines, but just looks cool as heck.
And indeed it is.
Although so windy, that I can barely stand at the top.
So I figure that I can get another location in today and head towards Lydford Gorge. This sounds like a beautiful place and also has an impressive waterfall. It is also a National Trust site (kerching!) and so will make a welcome addition to my nerdy NT ROI spreadsheet!
Or would do, if they hadn’t closed it due to the high winds. I guess the national trust is more risk (or at least litigation) averse then other spots…
Well, might as well head to the Queen’s Hotel in Tavistock, my Wetherspoons home for the next few nights.
I am carefully monitoring the weather this week. Storm Austen is due to hit the Southwest late afternoon on Thursday, ramping up to strong winds and heavy rain overnight, before heading north on Friday.
Despite an urge to race right across Cornwall to visit the western end of the Michael/Mary lines at Carn Boel, I decide that this may be a risky strategy as it will probably take several hours each way. A far more sensible (and considerably shorter) trip, takes me to the Hurlers stone circles.
This is my second visit here but last time I was pressed for time. I can approach it in a leisurely manner this time.
There are ponies, sheep and cattle wandering around randomly and leaving there own monumental offerings, which take some dodging - especially challenging whilst dowsing. Maybe I need to adjust my technique so that I am steered around noxious hazards? Hmmm.
But the main reason that I wanted to revisit here is to head a little further into the moor than I did last time. Up past Rillaton Barrow towards the Cheesewring.
There is a story about Rillaton Barrow regarding a guardian who used to offer travellers a drink from and ever flowing golden cup. Interestingly, when it was excavated in 1837, an exquisite golden beaker was found within it. This subsequently vanished, only to resurface on the dressing table of King George V, where is was being used to hold his collar studs. Oh those cheeky royals! Anyway, it is now in the British Museum.
Then on to the main event: the Cheesewring. This is a bizarre stone structure which looks utterly unnatural, but which AI claims is completely natural. The similar (but less impressive and precarious) structures nearby would seem to support this. I find it hard to get my head around it either way. The blocks look very much separate.
Satisfied with my morning’s exploration, I stroll back to the car across a gloriously sunny Bodmin Moor. Not sure if it just the weather, but Bodmin seems so much more benign than Dartmoor.
Just time for a brief visit to Golitha Falls Nature reserve before heading back for a look around Tavistock and hunkering down in Wetherspoons to await the storm. There are worse places than Wetherspoons to hunker I suppose. As I type this mid-afternoon, the heavy rain has already arrived.
I suspect it will get quite lively tonight - lets see how this old building holds up.
The plan for tomorrow is to check out late to allow the storm time to track north. I will then head north in its wake. I have had some experience of running ahead of tornado-bearing weather fronts in the USA, but I think this will be the first time I will be deliberately trying not to catch up with a weather front. Still, no great hurry to get back, so I can just pull over for a bit if things get hairy.