| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Leader: | |
| Group email: | Walking - Short Walks group |
| When: | On Tuesday mornings 10:30 am 1st/3rd Tuesday in the month |
Welcome to the Short Walks group. Our walks take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month except August.
They will be done at a leisurely pace and will take about two and-a-half to three hours. A walk description will be circulated shortly before the walk by email. If you would like to lead a walk, please contact Norman.
All walks are around 4 or 5 miles and start at 10:30. Allow time to park and get your boots on. If you want advice on directions or car parking or want to car share ring Norman on 01 752 492853. Walkers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear. All members of this group are encouraged to lead or help to lead a walk.
Members walk at their own risk. The Group has no number restrictions, nor does it require regular attendance. If you fancy a particular walk, just come along.
Forthcoming Walks
| Date/Leader | Meet | Description |
|---|---|---|
| September 1st. Mel and Mark | Start at the Staddy at 10.30. | Bovisand Beach, Lane and Down Thomas. We will walk through Old Staddiscombe down Bovisand Lane. This is quite stony and uneven underfoot. This takes us to Bovisand beach and holiday park. We will have a coffee stop there with the lovely views over Plymouth Sound and also toilets are available. We continue through the park and climb the steps up to Manor Bourne Road in Down Thomas. We then have a bit of road work before crossing 2 fields back to Bovisand Lane and retracing our steps back to The Staddy. It's about 5 miles. |
| September 15th | Leeden Tor | |
| October 6th | Sherford/Elburton | |
| October 20th. Lesley and Gary | East Soar. |
July 2026
Thanks to Alan Eves I can report that the group had a great walk on 7 July with a good breeze which kept the temperature down. They went to the Trowlesworthy farms area on Dartmoor for a 5 mile walk near Cadover Bridge. This enabled splendid views over Dartmoor.
On the 21st July, 17 members walked along the Devonport Leat as far as the Mayflower water treatment works for a refreshment stop. We then crossed a field to the Strawberry Fields cafe. and then returned north until the Clearbrook turning. It was a very hot day but a 4-mile flat walk compensated.
June 2026
The weather for June 2nd was forecast to be very windy and so Plymouth u3a, who were leading this years joint walk, decided to cancel the walk in the Pew Tor area. This turned out to be fortuitous as we enjoyed a pleasant circular walk from Roborough airfield.
On June 16th, 13 members enjoyed a walk led by Pat K. We went from Elburton across Arcadia to Coflete creek for a coffee stop in the bird hide. We returned via footpath 2 to Spriddlestone and then down to Fordbrook and through a short tunnel to reach Sustran track 2 leading to Dawes lane in Elburton.
May 2026
May 5th saw 14 walkers start from Long Ash and walk to Buckland Monachorum and on to Bera Tor for a short coffee break. Chris W-T then led us back along the West Devon way to complete a 5-mile walk in good weather.
On the 19th May, 11 members enjoyed a visit to Ramsland farm near Holberton. Alice and Jacks the farmers are practising regenerative farming, which was very appropriate following the Farm to Fork talk recently at the Staddy. It is specifically to save the soil and involves cutting the inputs of fertiliser, insecticides and other chemicals. Cattle and sheep are farmed here to provide manure fertilisation. The walk involved a 3-mile fairly strenuous walk up and down the valley sides seeing the restoration of the meadows and pastures to the pre-intensive farming era by introducing wild flowers to the meadows. During the walk we met some pet lambs. The visit was facilitated by the Connecting People and Landscapes organisation. They also offer other interesting visits.
April 2026
Our walk on 4th April was to the Belliver Tor area. Only four people came which was a shame but we will try to repeat in autumn. The walk from Belliver forest car park was to the south and involved a gentle ascent of the tor. It gave really good views of the Dartmoor local area.
The 21 April walk was more successful with 22 people enjoying a bright but windy walk of five miles. We walked from Lee Mill north towards the Slade estate and viaduct. We passed through woods full of bluebells and wild garlic with a coffee break at the viaduct originally built by Mr Brunel and due to its wooden structure had to be replaced when trains were getting much heavier. The return was interesting as we passed a field of guinea fowl and geese. Very dry underfoot which makes a change.
March 2026
The 3rd March saw 14 ramblers successfully do a five-mile walk with no inclement weather. We started in Yealmpton and went to Higher Torr before walking along a lane to Dunstone for a short coffee stop. The atrocious mud of half-mile duration was by-passed only to find the lane had a large deep puddle. Some of us kept our socks dry. After coffee we continued past the statue of St Dunston to the Erme-Plym trail and returned to Yealmpton.
The walk on the 17th was in the Billacombe and City area. 15 people had a nice dry walk visiting Queen Anne’s Battery for a coffee break. We returned through Cattedown above the fuel depot.
February 2026
Tuesday 3 February was a successful walk in the Elburton area. The 17th saw 12 people walking Drakes Trail from Yelverton to Tavistock. Again dry apart from the short tunnel under Grenofen which permanently leaks gently.
December 2025
On the 2nd December nine intrepid walkers did a five-mile walk in the Waltham valley area. It turned out that the river was in flood and the return route had to be altered. This involved crossing some stray streams, negotiating tree trunks and minor rock climbing - but most people enjoyed the walk.
On 16 December 11 walkers had a much easier walk of 4 miles on Yennadon.
November 2025
On 4th November we had to cancel the local walk near Elburton. The weather was unfriendly, raining for most of the morning.
Better luck on the 18th November although the forecast was not good. No significant rain happened, so we set off from Calstock quay for a five-mile walk. Down the Danescombe valley we saw much archaeology associated with mining in the area. We descended to the Tamar riverside to return via Lower Kelly. This was subject to a significant landslip in 2013 which shut the road for quite a while. The army arranged evacuation of vehicles stranded on the isolated section of the road.
The photos show the famous viaduct reflecting in the river also a repurposed railway carriage. The group photo was taken in the chapel on a hill by Maureen, the walk leader.
October 2025
On 7 October the short walks group of 10 members were joined by 14 from Plymouth u3a to do a five mile walk led by Dave Bishop. We had good weather and explored the Lee Moor area. We passed an abandoned farm house, Brommage Farm, and could see the large quarry workings.
On 21 October 17 members of the group, led by Alan E, did a challenging walk from Aveton Gifford north to Flixton, Chantry and Idestone areas. The weather was kind and we did about six miles with total ascents/descents of about 850 feet. Well done everybody.
July 2025
On 1st July 2025, 12 members of our group, led by Monica, enjoyed a four mile walk up to Gutter Tor and back to the car park at Brisworthy. We watched the marine cadets do a longer walk up to the tor but they had to run! It was a warm day on the moor and we had three new members with us.
On 15 July 2025, 18 members of the group enjoyed a figure-of-8 walk of four miles along the old Turnchapel railway line to Hooe Lake. We then went uphill for a drink stop in Radford woods, returning via Hooe and Oreston.
Other recent walks have included a splendid walk along the coast near Soar Mill Cove and Starehole Bay and a walk to Cox Tor, Roos Tor and the Staple Tors.
We also recently joined forces with the Short Walks Group of Plymouth u3a for a walk up Deanscombe, to the Cuckoo Rock (from above) the Combeshead Tor and the Down Tor stone row, before returning to the car park at Norsworthy Bridge.