Twelve Oaks Farm for the weekend. Fri 24th - Sun 26th March

The forecast for the weekend was excellent and so Jackie and I decided on spending the weekend at Twelve Oaks Farm at Teigngrace near Newton Abbot. Being new members to The Caravan and Camping club I thought I would book through their website as I could get no human to answer the direct dial number for Twelve Oaks. It always went to answerphone! Not surprising really as we were still pretty early in the season and it was after all a working beef herd farm. The online booking procedure was seemless and we duly arrived at about 1330 hrs on the Friday. The early am after taking Callum to school was spent in The Computer Cabin in The Ridgeway Plympton trying to buy a new laptop and asking all sorts of technical questions of them. Oh and two eggs benedict in Weatherspoons for breakfast as well.

The owner was contacted  via mobile by us when we arrived at reception and was a jolly "Deben" maid. Of good solid country stock. Most helpful. We selected our pitch at the top end of the field with electricity and hard standing, beautiful views out over the fields. All for £32 for the two nights.

We soon had electricity connected and the kettle on and were settling down into our books.

Tomorrow we anticipated Jill and Peter calling over for a walk through the woods but at the last moment they cancelled. However Les and Margaret were also keen to meet up with us and would be arriving at 0930hrs Saturday in their camper. We had told them we were off walking at 1000hrs sharp. The remainder of the day passed in splendid silence. Broken only by the turning of the pages of our respective books.

Saturday 25th March 2017

Les and Margaret arrived on site dead on time. Checked into reception and were soon pulling into a spot beside us on the top field. Within minutes we had our boots on and were walking out through the gate past all those lovely chickens and things on our way towards Bovey Tracey.



Fresh eggs or fresh free range chickens? It's your choice.

Initially we walked along the road but soon were following a well marked footpath across the fields. This was the original Templars Way footpath but unbeknown to me had been realigned due to the new series of footpaths and bike tracks feeding the new A38 bridge and the edge of Stover Park.

It was a beautiful spring day, out of the slight breeze it was hot. Especially when we sat for a while in Stover Park at a granite table and bench next to the river and had some coffee from Les's flask. Chatting away we missed the turning towards Drumbridges and had therefore tho approach from a slightly different direction but no matter soon we were across the busy A38 via the new pedestrian footbridge beside the roundabout and back into the coniferous wood headed towards the Liverton Road and thence on up to the Western side of Bovey Tracey. Here we swung back into "town" past the marble factory where incidentally you can get an excellent lunch but not for us this day. We were making for the cycle track opposite the Land Rover dealers on the roundabout where we hoped to find a picnic spot in the sun.

 

Mike soon had a mug of hot water on the go for hot chocolate and whilst that boiled we munched on our cheese and chutney sarnies. Les and Margaret sat like a couple of woodland fairies a few feet away on a log chatting. Sam the dog who had accompanied us was watching the ponies in the field at the fence trying to get at the few crumbs Jackie had dropped and wishing them gone. Sam would not move from that spot until given permission from Margaret.

Lunch over we moved off on our return journey to Twelve Oaks. We were now on the cycle track and as this was well prepared tarmac there were considerable cyclists about. It is always good to see the young families as I think this is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors.





We were soon back at the busy A38 and the new pedestrian/cycle/horse bridge which spans both dual carriageways. It has been on my bucket list to walk this ever since it was installed last year. I know I need to broaden my horizons a bit. In truth if your not far from Masada and the rest of the party shouts you down about visiting this famous fortification overlooking the Dead Sea where the Jews withstood the Roman Tenth Legion's assault for 3 months. You do not feel too comfortable about suggesting other Bucket List opportunities.

Regardless the bridge is a grand structure but I wonder how "they" can ever justify the cost?

Young lovers in the woods.

Now back at Twelve Oaks we fell upon the G+T's before having a quick shower, using the Loo of the Year 2016/2017 and returning for sun-downers sat outside basking in the last rays of a beautiful Devon sunset.