Lydford Gorge

Out and about in the countryside that surrounds Dartmoor National Park are many rivers and gorges. Recently Oli and I visited Lydford, situated on the South Western side of Dartmoor.
We left Torquay in blazing sunshine and took the road across Dartmoor to Tavistock. By the time we reached the other side of the moor the sky was full of heavy, thunderous black clouds and the rain was akin to a tropical storm!!!
Not to worry...... in fact as it turned out the rain actually made the visit!!

Lydford is a place of importance since it was one of the thirty towns ("burhs") set up by King Alfred the Great (who reigned 871-899) as militarised communities for defence of his country against the Vikings of Denmark (who had been making progressively stronger attacks, first on northern England and then on southern and western England), and very possibly also against raiders from Cornwall. Before that it was a Saxon outpost against the Celts. Traces of the Saxons can still be seen including parts of the ramparts and the Norman keep. It was used as a prison until 1800 for offenders against the Tinner's law! The justice here had a fierce reputation. The rhyme goes ' I oft have heard of Lydford law, How in the morn they hang and draw and sit in judgement after! It was here that the folk of Dartmoor also brought their dead to be buried! The village is pretty small but offers a good pub! What we had come for was the gorge itself!

This is the deepest gorge in south-west England, and stretches a distance of about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) There are excellent beautiful walks from one end of the Gorge to the other, alongside the River Lyd and on the winding upper path that gives a view steeply down into the Gorge through the very tall and slender trees that stretch upwards to find the light.

We began our walk along a lushly wooded path that followed the curve of the river below. By now huge raindrops had begun to fall heavily, however it was really warm.....it began to feel like we were in a tropical forest! After a short distance we began to descend to the White Ladies Waterfall. Here the trees opened out around a calm pool into which the long tail like waterfall drops.
Then the foot path began to follow the river up stream. Cutting through boulders and a narrow ravines the water ran fast and with thunderous noise. The path was sometimes perilously close to the edge!!
Soon we came to another clearing. Here the warm mist rose up through the trees.......the scenery was like some thing from a Jurassic past!!! This would make a great spot to paddle in summer and perhaps watch for wildlife! From here the river cuts deeply into a gorge. The path is narrow and cuts under rock ledges.A little way along is the Devils Cauldron where the water cuts through a cave. Looking back we could see the steep sides of the gorge as the river ran down towards an open pool. The noise of the water tumbling into the cauldron was a deafening roar!! It was here that I made an offering to the waters that were swirling down below.Past this point is a path that passes a cave and comes out at tuckers pool. Really tranquil after the turmoil of the narrow gorge and a really lovely spot to rest a while, or even paddle if that takes your fancy !
During the 17th Century Lydford Gorge was infamous for being the hide-out of a large family of outlaws, the Gubbins, who terrorised the neighbourhood and stole sheep from the farms of Dartmoor.
Its not hard to let your imagination run riot here. The atmosphere was really exhilirating, enhanced by the warm temperature and rain which made the river Lyd flow in a stormy rush.