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for worms and black and white oyster catchers emitting their
distinctive cry "kweea kweea" the Nethersole-Thompsons describe
it as in "Waders: their Breeding, Haunts and Watchers". Climbing
out of the estuary and doubling back towards Aveton Gifford,
provided the opportunity to ride a pleasant byway, through a
copse, and out of a steep sided valley hewn from the underlying
rock by a tributary of the Avon.
I wanted to take in lanes around Curtisknowle and Wheeldon
farm, but time was getting on and that would have to wait until
another occasion. That's the `problem' with Devon, there's always
another lane! I therefore tracked north then east to a byway at
Allerton which passed through a wood with loose rocks and a bit
of mud in places. An easy lane at Loddiswell took me onto a beaut
of a lane at Woodleigh, with a bit of everything, a ride down a
stony muddy narrow path to Torr Brook then a climb back out of
the valley to Grimpstoneleigh. Tracking back to the A381 Totnes
road I detoured off onto a UCR strangely unmarked on the Devon
TRF overlay at Chilley, a farm track really, so not particularly
interesting. I rode past the telecoms mast and early Iron Age fort
at Stanborough Hundred one of 32 ancient administrative units
of Devon, apparently! Passed another ancient fort just up the road
at Hallwell gave me a few options regarding lanes, and I chose
the one up the hill and across open fields with pin sharp views of
Devon's bucolic landscape, patchwork quilt of green, red and
yellow fields with the brooding tors of Dartmoor on the horizon.
© Lou Reed
Harbertonford and the chance to do a farm track running parallel
to the A381, before riding down into Totnes and up the long
Bourton Lane. On the hard packed stone, dry and dusty, I could
give the old girl her head and bowled along at a jaunty pace. One
last lane at Red Post, another location spoilt for choice from a lane
point of view and it was time to utilise the other aspect of my `dual
sport' DR350 and use the decent gearing, lusty four stroke and
soft seat to whisk me up through Newton Abbot, to the A380, M5
and home. 160 miles all up leaving me with a sore behind but
smiley face .
you. © Lou Reed
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