Friday 5 July 2013

Edge of Dartmoor, nearly in Kernow!

As I'd expected, The Red Lion in Shobrooke was a cracker!
 
Only reopened for 18 months now, but being lovingly restored and renewed as a family run business. Mum, dad, daughter and her hubbie, the pub struck me when I found it on the net as a goodun, and so it is. When pubs are run by families instead of corporate chains and breweries they are nearly always very good, and this was most definitely the case in Shobrooke's village pub.
 
With Natalie running the bar the atmosphere was very good indeed, she has a gift for communicating very well with all people of any age, from anywhere, so a big thank you to her and the very best of luck to you and your family in growing the business!
 
The food was excellent, the rooms and beds very comfortable, and the ale (Sharp's Doombar) superb.
Natalie also gave us a reduction on the room, bottled water as we left this morn, fruit, and a generous donation to the charity fund - Nat, you are a diamond!
 
Also, two of the very friendly locals in the bar last night gave me a few quid for the fund as well, thank you Laurie and Carol.
 
Icing on the cake; a good sunset in Shobrooke too, though I nearly missed it!

 
After a marvellous breakfast - including Bury black pudd, thanks Nat - we left at 8.35 for the last plod of over 20 miles, down to Sourton, just past Oakhampton on the edge of Dartmoor.
 
Liz's friends Karen and Dave kindly moved our bags on - they are having a holiday down this way!
 
The walk was pretty easy, though too much boring plodding down country lanes for my liking, though Liz likes this which is fair enough. Myself, naturally a fell walker, I have to say that flat road and track walking really doesn't do it for me, but I did plan the route, so a personal lesson learnt for when I plan my return journey in a year and a bit.
 
Anyway, the weather is now set fair and today  was very warm with unbroken sunshine all day.
 
The green, rolling hills of Devon.

 
and now, right on the edge of Dartmoor, we will enter the final county on this plod tomorrow. The road from Sourton will take us through a few Devonian villages to the Cornish town of Launceston.
 
Total miles now 869.
 
Alec Hawkes 05.07.13

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