Bridford Bimble
This 2.5 mile walk of eleven caches takes about an hour and a half if you're reasonably fit. It offers quiet lanes, well-tended footpaths, ancient woodlands and some very good views across to Haldon. There is one very steep hill valley to descend and ascend, otherwise the route is easy with well marked and maintained paths and some pretty cottages.
This walk starts at the main entrance to Bridford, a charming and diverse village which claims to be the highest in the Teign Valley at 1,100 feet and is home to around 600 people. The Bridford Inn sits adjacent to the route at the end should you have worked up a thirst, and there are several benches and a very pretty and inviting village garden. (See picture gallery on this page to get a feel of the route).
Heading away from the village, you walk down the gentle hill with a wide verge, then turn along a footpath. This leads to Pooks Cottages, a collection of very well maintained homes and holiday cottages. The path leads through these (including some gardens!) and down onto the valley road floor. After crossing the Rowden Brook on a footbridge at cache 4, you are faced with a steep 400 foot climb into ancient broadleaf woodland on a well maintained path with many steps. Eventually the path levels out and once you've got your breath back, you continue through the woodlands before emerging into a gorse-ridden field dotted with large boulders and perhaps sunlight.
Once through the field and at cache 6, you will join a country lane for a 1/10th of a mile before leaving at a waymarker onto the nicest bit of bridlepath I have known through some very well-tended gardens and a pretty pond. From there, you're up onto a wider bridlepath and heading downhill to another crossing of the Rowden at a very pleasant spot that will be especially tranquil on a hot day. After that it's an easy walk back up into the village, past the pub and chapel and back to your car.
Notes:
- The Walk: Expect mud through the woodland and bridlepath sections if it's been wet, but the ground is generally dry. There is a significant uphill after number 4, which if you can do without having to stop and have a sit down, you're fitter than I!
- Livestock: There was no livestock when set. I did see deer in the woods, but no evidence of cattle, horses or sheep anywhere on the route.
- Dogs: A great walk for dogs, but beware deer in the woods, livestock and be respectful of the landowners especially where the rights of way go through people's gardens. Note there are three stiles between 4 and 6.
- Bikes: The footpath between 3 and 6 is not suitable for bikes. Stiles, steps, gradients, gardens and the law mean you are not welcome on two wheels. (See my Marden Down series instead!)
- Caches: There is some variety in the containers - mostly 60ml pots with the occasional larger one, and all caches are hidden so as to be easy to find and come with helpful clues. For this series, caches other than this one will have directional instructions from the previous cache in the description and a link to this page. If you encounter a wet log and are disposed to replace it, please do so and let me know.
- Logging: Please write an interesting log for each cache, not just TFTC or a cut and paste - I enjoy reading about your visit and it's very boring to get dull logs. Be inventive!
- Wildlife: Deer and woodland animals are evident especially from 4 to 6. Otherwise the usual birds, with some nice vistas for Buzzard watching, a common Teign Valley predator.
- Bonus: No bonus cache and no clues to collect.
- Night Caching: Because the paths pass through gardens and closely in front of residential houses in two areas, please do not attempt this series at night.
- Permission: Permission kindly granted by Dartmoor National Park using their Geocaching Guidelines