Mana Butts Meander.
The route begins in Kilworthy Park, which was once part of the goods yard for Tavistock North station but now houses the offices of the West Devon District Council. For about a mile (1.6 km) South the old track bed is open to the public as a footpath and nature reserve and, although not on this route, it is possible to walk across the viaduct for unsurpassed views over Tavistock to the Western slopes of Dartmoor.
The station was on the Exeter to Plymouth section of the London and South Western Railway. As part of the Beeching cuts the line was closed on 6 May 1968 but as the station was lived in by the former Station-master and then his widow until 1999, the buildings have remained remarkably unaltered since its closure.
The route continues via quiet lanes to Kilworthy farm and then follows old sunken lanes and footpaths cross-country to Mana Butts. There are several fields to be crossed which may contain livestock and the left-hand field boundary incorporates two jumps from the Kilworthy Park point-to-point course. Once across the Brentor road quiet lanes take you to Grendon where another footpath takes you across the River Burn by footbridge and then up out of the valley via ancient lanes. Great care must be taken crossing the busy A386 and dogs and children should be kept on a short leash.
A minimalist stile gives access to a footpath which crosses two fields before joining the West Devon Way, a long-distance footpath which follows the Western edge of the moor to link Okehampton to Tavistock. This path eventually drops down into the Tavy valley and joins a minor road at Harford bridge. A short walk along this road leads to a left turn onto the R27 cycle track which will eventually take you back to your starting point.
The route is an approximately 8 mile loop which can be started at several points and followed in either direction but any hints and descriptions will assume that you are walking in a clockwise direction. Unfortunately there are several ladder stiles to negotiate and some rocky and possibly muddy lanes, so the route is not really suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.
Most of the caches are small pots or tubes and tweezers may be required to extract the log in some cases. BYOP. Enjoy!