Walking In Devon In May

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Walking In Devon On The Canal Banks

Walking in Devon is particularly lovely as there are so many wonderful plants in bloom this May. Diversity of species and abundance of vivid colours is evident. The canal banks change all year round so I thought I’d share how it’s looking right now (23rd May 2012).  I’ll do another post later on in the year as it’ll look a whole lot different again.

I consider myself very lucky to be living in a pretty Devon village close to the Grand Western Canal. You can find out all about the Grand Western Canal in a previous blog post, just It was originally built by manual labour to carry limestone and coal to lime kilns along with the removal of the resulting quick-lime which was used as fertiliser and for building houses.

Walking In Devon Is Interesting Too!

England has had some wonderful hot and sunny days just recently (amazingly enough!) so I’ve been taking advantage of them and taking mum in her wheelchair up on the canal banks. It’s a place that’s always been special to us. I used to gallop around it on my pony ‘Rocky’ and many a time he’d carry on and not stop until he got back to his stable.

My family have grown up playing on its banks as have previous generations of my family. As a little girl, my mum used to skate on the canal when it froze. So did her mum before her.  I expect my great granny did too as she was brought up in the same village in the same house that many generations of my family have lived in.

We’ve been setting off on a circular route most days on a three mile round trip that winds down through the village of Halberton, past the duck-pond then past the 14th century St Andrew’s Church and through the lanes to the Crown Hill Bridge to get onto the canal.

Walking In Devon Around The Swan’s Neck

From there, we’re off around what is called the Swan’s Neck, a big loop where the canal follows a route through the valley, tracing the tree-line of the golf course and surrounding farmland and it’s where you’ll see the most spectacular scenery full of wild plants, wild birds including ducks, swans, moorhens, herons, swallows and kingfishers.

There are several areas of outstanding natural beauty in England and I would have to conclude that walking in Devon in this area must be amongst them.  The views from the banks are superb whilst the views on the banks are equally lovely. Add to that the abundance of flora and fauna and your senses are in for a real treat.

Every day usually brings different surprises and you never know what or who you’ll encounter on your way. It’s particularly good to lift your spirits if you’re out of sorts.

Today (23rd May 2012), mum and I spotted a pair of swans with their five cygnets swimming along the canal. The cygnets must have been about a week old. Still looking very fluffy and small.  There’s a resident heron that is seen in the same area regularly but wasn’t in evidence today.

The plants are all so beautiful right now and the smell of freshly mown grass fills the air from the fields on either side of the canal.  The farmers have been busy making the silage to feed their stock during the winter months.  Drying grass has such a wonderful smell.  It bring back so many happy memories of my childhood playing in the fields during hay-making season.

Walking In Devon Changes With The Seasons

The canal banks change with the seasons but right now they are full of buttercups, bluebells, orchids, irises, lilies, pink campion, hawthorn (mayflower), cow parsley, stitchwort, violets & speedwell. I’m sure there must be many more that I haven’t mentioned.

Our daily walks mean a lot to us and my mum who is suffering from advanced parkinsons and lewy body disease, seems to be most aware when we’re out in the fresh air in a place she’s loved all her life. It seems to bring her to life and she’s able to communicate a little more. Being in this wonderful place seems to have such a positive effect on mum so as soon as she’s ready, I down tools in my office and off we set.  For us it’s pure quality time.

Walking In Devon – Why Not Try It?

If you are thinking of coming to Devon to see for yourself, you are in for a real treat.  You’ll be able to see why I love to go walking in Devon.

Now that I’m a member of the Empower Network, I love to blog about things that are important to me and walking in Devon on the Grand Western Canal has to be amongst my top priorities.