Today was a perfect summer’s day and I had to go to Widecombe-in-the-Moor so headed up to the top of Widecombe Hill, parked the car and set off for Bonehill Rocks, with our dog Rocky. The stroll along the spine of the hill gives wonderful views across the Webburn valley to the imposing ridge of Hamel Down.
At the rocks we found a bunch of floxgloves, wrapped in bracken, wedged into a crack in the rocks. Whether it was a Midsummer’s offering or had been left in memory of someone who loved that spot I’ll never know.
At the far side of the Rocks there is an area of bog between Bonehill and the next rocky outcrop of Bel Tor. Attracted by the flowering bog cotton, and the relatively dry conditions we went to have a closer look. Rocky shot off into the bog with the vegetation rippling alarmingly under him, but thankfully managed to stay reasonably dry.
It is quite extraordinary to have bog plants growing in such close proximity to the close cropped moor grass and low growing moorland plants, like tormentil.
Oh, and it would seem that World Cup fever has hit Dartmoor as well.
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