Bright but cloudy. Light breeze. Excellent walking weather.

2hrs 45 mins.

Start in Tavistock town centre, walk up the hill between the 2 banks (signposted to Hurdwick and Dingles). Keep on walking until turning right at Trelawney Road signposted to the rugby club. Keep on this road, the houses soon peter out and there are  good views over Dartmoor. The hill is initially steep but the gradient soon flattens. Pass Sandy Park ( the rugby club).Walk to the end of the road,past the school and turn right into Kilworthy Farm, there is a clear public bridlway sign directing  us down the side of the valley in front of the farm house. Carry on this lovely path and exit at fields (well marked). Walk along the field edges to Mana Butts.Turn right down the lane. Great views!

Walk down the lane and turn right at the first lane end towards Hazeldon Bridge, carry on along this lane avoiding the first right turn up the hill.  The lane starts to run adjacent to the old railway line and behind  'Sch' on the map** and past the interesting- if somewhat run down Vigers Hall Cottage.A right turn would offer an option to take the Sustrans cycle route which would return you to Tavistock. This walk takes you  further down the hill on the lane and then turns right under the viaduct at the footpath sign towards Kestrel Kennels and Cattery and a quarry. The footpath is clearly way marked and runs alongside the stream you have crossed close to Kilworthy Farm earlier in the walk. At the cattery cross the bridge and walk up the field edge- steep but short- and exit at the top left hand corner. The footpath has been helpfully fenced  along the edge of grazing and exits at a quiet lane. Proceed along this to return to Tavistock town centre by a slightly different route.

Birds: lots of hedgerow birds being very busy and vocal, snipe in the field  near Manna buuts, heron and a flotilla of Canada Geese on the pond right of the lane down from Manna Butts.

Flowers: butterbur, snowdrops, daffodils, primroses.

Small joys:the fields after the track look as if Gabriel Oak ( from  the film Far from the Madding Crowd) should be tending his sheep there, peeping at the activity in the pond through the beech hedge.On a cottage below the road** there are 6 wonderful chimneys all in a  line that I thought were rather special. I watched a very new calf start to find its legs - from a very safe distance...

Navigational errors: don't be tempted to take the first right turn to the council offices in Tavistock, plod on until you see the sign to the rugby club!- after that it's dead easy.