The Bovey Tracey Parishscape Project, Granite Elements, is
uncovering more than the magnificent stone tramway that ran from Hay Tor to the
navigable Stover Canal. A walk led by
Albert Knott from Natural England, and Barry Green , an expert countryman, illustrated
the many skills that local people use to exploit and manage the land adjacent
to the tramway route. The walk had many
notable views and first we looked across the rolling Devon countryside
criss-crossed with hedges and the hills topped with trees. This old pattern has changed in many places
as the hedges were ripped out to create larger fields for modern machinery and
this has affected the wildlife who use the hedges as corridors. Some field boundaries are very ancient indeed
going back to the Bronze age.
We continued through a wood where we stepped across a stream
channelled by an appropriated piece or tramway - it's always easier to use
what's around than cut your own! We
looked at the flora and fauna of felled areas, admired the industry of ancient
coppicing, saw the damage that larger animals can cause to trees but how this
in turn can produce an airy parkland environment. We were shown the points of good fencing and
the styles of stone wall building. We
followed the track through Yarner Wood where volunteers, as elsewhere along the route, are making the tramway more visible. We discussed how the granite was cut and
shaped to make the tramway and the simple tools and incredible labour of the
men who made it Contemplating all that effort for something that was only used for about 20 years added to the
effort over centuries of those who
maintain the land made us all feel thirsty and luckily Ullacombe Farm cafe was our final destination.
I attended a second walk on the art and ecology of the
Tramway that was equally enjoyable and illuminating so look out for others and
discover the many elements of this exciting project.
Philippa Wood Walk participant