Thursday 2 August 2012

We Go to Dartmoor and Escot ...


Hello there! Many thanks to all those that left a comment on my last post about our visit to the Otter and Butterfly Centre at Buckfast. On the way home we de-toured onto Dartmoor. It was a blazing hot day and we stopped in one of the lay-by's on the moor for an ice-cream - the second of the day!

The ponies were a bit elusive - who could blame them, they were probably tucked away in sheltered areas. Who would want to be out in the heat wearing a fur coat!

We came across this pregnant pony who looked as if she was about to give birth any minute!


We saw this little foal amongst the ferns and bracken and being more inquisitive than its mum who was far more wary it walked up to KP who was able to stroke it!


Wild animals yet so much trust!


"Please don't go! I'll grab your skirt and make you stay!"


We spotted some more ponies and their foals.


These two were very playful.


"What are you looking at!"


A closer look.


The next day we visited Escot, near Ottery St. Mary. We didn't enjoy this visitor attraction. It was very, very hot and there wasn't any areas to shelter from the sun other than in the Saxon Village which consisited of two houses!


Love the feathered feet!


We saw the otters but there wasn't a keeper to give a talk and they were only fed once a day, which meant that if you missed that you were left just looking at the otters. We were lucky to capture this on photo as they mainly stayed in their sheltered hideaway.

There was an enclosed area where there were three red squirrels but a sign stated that you were unlikely to see them!
The OH said, "They probably don't have any squirrels here!" He then spotted a sculpture of a red squirrel in the enclosure and commented "Oh, so there is at least one, I wonder where the other two are hiding!"


When we paid our entrance fee we were told that there was a brilliant falconry display but this was at 3.30 p.m. We had thought that there would be plenty of things to amuse us for the two and a half hour wait that it would entail to see the display but there really wasn't and this was hugely disappointing. There was an impressive looking maze but it was so hot and you would have been fully exposed to the mid-day sun and we didn't really want to be mad dogs and Englishmen!


We did however see some old mangles - which pretty much summed up the day! I think that had it been cooler we would have waited around to see the display and I'm sure as various people commented in the Visitors Book that this was worth the entrance fee but the two plus hours wait proved the stumbling block and we left.

A few days later we visited our favourite place whilst here - Forde Abbey which is just across the border in Somerset. This place never disappoints. More on that in another post!

Until next time,

June.

10 comments:

  1. Hello June

    Dartmoor is wonderful so much to see and do. I used to go up there quite frequently when visiting my family in Paignton and Brixham. Have you had a cream tea at Badger's Holt yet? Thats the best cream tea in the UK!!! At least my Gran always said that! What about Becky Falls...so beautiful and lovely to paddle in the stream on a hot day! Mind you last time I went there it was packed.
    Love these photos of the otters...if you want to see squirrls go to Oldway Mansions (Civic Centre) in Paignton and just sit out in the gardens under a tree....you'll see squirrels for sure.
    Got to go back and see my sister in Brixham such a long time tch!!!
    Oh yes and I've a giveaway on the go and its open to everybody.pop in if you have time :-)

    Amanda :-)

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    1. Forgot to mention...my sister got married in Buckfast Abbey ...beautiful place for the ceremony.

      A x

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  2. Shame this place wasn't such a hit as the other places we have been to. The photos of the otters on your last post made me go eek and then ah!
    Lisa x

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  3. Dartmoor is beautiful isn't it. Have you ever tried Letterboxing on the moor. It is quite interesting thing to do occasionally. You can find information about it in many books. You need to take a little note book with you if ever you do it.
    Julie xxxxxx

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  4. Oh your photos are simply stunning ! We never get near to the New Forest Ponies who are a fiesty lot !

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  5. Dartmoor looks wonderful in the sunshine! Everytime we have visited it in the last year the sun has not been shining. The contrast between the otters in your 2 posts is quite noticeable!
    Sarah x

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  6. Lovely photos the ponys are beautiful they look so relaxed and happy.Love Jill xx

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  7. Amazing pictures of those beautiful ponies. Love the pregnant one, she is massive! X

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  8. Lovely photos.We went to Cotebrook Shire Horse centre in Cotebrook ,Cheshire yesterday.There were otters there,given to them by Chester Zoo, and amazingly they were out all the time playing and running around.Lovely.

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  9. Love those ponies. When we lived near we could never make up our minds which we loved best, Dartmoor or Exmoor, and all the sleepy little villages nearby both are enchanting too. x

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