This beautiful rural village sits just back from the main A386 road that links Okehampton with Tavistock. I had visited today primarily to see the famous gorge but can never resist the allure of sleepy villages, particularly on such a fine day. As I drive into the place, I see rows of beautifully kept cottages with pristine front gardens full of spring flowers and well-manicured lawns. I pull into the little car park, put the leads onto the dogs and cross the lane to the first stop here, namely the castle.
It is in a somewhat dilapidated state with no roof but it still commands an imposing stance over the village from it’s high earthwork mound. It is the second of two castles that have existed in Lydford; the first was built shortly after the Norman Conquest overlooking the gorge but nothing now remains of it other than its imposing earthworks. The existing castle was constructed in 1195 although all that remains now is the three-story tower. It was thoroughly rebuilt in the 13th century which saw a ditch dug around the tower base and soil piled up against the walls to the height of the first floor. The remaining floors were also rebuilt to form a keep and the old prison was filled in although this has subsequently been removed. It was at this time as well that the bailey and earthworks were added to the northwest side.
Adjacent to the castle is the fine church dedicated to St. Petroc, a 6th century Welsh monk who traveled throughout the West Country until his death in 564AD. Initially, the “church” was little more than a shelter where St. Petroc stayed during his ramblings in the area. The Celtic people in Devon has been Christianized by the 4th century, after conversion by the Romans in 330-340AD. After the Romans’ departure, little or no advancements were made until St. Petroc virtually reintroduced the religion via his preaching and work. A date of 641AD has generally been agreed as the date of the dedication of the village church to that of St. Petroc. This would have been of Saxon build in wooden form. By 850AD, Lydford was a fortified Saxon town, with the local borough or “burh” being set up by Alfred in 880AD.
The original Saxon church lasted until well after the Norman Conquest although nothing now remains. There is a mention of a stone or Norman church in the village circa 1237 and subsequent building works in 1261 and in the 15th century. Today, the church remains in remarkable condition with it’s peaceful yard affording superb views across the rolling countryside.
There is but a single pub in the village, the Castle Inn and Hotel and no shop at all. I called by the pub for a quick pint and have to say the welcome wasn’t overly friendly so I drained my beer quickly at one of the exterior trestle tables, left it for the miserable barstaff to collect and sauntered up the lane to see what else I could find, the most interesting of which was a beautifully converted chapel with a wonderful array of flowers in its small but well-tended front garden. I would normally ask for permission to take a photo of someone’s home but although the front door was ajar, there appeared to be no sign of life so I clicked away regardless.
I walk back to the car and make the short hop to the Lydford Gorge which is no more than half a mile from the village. The gorge is run by the National Trust, meaning that I could enter for free. It is dog-friendly as long as they are on a lead at all times and parking is free. It’s the River Lyd that cascades down the valley here, carrying rainwater from the northern tors of Dartmoor. It’s the deepest gorge in southwest England and runs for around 2.5km from it’s starting point at the foaming “Devil’s Cauldron” to the spectacular “White lady Waterfall” at the far end.
The gorge found notoriety in the 17th century as a hiding place for the infamous “Gubbins” family of outlaws, renowned as sheep thieves and common vagabonds. Today, it provides two wonderful walks through wooded pathways which are clearly marked and are provided with emergency telephones in case of accident.
There are essentially two routes to take. The shorter walk to the Devil’s Cauldron which is around 2km there and back, and the longer walk which takes in the waterfall and all the sights at 5km. The shorter walk should not be undertaken by children, the elderly, or anyone with walking difficulties. Some of the pathways are slippery from spray, have no guard rails and are very narrow. There is a viewing platform above the thundering Devil’s Cauldron from where the power of the torrent becomes very evident. The climb down to this platform is steep and narrow so sensible walking shoes or boots are essential.
Both walks are an explosion of wild flowers at springtime; add to this the fact that this April was the warmest on record meant that most of the trees were in bud or even in blossom, adding their heady fragrances to this cornucopia of sensory delights. Time dictated that I only take the shorter walk today after which I retired to the tea-room at the main entrance for a well deserved cup of tea for me and bowl of water for the dogs.
Gorge details for 2007 are:
Feb.10–Mar.16 open Fri/Sat/Sun 11am–3:30pm
Mar.17–Sept.30 open every day, 10am–5pm
Oct.1–Oct.28 open every day 10am–4pm
Entrance charges
Adult £5.20
Child £2.60
Family £13 (2+2)
As with all National Trust properties, visitors arriving by bicycle or public transport will receive a discount. See also www.nationaltrust.org.uk for further details.
Lydford is so pretty and quite a backwater when compared to a place even like Dolton. I can imagine life here as being idyllic with virtually no traffic, a surrounding of lush countryside, and with the untamed beauty of Dartmoor on the doorstep. It’s the sort of place I would want to retire to.