Weir Quay - Tamar Discovery Trail - Bere Peninsular - Weir Quay

David Simkins

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This walk should really be called Tamar Views as there are some beautiful views to be seen from gateways, so don't leave your camera at home.

The Bere Peninsular has two railway stations, one in each of its two villages and is very close to the urban sprawl of Plymouth. In fact back in the 1940s the post-war architect Abercrombie in his plan for the rebuilding of Plymouth did propose a bridge across the Tavy to expand the city. Fortunately this has never occurred and to this day the only way into the Bere Peninsular is via a very narrow bridge or just one road from Tavistock.

Standing on the foreshore at Weir Quay is very peaceful, with mostly just the sound of birds and of course that chainsaw in the distance, but there is no traffic noise. The walk starts along the riverbank and then goes up into Hanging Cliff Wood, an almost vertical wood rising from the river. We don't go very far into the wood but you could if you want carry on and walk back via the road to Waymark 4. From Waymarks 4 to 5 there is a very steep walk back down to river level, passing old mine workings. The Bere Peninsular was famous for its silver production and back in the Middle Ages the king even had his own directly employed miners. There is not much to see nowadays but you can imagine how busy the place was 500 or so years ago.

For the railway enthusiastd amongst you the walk crosses the rails and then back over a bridge. You can get some good shots of the train from both locations. You can hear it coming for miles as it blows its horn.

At the end of the walk you are given the choice of taking a short cut down through some medieval mine workings and past what was once the smelting factory, or going on to walk the full length of the foreshore road from Clamoak Quay. It adds just over a mile and takes you down a traffic-free lane.

England - South West England - Devon - Tamar Valley