October Walk - Ringmore
Alan Hayes could not have picked a more perfect day to lead a walk from Ringmore to the coast. The sun was shining from a blue sky with a few white clouds, and the air was still at 11.am on Friday 6th October, the allotted time to meet in the National Trust Car park on the outskirts of Ringmore village. After a welcome speech with an idea of the schedule and route, the party, about 24 strong, walked back into the village centre to the WI Hall to use their facilities. Shortly after waking down and past the 13th century Journeys End Inn we took a short uphill path which led to an ancient footpath, enclosed on either side by tall hedges. It was now all downhill to Ayrmer Cove, with at times glimpses of the sea and the rocky cove. The dominant flower was actually the globular heads of green yellow Ivy, much loved by butterflies and insects but this morning surprisingly free from all insects. The route was peppered with the last pink flowers of Campion, and a number of times the pink was also provided by Pink Purslane, Claytonia sibirica, which, despite its epithet of sibirica is an introduced plant from North America. The occasional purple bloom belonged to the Hedge Woundwort, Stachys sylvatica, the leaves of which when bruised have a pungent smell. Yellow was rare coming from the occasional Buttercup, Dandelion, Hawkbit and Nipplewort. The last plant used many years ago to make a salve to put on nipples, sore from breast feeding, and was therefore encouraged to grow close to houses. We soon reached the cove where the tide was out leaving the foreshore with vast amounts of mixed seaweeds. On a large rock Cormorants stood drying their wings as their feathers are not waterproof , while a few Oystercatchers hunted among rocks at the water’s edge. The cliff rocks are grey slates with strange mottling or variegation with decomposed calcareous fossiliferous seams and were silvery in the strong sunlight.. Investigation of the pebbles on the beach revealed masses of flat slate, and some granite and flint pebbles. A couple of streams flowed across and down the beach, from a huge patch of Fools Watercress. Scattered in the fine pebbles and sand well above the tide line were little clumps of Sea rocket, Cakile maritima, in flower. The little heads above succulent foliage being pale pink and with four petals making them members of the Cabbage family. Eventually we all made our way back to the village, some of the group enjoying delicious wild blackberries. Back in the village we all enjoyed pre-booked ham or cheese ploughmans provided by the local WI in their hall. Fruit juice, coffee and delicious cakes were also available. An added bonus was a family of Long-tailed Tits in a Hazel bush overhanging the car park on leaving. With such a pleasant walk, and friendly company with the often added bonus of a nearby place for lunch it is not surprising that the monthly walks are popular,