A walk - but not on Dartmoor

Another good day for a walk as the September weather continues to amaze. More high (-ish) temperatures and clear skies. Our route today was frying pan shaped, as per the map below, and turned out to be just over 7 miles. Unusually we weren't up on the moors but were in the rolling countryside just north of Tavistock: a part of Devon we've always thought of as being a hidden gem. Our walk confirmed this and I'm sure we'll explore this area further. We started outside the church at Lewtrenchard and took in Dippertown (all of three houses), Sydenham House and Lee Farm. A bit up and downy so it was quite a good stretch of the legs.

Our route for the day.

Our starting point - St Peter's Church, Lewtrenchard. The original church, known as St Petroc's, dated from around 400 AD but nothing of that one remains. There have been several significant rebuildings since then. Nowadays it is known chiefly because of its association with Sabine Baring-Gould, composer of the hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers.

Panoramic views all the way around and this one shows Brentor Church in the distance, sitting on top of its volcanic plug.

And the tors and hills of Dartmoor are in the far distance, providing a backdrop to the rolling countryside and woods in the foreground. Still lots of green even though some of the trees are starting to turn.

Oooh, look. A solar powered horse.

We passed by Sydenham House, a fine dwelling dating from the 13th Century. Sadly, it was the site of a major fire in 2012 and much of the house was destroyed. Major reconstruction is in progress, as the impressive scaffolding attests.

Not the usual scenery we walk through but a very pleasant change nonetheless.

Our starting point metamorphed into our finishing point.

The interior of Lewtrenchard Church was much remodelled during the incumbency of the rather eccentric Sabine Baring Gould. He was an avid and eclectic collector and there are items in the church from all over the world. But this rood screen was carved by the much acclaimed Pinwill/Pinwell sisters from near Plymouth in the early 1900s.

The list of rectors for the church. As it says, the early registers of names have been lost.  A fairly typical listing for a country church. The first name dates from 1274 although there were rectors before then. Pity poor Richard Luce who was 'ejected by the Parliamentary Commissioners' in 1638, as a result of the Civil War. Sabine Baring Gould was rector from 1881 until 1924. He, and his wife, are buried in the churchyard in two very modest graves.