Anstey and Molland

Mid April, 2010, the sky is blue and no sign of a vapour trail, no hum of a jet, it's amazing, and we've gone to Anstey, south west Exmoor,in particular Cussacombe Common. We parked near the post and took the dogs for a short walk over the common and along a lane north of Molland, then back to the moor.

The path goes downhill from the post to the lane, the grass is very dry and skylarks rise infront of us, to our left a Devon bank topped with cropped beech trees. The landscape is cit with straight field boundaries, most probably first laid during the time of the enclosure acts. The lane runs behind Molland and we turn left along this ancient trackway, turning the other way would take us to Twitchen, another ancient hamlet.



The lane we walk along is bounded by high Devon banks topped with a variety of trees, not in leaf yet and silhouetted against a blue sky. High in an ash tree the sweat song of a willow warbler bursts through into the afternoon. Our first of the year, and in our excitement we feast our eyes on this tiny bird through our binoculars. It's little throat feathers ruffle as it sings. Another first of the year swept through our vision, a group of swallows drinking in their feast of minute insects above a field of sheep, native Exmoor breed.



High above us we can hear the mewing of a buzzard and croaking of ravens. The banks have a splendid set of primroses and violets, and a single red campion. The fields on our left are small and look ancient with high banks around them. To our right the land drops away to Molland with larger fields and hillsides that look as though they were moorland not so long ago. Hard land to win and doubly hard to keep. Today we have no time to visit Molland church but it has a fantastic set of box pews, a beautiful church.

The remainder of the lane is just lovely and as we arrive at the road to the moor there is a landscape view to Anstey moor and east towards Bampton and Somerset. The soil is a deep red, similar to the South Hams of Devon.



Turning up hill the road becomes unfenced and the moors stretch before us. On our left there has been swailing where the moors have been burnt to improve grass growth, to our right several small groups of Exmoor ponies. We returned to the car to return home, down to Molland (Moor Land), along to West Anstey (Land with the narrow lane), an ancient hamlet, back to the ridge road, down to Oldways End, then Brushford.

The best of spring days, clear blue skies, plenty of birdsong, and panoramic views, Devon at its best.