As Lesley’s son Jamie is a boarder at Mount House School in Tavistock we find ourselves regularly driving passed The Warren House Inn on Dartmoor about halfway between home and school. It’s reputed to have an open log fire which has never been out since the pub opened in 1835 (but I know 2 highly spirited now also former Royal Marines who decided to extinguish it for a laugh some 30 odd years ago and served 2 weeks in Jankers shortly afterwards for their efforts!!!!) – but anyway it serves excellent Real Ales as you would expect, Dartmmor Bitter and Jail Ale from the nearby Princetown brewery…………..just what’s needed!!!

Awaiting opening time at The Warren House Inn

Just a bit further on at Two Bridges is another wonderful ‘Watering Hole’ this time an old coaching house and still a hotel known as The Two Bridges Hotel…again good real ales and another lovely fire (no known RM extinguishers here mind!!!) – makes going to school sound like fun for a change!!

Two Bridges Hotel

Wow – the Two Bridges Hotel former access bridge at dusk – quite magnificent

The Famous Stepping Stones at Orchard Barn Dunsford crossing the River Teign

The spectacular view from Buzzard Point above Canonteign Falls looking towards Ashton and the Royal Oak Pub where they serve a truly wonderful pint of Jail Ale…………one of life’s riches I can assure you.

Recently I escorted a B&B guest on a lovely long 10 miler………we crossed the Teign using the Stepping Stones opposite the house and walked through woods and paths and a little on road as well until we got to the Canonteign Estate………….knowing my way through the undergrowth we eat our picnic at Buzzard Point overlooking the wonderful Teign Valley below and then headed for the Royal Oak Pub at Ashton where we were warmly welcomed for a well earned pint. Brilliant………..and then tea and toast at home on return………..not a bad days work I’d say. You should try it!!

Sally and Colin chill out on the local brew – Jail Ale in our village pub

Mustang Sally as she’s known by her running and cycling colleagues adores real ales and together with her boyfriend Colin, a local railway driver they regularly sample and scupper a few jars of the best local Real Ale brews in the county…………and Devon has lots of really good beers. This one is my personal favourite know as Jail ale (simply because it’s brewed in Princetown where the Dartmoor Prison is located……!!!) and is  a smooth 4.5% excellent pint………..and you can find it in lots of pubs in the district and certainly in The Royal Oak, The Teign House Inn and The Manor Inn all 3 pubs being in the upper Teign Valley and easily reached from Orchard Barn B&B………….. spoilt for choice really!!

Drink up Colin……………you’re astern of station here, I’m on my third already!!

Coffee & Cake at Cannonteign Falls for the FARTs!!

What a brilliant autumnal day for a cycle ride down the Teign Valley – the FARTs were scheduled to RV at Cannonteign Falls for coffee & cake where Potsie welcomes new members regaling the unusual maxim (for him at any rate) that this was an alcohol free cycle ride and………………….. much to everyone else’s pleasure was shaking his head with incredulity when some 10 of the assembled 12 then all voted to head off to The Royal Oak at Dunsford for their magic Tuesday Fish & Chips………..!!

We stopped off en route at Orchard Barn to polish off the left over barrel of Jail Ale and check out the recently pressed freshly barreled organic Apple Juice…………….by late March this new brew will be the 08 Cider and all being well it’ll be as scrummy as the last!! Fingers crossed!!

Bruce and Di at an Orchard Barn pit stop!!

Flossie and Hippy enjoy a glass!!

FART’s polish off the Jail and sample the 08 Apple Juice before it starts to ferment

Blaster with Fallen Woman and Broken Man after Chish-n-Fips at The Royal Oak!!

And a great day was had by all………..what a magic way to spend a Tuesday forenoon…..On On!!

‘Before’ and ‘After’ – Ian’s trusty Fergie T20′s at the Bridford Tractor Rally and Beer Festival

Chugging down the road all of a mile and a half to the Dunsford Straight on the first of my 2 antique exhibits was a ‘Boys Joy’ – with trailer in rear to house the trusty bike to get me too and fro over the W/E I hit top  ‘comfortable’ speed of about 15mph as I approached the muddy but drying rapidly site entrance………………..traffic wardens aplenty I bounded in and took up station in the second field with about 30 other far smarter agricultural tractors and similar engines ranging from 1905 to the more modern 1960′s I suppose.

I pedaled back via the Beer Tent and my first sippers of the day looking for the Secretary in order to book in and register my 2 x trusty charges………..and then went back home to collect the other and returned………bike in the link box this time on Fergie 2.

This was the second Bridford Rally and building on last years show, the organisers are to be congratulated on another excellent event…………although still sufficiently damp underfoot for the Steam Engines to remain on their trailers sadly and despite a glorious warm dry and sunny Sunday there they remained because at 65tons dead weight they simply wouldn’t do anything but churn up the field wherever they went and their modern trailers would invariably get stuck whilst manoeuvring in and out of the site entrance on the damper Friday afternoon.

The Beer Tent run by The Bridford Inn team was magic………….20 odd real ales to sample, locals propping up the bar and many a long tale was spun across the Weekend.

I met up with a Teign Valley Pedal Basher called Father on the Sunday afternoon and we regaled in stories of yesteryear when he was working the land and used to drive the likes of my T20 for real ploughing and earning a living from the soil………..he’s a great character and he and his wife Mudsie have sampled many a drop of Scrumpy Cider at my place over the years pulling in at various Cycle Cider  Gatherings.

It’s always a fun day out at these events and this years Bridford Vintage Tractor Rally and Beer Festival was no exception – roll on next year!!

Ian and a Teign Valley Pedal Basher called ‘Father’ line up with Fergie T2O’s at the Rally