Valley of the Rocks#1

The only way to deal with the gloom left by Millie's departure yesterday was to go for a long walk with our remaining visitors. We also needed to make up for the birthday cake and champagne of the evening before! Our destination - the beautiful Valley of the Rocks, which will be familiar to all lovers of R.D. Blackmore's Lorna Doone.

It really is a stunning location, combining moorland, coastline and some dramatic rock formations.

One of the attractions for tourists, although not for the residents of nearby Lynton and Lynmouth, is the herd of goats that lives in the valley.They may be seen walking along the road but are less easy to spot on the rocks, where they blend in so well. If it hadn't been for the hawk-eyed Son and Daughter-in-Law, we would have missed this nanny and kid.

Four legs are definitely better than two legs when it comes to the descent. But a nice cup of tea is always an incentive.

The modern 'Mother Meldrum' supplies tea and scones, but the original was a wise woman who lived in a cave under the rock formation known as Ragged Jack. In Blackmore's novel, she advises John Ridd against risking the wrath of the Doones. I am not sure if I correctly identified this rock as Ragged Jack, but I can see a resemblance to the scones on sale in the tearooms. I am referring to the shape and not the texture, of course!

More on the goats tomorrow.