Day 7 - Launceston to Okehampton
Had a great night's sleep but I'm still tired this morning! One more day's exercise and I get a day off (hoorah!) - Liz and Paul are going to be meeting me tomorrow in Okehampton and then Debs is coming over on Sunday to run with me to Crediton (does she really know what's in store for her!?). Had a good meal in the local pub last night but unfortunately there weren't many people in the bar so no good trying to drum up support via my collecting box. However, one of the locals saw my 'adverts' on the back on my t-shirt and very kindly settled my bill without me even knowing - there are some really kind people out there and I'm finding quite a few of them on my travels. So, with the £5 I found in the village and the £9.45 from the pub, another £14.45 for the kitty. Lovely breakfast this morning, courtesy of Marilyn and Bill at Rose Cottage - really nice overnight stay complete with view of the castle from my window. There were 3 ladies from Kent staying and they gave me a further £10 this morning.
Once again out on the road by 9.50 with a pleasant jog along the Two Castles Trail which links the Norman Castles of Launceston and Okehampton. Took a wrong turning once meeting the A338 and started heading back towards Launceston but soon realised the error of my ways! Yeehaa....hit my second county after passing the 'Welcome to Devon' sign...nearly a week into my journey and only just out of Cornwall! After passing through the village of Lifton I followed the trail through some fields and woods before running along some fabulous lanes to pass Dingles Steam Museum - decided to stop for a coffee as I was passing! The weather was fantastic today - no rain and had to get the sunglasses out...first time since day 2! Stopped at the post office at Lewdown to get a stamp in my passport...keep forgetting to get this done each day! Lovely downhill run to Lewtrenchard (where the Rev Baring-Gould who wrote Onward Christian Soldiers is buried)...and then up and over Galford Down...I'm just loving today....sun is shining and the views are absolutely terrific and round every corner is something to 'wow' about. Lots of the original stone bridges over the streams / rivers are still in place. Nice run down to Watergate then a steep uphill walk onto Breara Down after which I picked up the West Devon Way along a nice wide track. When I got to the A386 I had a great view of the brick viaduct that used to carry the London railway in the olden days then crossed the road to head up to the open spaces of Dartmoor - where's the icecream van when you need it? Had a bit of fun in the sun trying to get a picture of me jumping off the rocks (OK, so I'm 41 going on 10 but it was fun!) then picked up the Two Castles Trail again heading downhill past the huge Meldon reservoir and underneath the iron Meldon Viaduct. Needed to do a bit of head scratching to find the right footpath through the woods that would then take me over the A30...after a couple of tooing and froing eventually found the correct route, passing a guy with full wetsuit and goggles swimming in a waterhole! The Devon Way then passed right through the middle of the local golf course and through woods to the edge of Okehampton where I took a little detour to visit the remains of the castle. Then through the centre of town and out the other side and UPHILL again to Northlake B&B which would be my home for the next 2 nights. Pam and I have had quite a few 'chats' via email over the last few months and I feel she knows a lot about me already! She and Simon kindly invited me to tea tonight which I very much appreciated - lasagne, garlic bread and salad followed by delicious tiramisu washed down with wine...great running diet and one I thoroughly recommend! Day off tomorrow which I am now very much looking forward to...one week successfully completed - 9 weeks to go!
Long journey today of 26.7miles

Total mileage 126.80