The delightful river Dart, loved by all who know it, is one of Devon’s jewels. Small, homely and intimate, it meanders from its source on Dartmoor through the South Devon countryside to the sea at Dartmouth. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers set sail from Dartmouth in The Mayflower bound for a New World in America.

Above photo by Edwardsian – wikipedia.

Dartmoor

We associate Dartmoor with mist, myths, legends and granite tors. There are heather covered slopes, grand open views and Dartmoor ponies. In between are marshy bogs and places of mystery like Grimspound and Wistmans Wood with its traces of former Atlantic rain forest. Widdecombe with its tall church tower and annual Fair is famous for its cast of renowned locals:

With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,
Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all….

The River Dart

The East and West Dart meet at Dartmeet, a place for picnics, watching the water of the river for fish and looking for dippers or signs of otters. Listening to the spray, eddies and rippling cascades these are the sounds of a young river in full voice, full of energy, as if impatient to reach the sea. For some there is the challenge of the stepping stones across the water, where the youngster puts ‘his budding courage to the proof’, whilst (the older and wiser) ‘Declining Manhood learns to note the sly / and sure encroachments of infirmity.’ !    (Wordsworth’s Duddon Sonnets)

For her prize-winning book the poet Alice Oswald interviewed some of the people who live and work on the river as:

life-models from which to sketch out a series of characters—linking their voices into a sound-map of the river, a songline from the source to the sea……All voices should be read as the river’s mutterings.”

From Dart by Alice Oswald

Past Buckfastleigh, with its old Abbey, is Totnes. Here the Dart changes mood as it widens and becomes tidal. Along its banks trees curtsy to the water, the low branches becoming festooned with the flotsam left by high spring tides. No longer in a rush the river drops its silt which collects in muddy creeks. 

I have memories of evenings by the river at Dittisham watching the small ferry crossing the river, also visiting my grandparents’ grave at delightful Stoke Gabriel churchyard on the hill overlooking the river. In a sense this is my river too – place of many happy memories. My Aunt lived in Brixham and we spent Easter and many summer holidays in this lovely corner of Devon.

Dartmouth

As we reach Dartmouth the sounds of the river change again. We pass the stately Royal Naval College, traditional training ground for Britain’s naval officers. There is the whistle of a steam train as it leaves Kingswear station. A ferry sets off across the river loaded with cars. Rigging clangs against masts of yachts, water slaps the quaysides and everywhere the chug of motor boats. All the sounds of a busy port.

Gateway to America

In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in  the Mayflower and the Speedwell from Dartmouth to settle in the unknown in America. Proving not to be seaworthy the Speedwell had to be left behind in Plymouth. With 102 passengers and crew the Mayflower set off alone on its perilous journey across the Atlantic, arriving at Cape Cod 10 weary weeks later. A momentous event! Today the Tudor buildings that line the streets and quayside of Dartmouth have changed little since the 17th century.

In 1656, one of my heroes the Puritan John Flavel arrived in Dartmouth as Minister of the parish church. I have his famous book The Mystery of Providence. He loved this river, this town, its people and above all Christ:

He (Christ) is bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, a garment to the naked, healing to the wounded; and whatever a soul can desire is found in Him.

‘This is a fortunate island, the paradise of pleasure, the garden of God; whose valleys are as Eden, whose hills are as Lebanon, whose springs are as Pisgah, whose rivers are as Jordan, whose wall is the sea, and whose defence is the Lord Jehovah’

John Flavel in ‘The Mystery of Providence’.

This October is the 8th anniversary of this blog. So far I have had visitors from 125 different countries, many of whom are non bloggers, visiting through Search Engines. A warm welcome to everyone. Thank you for your support.