Country diary: The water levels are low below this quiet hillside

St Cleer, Bodmin Moor: To the west is an undulating range of china clay country once known as the Cornish AlpsThe splashy land of Craddock Moor straddles the watershed between the rivers Fowey and Lynher. On turfy hillocks of early streamworks for tin, the redness of haws, the yellow gorse flowers and pink heather brighten the summit, with its fading bracken and rushy grasses. Adjacent are the remains of an ancient stone circle, dominated by a chimney stack attached to a ruined engine house.From this vantage point, the sea off Rame Head is a mirror, and traversed by the Brittany ferry from Plymouth. Westward, an undulating range of china clay country, which no longer features the many conical white spoil tips that inspired the name of Cornish Alps. Continue reading...