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Mardon Down

Fieldnotes

Mardon Down - 3.4.2004

I approached via Moretonhampstead but in the jumble of roads and junctions in the middle of the small town I couldn't honestly give good directions to find the lane that leads up to the downs! I can say that it isn't signposted at all and it might have been 'School Lane'(?). I just felt the lane was the right one judging from the OS map. If you then go down and back up a dip, and pass Addiscott on your right you are on the right lane! I left the downs due south, onto the B3212 (which by the way is a really twisty and narrow B road for much of its length), which was really easy so this might be a better way.

This is all Access Land, so you can roam at will. There is a sort of 'car park' at SX762873. If you are coming onto the common from the south west, take the road to the right (marked 'Exeter') and it's 200m up the road on the left. However, all it is is the only tarmaced area on the common. No facilities. In fact when I was there most of it was taken up with mounds of gravel. In reality people park all over the downs as most of the roads have clear spaces off of them at intervals (and they aren't passing places).

There are loads of paths all over the downs. All seem pretty basic and liable to mud. Some might get overgrown in summer. Gorse almost everywhere. The car park is a relatively convenient place to park as there is a clear path up to the top. However this is a bit more of a climb (55m in height in a 500m walk) than from the south end.

The track that is marked on the OS map that goes across the top of the hill doesn't really live up to it's billing and exists only in places as a track wide enough for a 4x4. Some of the time it's just like a footpath, and can be boggy. But it is a convenient way to help find the ancient sties on this hill.

At 356 metres above sea level there are not surprisingly brilliant views from the hill.
pure joy Posted by pure joy
4th April 2004ce

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