The Haldons are the hidden hill range of Devon, despite being seen from almost every vantage point in the county. They are hidden in the sense that periodicals and books seem to possess a blind spot when it comes to writing about Devon hills: Dartmoor, Exmoor, yes - but the Haldons seem to be forgotten every time.

The Haldon Hills form a formidable tract of upland south of Exeter, generally flat on top but flanked by impressive slopes and deep combes on all sides. Althought not so high or wild as Dartmoor, from which it is separated by the valley of the River Teign, Haldon has a distinctive character of its own, a character that has been reflected in the people who have lived and worked or, in some cases, lived without working - on it over many centuries. ( text taken from 'Around & About The Haldon Hills - by Chips Barber)

This particular area of Haldon Forest means quite a lot to me, it's a place I visited many times as a child. I have been back many times and am a little saddened to see the trial detiorating as it hasn't been looked after. Though saying this it's interesting to see how nature is taking this area back, it's a very magical place.

The trail is known as the 'Jamie McCullough's Beginners Way'. though I have always known it as the 'Magic Walk'. It's a short trial within Haldon Forest which used to have all sorts of wooden installations built on it, most of which have being taken or fallen down. With all the new health and safety laws around now I'd imagine that it would be very costly to put back, the trail now has warnings around it shown to the right.

The image below shows how this part of the trail looked around 10 years ago. I took the photograph in the Autum of 1997

If you are interested in the image shown to the left we have a framed one for sale. Click here for details.