On my habitual Covid-19 lockdown permitted cycle ride across Davidstow Moor earlier today I glanced in the direction of Roughtor and noticed something strange. I cycled across the moor, parked my bike by the fence, hopped over the stile and walked to the edge of Crowdy reservoir.
Here is what I discovered:
The part of Crowdy Marsh I crossed wasn’t marshy. What’s more the water level in the reservoir seemed very low for the time of year, particularly given the winter we’ve just experienced!
A photo essay on my trip to locked down Camelford earlier today for essential medical purposes, courtesy of Twitter:
Lisa the #LEAF and I travelled into #Camelford today. My essential journey was to the Churchfields car park to have a blood sample extracted.
Due to the #Covid19 pandemic Lisa acted as the surgery. If you arrived on foot a tent in the garden pretended to be the surgery instead. pic.twitter.com/WHJyxUEIAl
There was no queue outside when I arrived. I was allowed inside this building immediately! The counter staff were protected by perspex windows. Most wore masks as well.
In the early evening a cycle ride up to Davidstow Moor was the order of the day:
I did see a few masked up folk in the street today, but many more without. Several were evidently not conforming to the social distancing measures displayed in the gate to Enfield Park. Perhaps they hadn’t been to either the park or the doctors’ surgery recently?
This article is reproduced by kind permission of our sister website CoV-eHealth.org, for the benefit of surfers, coast path walkers and moor hikers resident in and around Camelford, North Cornwall. And elsewhere I suppose.
The United Kingdom’s National Police Chief’s Council has published new guidance on what constitutes a “reasonable excuse” to leave your residence during the current novel coronavirus lockdown. You can download a copy from:
Of particular interest to me as a “silver surfer” is the part that states:
Exercise can come in many forms, including walks.
Exercise must involve some movement, but it is acceptable for a person to stop for a break in exercise.
It is lawful to drive for exercise.
Whilst surfing is not explicitly mentioned in the new document the current Police Commander for Cornwall has previously issued guidance on that form of exercise for the county:
Police BCU Commander for Cornwall, Temporary Chief Superintendant Ian Drummond-Smith said the recent guidance from the London-based National Police Chiefs Council was consistent with what his officers were doing on the ground but he reiterated that the public should not try and take advantage of the guidance.
He said: “Surfing has not been banned. It’s exercise and in Cornwall we know it’s a popular exercise. People can still surf. The question of driving a reasonable distance as per the NPCC guidelines, is ‘how far is reasonable’.
“The NPCC guidelines does not say whether you can or cannot drive to do your exercise. I am telling my officers people can surf and some may well drive to surf.”
Now all we denizens of the North Coast need to do is wait for the swell to be onshore and the wind to be offshore once again.
And to stay well over 2 meters away from anybody else with the same idea at the same time at the same beach!
This morning I read the following report on the Twitter feed of Mark Hewitt, Cornwall’s Chief Fire Officer:
As a result of repeat deliberate fires across Bodmin moor and the wider area to Davidstow, @DC_Police & @CornwallFRS are actively patrolling the area. Should you know of, or see anyone starting deliberate fires please contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 https://t.co/9Cfkki1C3s
Hence this afternoon Kasia and I decided to use our coronavirus constrained exercise period to investigate. Here’s our initial photo report:
On our way back to base we spotted these lambs in a field near the Moor. Please note that according to Julie Dowton of the Bodmin Moor Commoners this spring’s lambs haven’t been moved out onto the Moor just yet, and “no livestock were harmed” by the fire. However the High Moor is a site of special scientific interest, and all sorts of wildlife will undoubtedly have been terminally harmed.
Much more to come later, including a video we hope.
P.S. I just had a detailed description of the fire across 300 acres of Bodmin Moor from Rich Gibbons, Station Manager for the Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service. There are now lots more words to follow, but first some moving pictures from the middle of the Moor.
The only way to put the blaze out was to walk across the Moor to the fire front and use a traditional beater.
— Wadebridge Community Fire Station (@WadebridgeCFRS) April 12, 2020
Something I hadn’t realised before is that soon after the fire on the Moor was ultimately extinguished another fire started in a building on Davidstow Airfield. Hence the confident use of the word “arson” in the title of this article. Here’s the site of the second attack:
Davidstow Parish Council have issued the following notice regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic:
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
DO YOU NEED HELP? CAN YOU HELP?
The spread of Coronavirus is likely to have a significant impact on our community in Davidstow. Many individuals will have to self-isolate to keep themselves and others free from harm.
As a community we need to look out for and support our vulnerable neighbours and fellow residents. This may include:
• Shopping for essentials;
• Picking up prescriptions;
• Acting as a point of contact if they want advice, support or just a chat.
If you can help this initiative by acting as a volunteer, please let us know by using either of the contact points below.
If you need help, please also contact us and we will do what we can to assist you.
IMPORTANT: If you need medical help, remember to contact NHS 111 if you need advice. If possible, contact the NHS on-line on 111.nhs.uk. Call 999 if it is an emergency / life threatening condition.
