A SUNNY morning greeted a group of keen walkers and nature enthusiasts earlier this month, who arrived to stroll the newly established farm walk at South Hooe Cottage on the Bere peninsula.

The 2.4km South Hooe Cottage Farm Nature Trail is part of a wider, ambitious programme of landscape and habitat improvements, funded by the National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative.

The route provides excellent viewing of the four hectares of new freshwater wetland and pools created on the site in collaboration with the Environment Agency and a further 14 hectares of intertidal habitat which is due to be completed in autumn 2023.

The intertidal habitat is also one of three focus sites of the Tamar Valley AONB Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) project, supported by a £99,163 grant from the Environment Agency’s NEIRF, which aims to make a case for private sector investment in nature-based goods and services.

Guided by local horticulturist and naturalist, Sue Fisher, who knows the farm and area well, the walkers set out along the route following a green lane to the first viewpoint affording a sweeping vista down to the River Tamar. The group continued along farm tracks and field margins, taking in views of the adjacent river, wetlands, farmland and the surrounding landscape of the Tamar Valley.

South Hooe lies on the tidal reaches of the River Tamar near Weir Quay and the new circular walk provides valuable access to this beautiful part of the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), linking up with the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail walking route via a public footpath and permissive trackway.

The launch event was hosted by the landowners of South Hooe Cottage, Jim and Pru Barnes and organised by the Tamar Valley AONB. Pru said: ‘The walk will offer regular monthly access to this working farm, and we really hope visitors will enjoy the peaceful surroundings and the wildlife that the area supports.’

The route takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete at a steady pace, with a break to enjoy the views from a bench facing Halton Quay. Walkers can follow numbered way-markers, which, in the near future, will link to information about what you can see and the history of the site, through an accompanying leaflet (available to download from the Tamar Valley AONB website) and an interpretation board.

Jane Hart, from the Tamar Valley AONB, said: ‘There is so much of interest at this inspiring location that we’ll be providing more detail of its wildlife and development on a dedicated page of our website, and we thank Pru Barnes, ecologist Martin Summers and local birdwatchers for sharing survey lists and photographs.’

South Hooe Cottage ‘Farm Nature Trail’ will be available for walkers to enjoy from dawn to dusk on the first Saturday of each month – initially, it will be available to booked groups only, but will be fully open to the public in early Spring 2023.

As the area is a haven for wading and ground nesting birds, unfortunately no dogs are allowed on the site.

Keep a check on the Tamar Valley AONB’s social media channels @TVAONB and www.tamarvalley.org.uk/tvaonb-news/ for exact dates nearer the time.