Summer View of Castle Hill and the Monument to Commemorate the Fallen at the Battle of Waterloo, Great Torrington, Devon, England.
Castle Hill is the name given to a steep valley side which drops away from the historic town of Great Torrington in North Devon. At the bottom of this wooded hillside runs the picturesque River Torridge. Castle Hill is part of the Great Torrington Commons and is a popular recreational space for both residents and visitors. Funds for the Monument to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 were raised by the ladies of Great Torrington and the obelisk erected in 1818. The area is criss crossed with tree lined footpaths. Rolle Road is situated at the bottom of the Torridge Valley below Castle Hill. The Rolle Canal, which this right of way, was built between 1820 and 1824 for Lord Rolle. The weir which diverted the flow of the River Torridge into a leat, maintaining the canals water level is situated just above the RHS Rosemoor attraction. In total it stretched for seven and a half miles to the tidal River Torridge, below Weare Gifford. It functioned as a the main route for goods into and out of the area for a just under fifty years until it was abandoned in the 1870's when the railway succeeded it. The river Torridge which flows beneath Castle Hill starts its life on Woolley Moors between Bradworthy and Morwenstow. After completing a long loop, it meets the Taw at Appledore then flows out into the Bristol Channel. It is famous for its setting in ‘Tarka the Otter’ by Henry Williamson and more lately in ‘Flow’ a novel for young adults by John Insull. This walk, along the River Torridge, leads to the old Torrington Railway Station, where you can join the Tarka Trail to Bideford and beyond along the disused railway line.
Size: 4000px × 6000px
Location: Castle Hill, Great Torrington, Devon, England.
Photo credit: © John Insull / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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