Sampling The Torridge 2 – 28th August 2022 – Part 1.

Spent the day walking & driving aiming to sample and explore the lower part of the river from Beaford towards the sea. A fair amount of preparation in advance using the OS Explorer 126 1:25,000. Looking for useful sites from Torrington downstream.

Walked from Puffing Billy on the Tarka trail outside Torrington to Weare Giffard & back. Then drove up to Hallspill, Gammaton Moor, Bideford & Instow. By the time I got to Instow the tide was too high to get a sample.

Started about 12.30 at SX 481198 walking north along the Tarka trail looking for places to access the river. No viable points from the Tarka Trail at the bridges (over the Torridge). First thought was to explore Beam House, a PGL activity centre, but no easy access from the trail.

1st useful place is an underpass leading to a right of way heading NE across a flood plain. Starts at SX476216 and hits the other bank at SX478218. Did not go there but would be useful to ask landowner.

2nd useful place is Yeo, just off A396 at SX472218. Met Ian Shaw who was very helpful and allowed me to sample along his stretch of bank up to SX464221.

Here the river is at the tidal limit (NTL). Tide was low and the river running out. Walked along the bank to the edge of the propery. Looking for accessible bank – muddy and difficult access. Took sample 1 in a culvert leading to main stream at SX464221.

TPO1

Dug into bank about a metre down& found some blue clay under some ochre sandy material. Blue clay has some sand and organic matter. Needs drying slaking & seiving to remove sand and organic material. Sample weight 5250g (quite dry).

2. TP02

Walked back along the bank to SX467220 and jumped down the bank behind the grass clippings. About 2.5 metres down – some exploratory digging. Found some v.soft (hand gouged clay out) ochre smooth clayunder blue sandy material. Good soft clay ready to be used but will dry, slake & seive to remove organic material. GOOD access here as can pick up bags at the turn off to Yeo.

Sample weight – 8,5 kg in bag (wet & plastic)

3/9/22: Process

Mixed by hand, sieved in a #60 sieve. Feels quite sandy still and spongy due to a high organic matter content. Some cracking when made into a sausage but wedged ok. Smells a little metallic. Made test tile TP02-1.

TP03

Walking back to Puffing Billy, stopped at an outcrop on the right facing south at SX476214 and picked up a bit of loose rock (bedrock). Red sandstone, looks like part of the Bude Formation from the BGS map.