Former farmer Fernley Harding is using his knowledge of the countryside to lead a walking group for hikes and is keen to hear from new walkers.

Retired livestock farmer Fernley, who used to farm at Lewdown, now runs the Tavy Trails Walking Group, which he describes in good humour like a bunch of characters from the Last of the Summer Wine TV programme.

He organises leisurely walks within a ten-mile radius of Tavistock on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The routes are mapped on digital OS maps on their mobile phones by fellow walkers Paul Smith and Terry Carter.

He said: “We go on manageable walks of five to ten miles with a group of eight to ten members of average abilities in the Tavistock area countryside with a lot on Dartmoor.

“We try to include a pub at the end of our walks. The walks are sociable and it’s been good for me to meet new people and make friends since I retired.

“We don’t go on the rough terrain, but keep to the designated footpaths and use the Ordnance Survey maps to stay safe and try not to get lost. We’ve got lost a few times. But there’s always someone around, like farmers who we can ask the way.

“I’m the one who knows the area best through being a farmer. I’m from a long line of farmers and had Hereford cattle and Suffolk-cross sheep.

“I love the countryside and went through the process of getting a permissive footpath on my land when I was farming. I sold up the farm when all the red tape in farming got too much for me.”

Fernley shows his walkers livestock and wildlife and plants on their walks to make them interesting.

Anyone interested in joining Fernley’s walkers can call him on 07443 344597 or email: [email protected]