Tuesday 17th September Four Winds

 A wet drizzly morning and this was the view from Four Winds

Up to the last working quarry on Dartmoor, just before the Yellowmead Track

Hollow Tor was next.

 North Hessary Tor...

And there are just six of these to hold the whole thing in place.













Down to the railway track.

Down again around King Tor...

...across the stream

Back to the start.  We didn't see much for the whole walk but the forecast heavy rain didn't materialise and we did of course feel better just for being out there!

Always a warm welcome in The Prince of Wales.  With Roger, Brian, Rosemary and Terry

Friday 13th April North Hessary Tor

On a beautiful warm sunny afternoon from the main Tavistock/Princetown Road to Little Mis Tor and nearby this cute new born foal - ahh

Little Mis Tor ( 102)...

...not so little when you are next to it but small in comparison to...

...Great Mis Tor (103)

One of my top four favourite tors - on a day like today from here you get fantisic views across a wide area of the moor...

...looking south to North Hessary Tor...

...north to Great Links Tor and ...

...twelve miles east to Haytor and Rippon Tor

Across Greena Ball to Clay Tor (104) which is on the northern bank of the River Walkham just east of Dead Lake.

Back over Greena Ball towards North Hessary Tor.

Just left off the road up to the transmission station is Herne Hole Tor (105).

Then to North Hessary Tor (106)...

...which is next to and dominated the transmission station and mast.  The transmission station was built by the BBC in 1955 when a transmitter was needed to introduce 405 line television into Devon. It now carries a small UHF TV transmitter which serves Princetown and Dartmoor. FM radio transmissions began in 1956 and covers most of Devon and eastern parts of Cornwall.

Nearby is Rundlestone Tor (107).  By now the bright sunshine had gone it had started raining and I was on the edge of heavy shower.  Far away I could hear thunder.

Another short walk to Hollow Tor (108)...

...with Great Mis Tor in the distance.

Finally over to Billy's Tor (109).  Well there isn't a tor here at all, just lots of boulders (or clitter),  but again it is in Terry Bound's book - so it counts!

Tuesday 14th February Rippon Tor

Today we started at Hemsworthy Gate which is just below Rippon Tor.  From here Rippon Tor looks like just any other Tor but for me this Tor more than any other dominates the sky line from a large part of the moor - it always seems to be visible.

Time to blow away a few cobwebs with the walk to the top of Rippon Tor (42) where the triangulation point has been almost surrounded by a wall.

The view across to Haytor Rocks...

...Hound Tor and Easdon Tor in the far distance

From Rippon Tor down to Cold East Cross.  Roger had gone lame at this point with his ankle not working properly so decided to return to the cars.

The rest of us continued to the disused quarry on Welstor Common...

...where Rosemary produced some goodies in celebration of Amber's birthday.  Our resident fireman tried in vain to light the candle but the wind was too strong.  The flap jacks and mini chocolate cakes were delicious. We decided to give Amber 'the bumps' but somehow didn't get around to it!

Then the short walk around to Welstor Rock (43) shown here in the foreground with Buckland Beacon (44) in the background.

Welstor Rock from a different viewpoint.

The view from Buckland Beacon towards Rippon Tor.

The Ten Commandments Stones on the side of Buckland Beacon. These were completed in 1928 and more details can be found here:

http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/ten_command.htm 

Buckland Beacon from a different viewpoint

Back over Buckland Common and through Blackslade Ford to Tunhill Rocks (45)

From here we contoured across to Hollow Tor and in the middle of nowhere this perfect  granite trough.

Hollow Tor (46) with Chinkwell Tor in the distance.

Next up to Pil Tor (47).

From Pil Tor with Rippon Tor in the background

Finally across to Top Tor (48).

Lunch today in the Rugglestone Inn and this being half term it was very busy.  There appeared to be no space at the Inn but Roger having got here early had reserved a table for us.  Charlie finally lit the candle and we all sang to Amber.  Bud and Chris joined us at the end - they couldn't get a table either when they arrived and had their lunch in another place.

Walking today Amber, Colin, Charlie, Harry, Terry, Rosemary and Roger.