Saturday 4th May Shell Top

Having been laid low for nearly two weeks with a very nasty bug it was good to get out again on another of my dartmoor walks.  A wet drizzly morning to start with but it changed to a lovely afternoon and perfect conditions for a walk.

I started from the car park below Gutter Tor and set out along...

 ...the track toward Ditsworthy Warren House - with Hen Tor in the distance

 So cute I just can't resist!

















Down to the ford but I walked along the river to find a better place to cross.

Ditsworthy Warren House and I looped up towards...

...Hen Tor. 

Looking back to Gutter Tor, Leather Tor and Sharpitor.

Up around and behind Hen Tor and towards the ridge.

 As Shell Top came into view..


















I got a spectacular view over to Plymouth Sound.

 Shell Top.

From here I followed the ridge.

About three miles away I could see the top of the spoil tip at Redlake...

...and Fernworthy Forest was visible to the North East...

 

...but this is remote and featureless area - navigation would be difficult in bad weather.

I walked on over Langombe Hill and turned north west  at Lancombe Head towards Lower Hartor Tor.

This took me through the valley known as Deadmans Bottom.

Approaching Lower Hartor Tor...

...with Evil Combe to my right.

Below Lower Hartor Tor a group of walkers had made camp beside the River Plym - what a great place to spend the night.

I headed over to the  Eylesbarrow track to return to the car.

Monday 18th February Ducks Pool

A glorious sunny day with a cool wind and perfect walking conditions and an opportunity to visit a place I haven't been to before.  Starting from the car park below Gutter Tor.

Looking across to Sheeps Tor...

...and the track ahead out past the scout hut to Eylesbarrow.

At the site of the Eylesbarrow Tin Min I took the right hand track down towards Plym Ford.  In the distance on the right is Great Gnats' Head which was where I was going.

Looking down across Evil Coombe.

Then past some old mine workings...

...and finally through Plym Ford.

From here a short walk up to the Carin on the top of Great Gnats' Head....

Then across the boggy top towards Ducks' Pool

Just a featureless area of bleak and beautiful remoteness - there are no tors on this part of the southern moor.  This would a difficult area to navigate with a map and compass because there are few features to aim for!

Eventually I came to Ducks' Pool - a boggy depression.

At the north end of this is the memorial stone to William Crossing...

...with the plaque on the stone and the letter box below and Ducks' Pool clearly visible behind

The plaque reads

IN MEMORY OF 

WILLIAM CROSSING

AUTHOR OF MANY INSPIRING 

BOOKS ON DARTMOOR WHOSE GUIDE 

IS A SOURCE OF 

VALUABLE INFORMATION

TO ALL LOVERS OF THE MOOR

DIED 3RD SEP 1928 AGED 80

I got the letterbox out from under the stone

Inside was the current visitors' book with stamp, pens and even a pair of reading glasses! I duly signed the book and put it all back.  The book is full and a replacement is needed.  Now who will do that? 

I couldn't help but wonder what Crossing would make of life on the moor today.  Many aspects of the moor will not have changed at all  since his time a hundred years ago. I think the main difference he would notice is that the many mineworkings he would have been familar with are now all derelict.   And what would he make of the moor walkers today all arriving at the start of their walks in motor cars with modern waterproofs and GPS navigation?

Much more about Crossing here
 http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/will-cross.htm 

and his grave can be viewed on my blog here http://mydartmoorwalks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/tuesday-10th-april-wheal-betsy.html

I started my return heading South West around the edge of Ducks' Pool...

...to the south east I could see the top of the spoil heap at Red Lake.

I headed over to the tor at Little Gnats's Head (with Lower Hartor Tor and Higher Hartor Tor behind)

Looking across to Evil Coombe again but from the other side.

The view down the Plym valley as the sun was getting lower in the sky.

I crossed the River Plym again just below Lower Hartor Tor...

...to rejoin the track I started out on - Sheeps Tor in the distance....

...and Combeshead Tor and Down Tor to the North

Good Friday 6th April Hen Tor

Well it is a good day - I am just getting over a very nasty cold, I don't currently have an infected finger and I don't have any back ache!  Furthermore, the sun is shining and the strong cold wind of yesterday has eased.

So off to the car park by Gutter Tor and around the track towards Ditsworthy Warren House - with Hen Tor, my first Tor of the day in the distance,

Down to the ford, which with the lack of rain was very easy to cross today...

Over the completely dried out leat.  With the lack of rain the moor is exceptionally dry.  Of course the boggy bits are always wet even in drought conditions but not so long ago in January the ground was so wet it made the going hard - but not today.

 ...and up the hill to Hen Tor Brook - looking over Hentor Meadow towards Hen Tor.

Soon around the side and back of Hen Tor (94)

Looking down and back to Ditsworthy Warren house, Gutter Tor, Sheeps Tor and Sharpitor in the distance.

Then to try and find Little Hen Tor (95).  This is the spot but nothing looking like a tor - just a scattering of large rocks.

Over then to the lovely little waterfall on Shavercombe  Brook...

...and coming out of the valley the view across to  Drizzlecombe with the fourteen foot tall Menhir clearly in view.

Just to the left of the valley is is Shaverocmbe Tor (96)...

...looking back across to Shavercombe Tor.

Next over the side of the hill to Deadmans Bottom.  Apparently the dead man found here was removed over 200 years ago! The valley has been scarred and deepened by tin miners.

The Langcombe Brook at the bottom of the valley.

A short  walk up the hill to Little Gnats Head (97).  Lower Hartor Tor and Higher Hartor Tor in the distance.

Just below this is Calveslake Tor (98) with Evil Combe in the background.  Doesn't seem a bad place to me but I don't think you want to go through the boggy bit at the bottom!

From Calveslake Tor to Lower Hartor Tor.

Down to and across the River Plym

Lower Hartor Tor (99)...

 ...and up to Higher Hartor Tor (100)...

...with the Dartmoor ponies on top.

The Eylesbarrow track back to the car park.

Finally on private land just off Burcombe lane is Nat Tor (101).

With the lack of rain the moor is exceptionally dry.  Of course the boggy bits are always wet even in drought conditions.  Not so long ago in January the ground was so wet it made the going hard but not today.