Tuesday 21st November 2017 Steng-a-Tor

A bus ride from the Fox and Hounds to the Prewley works track. A bit cooler than expected.

A direct line across to Shelstone Tor

The view up the West Okement

As always there was a need to rock the logan stone on top

Then steeply up into the cloud. A coffee stop somewhere above the Slipper Stones and on to....

Steng-a-Tor

Not a place we visit often, no views anywhere today.

Then up again to Kitty Tor where there was a man in the hut - but there wasn't an firing because of the weather.

A bit further to the warning Kitty Tor warning flag.

Through the old peat works to Great Links Tor where the ponies were sheltering.

Then steeply down, below the cloud, to Little Links Tor and below that to Lower Arms Tor

Across the ford below the Great Nodden track.

Lunch at the very friendly Fox and Hounds where we had our own private room for lunch. With Mike, Stella, Terry, Charlie, Jon, Bill, Peter and Brenda

Tuesday 7th November - SevenTors from Norsworthy Bridge

A very wet morning and wet for the whole of the walk. We started from Norswothy Bridge and the plan was to go to 10 tors but it was too wet to get to all of them.

We were joined by a large group of school children for the walk up to the leat

Then it was up towards Lower Leather Tor

The rainy view across Burrator reservoir

The rest of the group coming up

Across to Sheeps Tor

Lower Leather Tor (1) with Leather Tor (2) in the distance

Around the edge of Leather Tor and on past Sharpitor (3)

Down to the main road which was closed due to road works at Dousland

Then gently up hill to Leedon Tor (4) for the coffee break

Down to Fur Tor (5)

And across the bridge to East Tor (6)

 Along track to Ingra Tor (7)

Nearby the ponies with their backs to the rain

A direct line back over the edge of Leedon Tor and down to the leat.

Past Leather Tor Farm...

...and Leather Tor Bridge

On to the Royal Oak. With Charlie, Terry, Jon, Mike, Stella, Bill, Ian and Brenda. Oh did I mention it was a wet walk!

Sunday 5th November - Touchstone, Fice's Well, Leat Meet and Bridges

Bitterly cold with a strong north wind - for the first time it felt like a winters day. Not so much of a walk today, more of an amble around some places I haven't been to before.

First a stop on the main road just past Rundlestone to take the footpath out to Fice's well.

In the first field is the Touchstone - the newest menhir on Dartmoor and put in place in 1999 to mark the new millennium.

The inscription reads:

Inspiring
This stone touching
Open Moor and sky
Granite land mark
Raised to stand
For all times
As one time,
Now, then and ever
In love and beauty
Our story is a book
Always open
At the centre
Half of experiences
Half of
In-named hopes

John Powls 1999




Why was it put here and not on the open moor and in a place where, in my view, very few people will actually walk?

A bit further on and just outside the enclosed land is Fice's well.  This shows the later added protective wall with the steps to get to the actual...

...well in the middle.

I retraced my steps and drove the short distance to Two Bridges. There had been some talk at lunch on last Tuesdays walk about the number of bridges here. The Dartmoor 365 book makes reference to three bridges.

This is the first in front of the hotel which carried the old road.

The second is the newer road bridge next to it.

Third is the clapper bridge over the River Cowsic and just off the track which leads up to Beardown Farm. I have been up and down the track on numerous occasions and never once have we walked the 50 yds through the gate to this wonderful old bridge.

The fourth bridge is very close to the clapper bridge and this is the more recent bridge up to Beardown Farm

So there are a total of four bridges in this Dartmoor 365 'square'.

Next I followed the river upstream and behind the trees to find the Leat Meet.

The fountain is where the water from the Devonport leat which comes off the West Dart River is merged with the leat from the leat which comes off the River Cowsic.

The water goes underground down the north side of the valley and then over the aqueduct which crosses the River Cowsic. It continues underground up the south side of the valley to come out in the fountain. The aqueduct is just below the Leat Meet. Very, very clever engineering!

The aqueduct just below Leat Meet

I wandered along the leat for a short distance. Including the one by the Leat Meet there are four small clapper bridges over the leat.

The 'overflow' just before the Leat Meet with the River Cowsic below.

 Two more bridge just a bit further along.

Tuesday 31st October - Bellever to Two Bridges

Just for a change we caught the bus at Two Bridges for a linear walk back from Bellever. The bus was spot on time, no one else was on it and everyone in our group used their bus pass.

Just a few minutes late we got off the bus in Bellever where this ear-less sheep was waiting to greet us. Didn't move just lay there on the wall watching the world go by.

Up through the woods...

...and the gorse....

...to Bellever Tor looking towards Hay Tor and Rippon Tor

The other view to the west with Longaford Tor in the middle.

Down through the woods where so many trees had red dots on them - which must mean they are all doomed.

On to the Lych Way to Powdermills

On the track through Powdermills bog which these days seems to be much easier to follow.

And on to Longaford Tor

Back along the ridge...

To the car park at Two Bridges.

Lunch at the Two Bridges where we actually sat outside. The place was overflowing with people but the service was exceptionally fast. With Stella, Mike, Jon, Peter, Charlie and Brenda. Anne and Jane joined us for lunch.