Tuesday 1st July Pork Hill

Much duller today with a cooling breeze on the moor.  Starting from Pork Hill car park - the breeze caught a plastic bag out of the boot of my care and Amber chased after it but the wind was too stong and it got away.

We set off up to the top of Cox Tor...

...almost at the top with this view across Roos Tor and Staple Tor with Great Mis Tor in the distance.

A few more steps to the trig point at the top and then over to the....

...cairn just along the ridge.

Next down, through the enclosed land to the Colly Brook where a small weir has been built.  Difficult to understand why this is here unless this contains a small power generator.

Up again to...

Stephen's Grave and then up to...






















White Tor with this view across Tavy Cleave and Hare Tor to Great Links Tor in the far distance.

The red flags were out and we could hear firing in the distance on the Merrivale Range but we were not going into the range area.  We took our break here out of the wind.

The view across to Great Mis Tor.  We were going down to the wall corner, which is just visible in the photo...

 ...and then up to Roos Tor.


















With this view across to Staple Tor...

 ...Great Mis Tor...

...and back to White Tor.

Terry was having some discomfort with his knee so we took the easier route down past the dew pond.

On to the Whitchurch Inn for lunch.  With Colin, Amber, Terry and Rosemay.

Wednesday 18th June Hound Tor

Walking in the same area as last Wednesday but a different starting place and route.  Very dull on the east side of the moor at the begining compared with the west but it got much brighter during the walk.

Parking at Hound Tor car park up and around the tor to find these little calves and their very protective mothers.

Down through the medieval village and down again to Becka Brook.

Up the other side and instead of going straight up to Smallacombe Rocks we followed the path around Black Hill...

...with this view back to Hound Tor...

...and this towards Easdon Tor

Soon we were on the steep bit up to Black Hill with this back view across to Easdon Tor.

The cairn on Black Hill with Haytor in the distance.

We followed the ridge to Haytor Quarry where the children form Tiverton School were on a day trip.

Water Lilies in the pool in the quarry.

The school children head off towards the medieval village and we...

...headed up to Haytor.

Next over to Emsworthy Rocks to find the path back down to Becka Brook - with this view towards Holwell Tor.

We overshoot the path and ended up in some boggy and tricky ground....

...but we found a way through and were soon going back up the other side...

...and back to Hound Tor

Looking back to Haytor.

Just for a change lunch was from the snack bar parked in the car park. With Jon, Jane and Terry.

Wednesday 11th June Haytor

A Blipmeet today with John and Ann.  John and I spent most of our careers doing the exactly the same job but in different parts of the country.  I joined the company in 1967 and first met John when he joined in 1969 in Birmingham.  I haven't seen him for 13 years and we have recently re-established contact through Blip. As you can see they are both keen photographers

They were staying in Moretonhampstead and we met at Haytor Vale.  Our first stop was the old quarry just below Haytor.

 Out of the quarry and across to the granite tramway which was used to move granite from the quarry to Teignmouth.

Nearby were some ponies by a dewpond.

Across to Smallcombe Rocks with the quarry at Howell Tor in the background.

Looking towards Hound Tor.

Next down to Becka Brook and the steep bit up to Hound Tor.

Around the back of Greator Rocks....

...and back down to Becka Brook. 

Up towards Emsworthy Rocks and on to Haytor

... with children abseiling for the first time.






















Finally back down to the car park...

...followed by lunch in the Rugglestone Inn

Monday 9th June Bagga Tor

A bright sunny morning but overcast in the afternoon  This was more of a meander than a walk and an opportunity to explore this area in a bit more detail.

Bagga Tor with Bodmin Moor in the far distance

The other way towards Tavy Cleave with Hare Tor in the distance

This was my route out towards Lynch Tor

Lynch Tor but I didn't go there today instead I headed over to the side of....

...Standon Hill.

Across this lovely little stream.























I didn't go on top of Standon Hill but contoured along the side of it.  This large piece of granite looked like it had been worked on as some time and then abandonded.

At the bottom of Standon Hill I took the 'funnel' which leads to the River Tavy.

This is the flood plain with some rich vegetation.

On to the longest footbridge on Dartmoor

I then took the tricky route alongside the river (I won't do that again) to arrive at the stepping stones which are in two parts.... the easier bit....

...and the longer bit.  Both easy today but not when the river is higher.

Then back up to Bagga Tor.

Past the May blossom