Burrator Reservoir Circular - 18 Jan 2025

 It was a chilly wind that met us when we arrived at Burrator Quarry car park.  There were just the four of us booked on this walk, but to our delight, two more joined us in the car park.

A gentle incline took us to the highest point of Yennadon Down, giving us lovely views across the Reservoir.  A bit of road walking took us down to Devonport Leat and into the wooded tracks that took us first to Leather Tor Farm remains and then down the Leather Tor Bridge over the Heavy Riven--where lunch was taken.

Descending to Norsworthy Bridge, we then followed the road around to take a track up to a path that skirts Sheep's Tor.  Crossing both dams, we found the famously delicious ice cream - Willy's (thanks for your recommendation Margaret).

And so back to the car park.

A lovely walk with some new faces and a delightful day out in God's wonderful creation.

 During the Dartmoor Walking festival this year one of my walking party was bagging 'Dartmoor 365' squares, and Huntingdon Warren was one of them on our 14 mile route.  However, there were two or three more points to be bagged that were slightly off route and too much to add to a long day walk.  So I promised to take them to find these places later in the year.  The first date programmed was cancelled because of Storm Bert, and so this weekend we set off in pouring rain and strong winds to do the 8 mile walk.  So six of us set off for Avon Dam with the wind and rain pelting our backs.  On the way to the dam we visited a Bronze Age settlement before we arrived at Huntingdon Cross, a marker on the ancient Abbot's Way.  We then headed north to look for the Chapel and memorial which we failed to find.  Huntingdon House remains were interesting and we crossed the Western Wella Brook to visit the remains of the mine before heading across rough ground to Hickaton Hill settlement.  We diverted up the Two Moors Way to keep the walking easier, and it was downhill all the way back!  

A Shipley Bridge Compromise Walk

 Saturday 11th August, and five hardy souls gathered at Shipley Bridge for a walk on the high moors.  Unfortunately the weather was interesting with wind, heavy drizzle and poor visibility.  However, a suggested change of route saw us us hitting the first steep, rocky and slippery track, where it became quickly apparent that not all were going to manage it.  So a simple walk along the tarmac road to Avon Dam was to order of the day.  Lunch wa taken under some very drippy trees, but a good time was had by all!

Bennett's Cross to Natsworthy Gate - out high, back low!

 A glorious sunny days greeted six of us who met at Bennett's Cross for a high level walk to Heathercombe.  After taking the views at Birch Tor we joined the Two Moors Way, then Hockney Tor, before branching off to climb to King Tor.  The convex slope, which always makes navigation tricky with the absence of paths, tested me until we found the gate through a copse of Rowan trees.  It was a steep walk down to the village but a pleasant walk along Mariner's Way to Natsworthy Gate, a great spot for lunch in the sunshine.  A visit to the Hamden Bomber memorial and then to Grimspound provided a gentle stroll with just a few ups and downs!  Our last leg took us through Vitifer mines, apparently the most productive of the tin mines on Dartmoor.  All in all, a lovely day with superb company in this beautiful world that God created for us to enjoy.

The nice photos are from Alan - thanks Alan. 

Horn's Cross and Coombestone Tor

 After a spell of sub-zero weather, the day of our walk was much more in line with what we would expect for a moorland day in January; cold, windy and threatening rain.

So 13 of us arrived at Venford Reservoir car park, raring to go!

The planned route was amended slightly as I hadn't had time to recce the part of the route that was new to me, and it looked decidedly gorsey!  Now bracken and heather can be weathered through, but gorse forms an impenatrable barrier - so wisdom won the day!

There was plenty to see, and the threatened rain held off, so all was well and a lovely day was had by all, plus two dogs.

Oke Tor Walk

Nine of us arrived at Belstone village for a lovely winters walk up the Taw valley to Oke Tor and back via the Nine Stones (Maidens) Circle - one for each of us!

The weather was good to us, although up on the ridge a chilly wind had us hunkering down amongst the rocks of Oke Tor to eat our lunch before following the path down the west side of Belstone Tor to visit the 'Maidens'.  

We took refuge in the hostelry in Belstone (planned) and amidst a crowded clientele managed to secure a cuppa to finish off our lovely walk in as ever such good company.

Another wonder of creation manifested itself to us (our God is so creative!) when we espied not only rainbows, but also a fogbow!  Apparently a fogbow forms because the water droplets are much smaller that raindrops - about 0.1 mm in size, which has the effect of scattering the diffused light in a wider spread, and thus loosing the colours of a rainbow.  See pictures.

Thanks Alan for your lovely photos.

 

Bellever Tor Circumnavigation

Well, with torrential rain forecast a number of the walkers on the list pulled out, who can blame them!  But Nadine and Jen turned up at Holming Beam for our walk out to Beardown Man Standing Stone.  Now to be honest, I had arrived early and sat in the car watching the already thick mist thicken by the minute.  this would give us not only a soggy walk but one devoid of any views whatsoever; although it would have been good nav practice.

But it's always good to have a plan B, and I was intending at some time to recce a section of a route around Believer Tor for the Wheeled Access Group (WAGS) who go out every second Tuesday.

So once Nadine and Jen arrived, we did a quick flit to Dunnabridge Pound and had a very pleasant walk, with no rain(!), that offered some stunning Autumn colours, and also a memorial to a Royal Marine.

Isn't nature wonderful; and isn't the Creator of nature wonderful!