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.