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!

 

Black Tor and Piper's Hill from Shipley Bridge

 After torrential rain on the Friday, Saturday turned out fair with a promise of sun and a chilly wind.  Of course, Dartmoor provided a few showers for us, but nothing to dampen the appetite for sampling God's wonderful creation!

Seven of us set off from Shipley Bridge with an initial steep ascent through the china clay drying pans from yesteryear, and up onto the open moorland.  My daughter Hannah skilfully navigated us to Black Tor with its magnificent views over the Avon Valley curling its way up the Avon Dam.

We contoured round to the Rider's Rings bronze age settlement, and then through Ryder's Rocks to ford the stream and descend Zeal Gully.  Now, have you spotted the spelling anomaly?  The OS 25,000 map gives the spelling of Rider's Rings with an 'i', whereas Ryder's Rocks is spelled with a 'y'! 

Under the shadow of the dam we lunched and parted company with two of our group who descended along the road back to the car park.  The remainder climbed to to the reservoir which after traversing it, we headed on a compass bearing towards Hickaton Hill settlement.  This took us straight across some difficult terrain, which wasn't appreciated!

Once we reached the dizzy heights of Puper's Hill, it was an easy gravity assisted walk all the way back.

A lovely day with great company - thanks folks, & and thanks for the photos Alan!