Six Tors and a Crock of Gold

What I thought was going to be a grey Dartmoor day, turned into a stunner with broken cloud and some beautiful light.  Leaving from Princetown Prison "Viewpoint" I took the bridleway to Bachelor's Hall stopping to quickly photograph the Devonport Leat for my ongoing project. Next up I had to navigate a field with a Bull in it.  As he was chilling half on the path I decided to give him a wide berth and take a route behind him.  As it happens he didn't even move, but it's still a nervous time!  

First up Tor wise was Round Hill Tor

Then Prince Hall Rocks

The going in this area is pretty tough!

Ground Tor

Blakey Tor

Crock of Gold

Royal Tor

Strane Tor

With time ticking on not wanting another encounter with the Bull I decided to hike up to the Devonport Leat and follow it through Peat Cot and then up to the road from Whiteworks back to Princetown.  Before I made it to the Leat I had a unfortunate encounter with a bog, and in protecting my camera I ended up covered and a little battered!  It was a soggy walk back to the car, but at least the camera was OK.

Dartmoor Tors and Hilltops Flickr Album  

 

Hedge Down Tor

I am really not sure why I haven't noticed this tor before.  Maybe it gets lost in the view from Chinkwell and Honeybag Tors because of the distraction of Hound Tor which looms behind.  Or maybe I have noticed it but disregarded it thinking it was not accessible.  For whatever reason it popped up on my radar during lockdown, and so after a bit of home schooling off I went with Evie for a bit of exploring.  Normally when discovering unvisited tors they are a little disappointing.  Small outcrops on the side of a hill or an uninspiring boulder.  Not Hedge Down Tor though this is a great tor which keeps on giving.

Made up two major outcrops the highest of the two to the south stands at 414m and although small has plenty to explore.

The second outcrop to the north takes the form of ridge which winds its way down the hill side for some 50m or so.  Evie loved running down the ridge, but beware it has a large drop off on the east side.

The start of the ridge from the east side

Part of the joy of visiting this tor is that it is remote enough to be very quiet, unspoilt and not battered by the crowds other tors get.  It also has nice 360 degree views.  We were also luck to be treated to the formation of a Altocumulus Standing Lenticular Cloud, which you can see forming the photos.  After visiting the Hedge Down Tor we did made a quick visit to Honeybag, Chinkwell and Bell Tors before descending to the car. 

Altocumulus Standing Lenticular Cloud format over Chinkwell Tor

I Forgot About Black Tor

Spent a nice night out on Black Tor at the end of May.  It was a lovely night out with an interesting sunset and an beautiful morning which had the potential for an amazing sunrise, however it didn't really materialise, it was stunning but not from a photographic point of view.

150!

Jamie on Cox Tor

So to the moors for a Thursday evening fell run with Jamie Hayward.  We parked up at Pork Hill car park and got changed in the cold and wind.  First on the list for today was Cox Tor (80), we got to the top before the mist had covered it and took in the view.  Next we crossed over the “col” to Roos Tor (75) as the mist filled in behind us.  No views on Roos so we quickly, left for the Staples, Great (74), Middle (89) and Little(125), the mist was swirling around us and visibility was up and down.  Next we crossed the road and made are way towards Vixen Tor (127).  Next up was Heckwood Tor (161), this was the 150th tor and hilltops visited during this project, we would have celebrated but we had already done this on Little Staple oops!!  Next off to Pew Tor (168) a great little tor with loads to explore on a nice day, but with the wind blowing it was quickly time to leave.  Off to the last of the day Feather Tor (164) a nice little tor set into the hill.  Then all that was left to do was head for the car as the mist closed in for one last time.  A really enjoyable 8km run over some great terrain in typical Dartmoor conditions.    

Greetings from Roos Tor!

Great views from Roos Tors!

One of the Staples!

Little Staple not number 150

Heckwood Tor Number 150!!!

Rare view of the evening from Pew Tor, including part of my finger

Jamie striding to Feather Tor 

Sharp Tor and Hunters Tor - 12th Dec 2011

Sharp Tor, Nr Castle Drogo

Two Orienteering races over the weekend had left my legs stiff, but I wanted to get out and back on the Tor Trail after such a long break predominately due to a calf injury suffered in July.  Happily that seems to be behind me and so I set off for a walk with Bramble to explore the in the valley below Castle Drogo.  We set off  from Fingle Bridge and climbed on the path to Drewston Common, after the initial climb the path levels off and offers great views over the moors with Kes Tor in full view.  We were soon at Sharp Tor (181), an interesting Tor perched on the side of the valley.  We didn't venture to far out along the Tor as the rock was wet and slippery. We continued on to Hunters Tor (180) which sat atop a long spur.  Not stopping long as the rain had now set in we descended into the valley and keeping to the northern riverbank we followed the path alongside the river back to Fingle Bridge.  

The Beginning - Blackingstone Rock and Heltor Rock - 29th July 2010

So this is my attempt to visit all of Dartmoors Tors and Hilltops as listed in "Walking the Tors and Hilltops of Dartmoor" by A.D. Johnson, he created a list of 190 points within the National Park Boundary as based on the OS Landranger 1:25000 Map. Now I have visited a large number before, in my 20+ years of wondering the moors, only last weekend I was taking part in Endurance Life's Dartmoor Mountain Marathon and visited 12 Tors, but I will be wiping the slate clean and starting afresh.  It is my intention to run, bike and walk to all of these in the next 12 - 18 months.

I have already found a number of addittions to the list and would welcome any others that people know about, even if they are on other maps or documents.  Send me a name and grid reference and I will add it to the list.

and so it starts........

Blackingstone Rock

I wanted to start off with somewhere I hadn't been before (and actually hadn't heard of) and somewhere accessable to my daughter Abbie aged 4.  So we set out to Blackingstone Rock.  I wondered if this was a good idea as we drove down the narrow lanes, Abbie not being the best of in car navigators.  But we eventually got there and were not be dissappointed.  Blackingstone Rock is an impressive piece of granite and is an easy walk of nearby parking. 

The walk up had obviously just been cut, so it was easy stroll to the base of the rocks. When we reached there we saw the steps up the east side of the tor which would lead us to the top.

Steps to the Summit

From the summit there were great views over to Hay Tor in the west and Heltor Rocks our next target to the East.

After a stop we returned to the car and made the short journey to the bottom of the path to Heltor Rock.

Heltor Rock

This path wasn't in such great shape and so I put Abbie on my shoulders so she could avoid, most the undergrowth that had filled the path.  We made the summit with little trouble apart from a few cuts to my legs.  Again the views were stunning, unfortunatly we didn't have as much time as we would have liked, having to return home for an appointment.  But two tors which were well worth the visit, lets hope this is an omen for all the new places I will visit during this journey.