|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National Trail Guides UK
Contents : TWO MOORS WAY
THE TWO MOORS WAY STRETCHES ACROSS DARTMOOR AND EXMOOR
Day 2 :: Undefined Paths :: Holne to Chagford :: 17 miles
Stopping momentarily and looking back we had a superb view of the landscape over the Dart Valley, cloaked as it was with a dense swathe of dark green deciduous trees, and a patchwork quilt of variegated green fields rising above them. In the foreground was the well-cropped grazing sward and bracken of Dartmoor access land flanking the lower slopes of Aish Tor. Looking forward we could see a track leading to Dr Blackall’s Drive, the name given to the wide stone path that lay a short distance above us and which would take us to the road at Bel Tor Corner.
I noticed with satisfaction the absence of airplane engines. Not many places in this Country are free from the noise of air traffic and this was a welcome adjunct to the serenity of this sector of Dartmoor. There were dark and light brown ponies in each direction, many with their new born foals. The fragrance of warm summer breezes drifted all around us as the sun climbed higher and the day warmed up. Skylarks were singing cheerfully their endless air as we walked, and rarely were we without their songs today.
As we gained Dr Blackall’s Drive our view across the Dart improved significantly and we could see across to Sharp Tor and Yar Tor, in the distance. They seemed so far away, but before long we would be passing beside Sharp Tor and traveling much, much further beyond. On our right, as we walked uphill along the drive, was a short incline stocked with thick clumps of flowering gorse. Ponies grazed en masse between the clumps of gorse.
To our left, and far below us we were from time to time afforded a view of the white water of rapids on the Dart, glistening keenly amidst the greenery.
We passed Hockinston Tor and Mel Tor. I kept wandering off, much to Carol’s annoyance, to discover the hidden hut circles in the bracken to my right, although I did not actually see any. I was wary of disturbing the ponies here, especially as I expected them to be overly protective of their foals, and so I did not persist as I should have to find the hut circles.
At Mel Tor the Dart valley turned sharply left and away from our northerly path, divesting us of our panoramic view. We persisted along our path until we left the access land where it narrowed between two stone walls, and dog-legged left and then right. This took us, once again, onto access land and into the open. Bel Tor was covered with flowering gorse and cropped fields. The yellow and green of the flowers and grasses harmonised iridescently below the azure sky with its small white puffy clouds.
We now came to Bel Tor Corner, where we had the choice between two alternative sections of the Two Moors Way, one leading west (the western route) and the other north (the central and eastern routes). We were going north. We crossed the road onto Sherberton Common, taking the path immediately opposite. This petered out after only a few yards, however, and we gazed ahead to espy a tree-lined enclosure around Primm Cottage, which we knew we were to pass. This could not be seen from the track, however, and we were obliged to guess our route (not really very difficult, as the path was obviously downhill and to the fore). After only 50 yards or so the enclosure and cottage came into view. The tree-lined enclosure had in fact been heavily hewn and was now little more than a tree-stump enclosure, surrounded by hefty dark cattle.
In our eagerness to examine the cottage we strayed from our path and took a more obvious, but incorrect, route from the cottage to the road below. We ought to have emerged on this road much further to our west near Lock’s Gate Cross, but we joined the road too far to the east, and not finding the junction quite as described in our guide book, we furthered our error by bearing east instead of west, and then walked about a mile south east until reaching Uppercott, where we were at last able to identify our location and corroborate our mistake, which we had in any event already guessed. We then had the frustration of having to return the way we had just come and carrying on until reaching Lock’s Gate Cross. This would not have been so terrible, but for the fact that the route we followed contained a very steep hill.
At Lock’s Gate Cross, a junction containing a large white sign with the clearly emblazoned wording we had been seeking, “Lock’s Gate Cross”, stood prominently in front of us and we here turned right and walked speedily downhill, trying to make up for lost time.
The village of Ponsworthy was only a short distance down the hill. As we entered the village and approached the junction with the main road a broad shallow ford ran across our path, its translucent waters surrealistically reflecting the shimmering sky and the dark crisscross of tall, sentry-like trees which lined its flanks. Immediately before the ford was a wooden sign post indicating our path, to the left, towards the village of Jordan.
Through the wooden gate we passed, taking a path through a thin avenue of trees alongside the West Webburn River, whilst a chorus of woodland passerines sang to us in such a merry manner that we could not help but be gladdened by their songs, keeping us company as they did, all through this narrow stretch of woodland.
About half-way to Jordan we saw a couple on a track to our right and thought this was our route from the wood and into Jordan. The couple soon put us right, however, and we pressed forward over fallen boughs, toiling on the narrow, twisting, muddy path until at length we caught sight of Jordan, an attractive cluster of lime-washed houses built on an acute elbow of the river, and reached by a narrow wooden footbridge. The white “Englishmen’s” cottages were festooned with a variety of coloured blooms partly obscuring and partly climbing their elevations. We passed between a narrow passage between the cottages and onto the road beyond, which we followed for ½ mile until reaching the junction of a minor cross roads.
Crossing the road and walking directly across we followed another road for a short distance, but as it curved to the right, towards Widecombe in the Moor (the eastern route of the Two Moors Way) we left it, taking the (central) route offered by a grassy swathe between large tracts of gorse, and made our way uphill. There was no visible path to follow here, as we approached the lower slopes of Hamel Down, but the route to the summit was easy to plot as we had a clear view of it. We merely had to thread our way between gorse, heather and ponies.
To our right we could see Wind Tor. Ahead we could see the first ridge of Hamel Down. Far to our right, on the skyline, we could say Haytor Rocks which stood out from the landscape like a huge volcanic plug.
Wind Tor had a small outcropping of rocks on top, surrounded by a sea of heather and grasses. After what seemed a very considerable time we came upon an area of flat granite paving. We had been looking for this, and having found it we knew we were still following the correct route. The pavement was flat and grey and quite at odds with its surroundings. We paused momentarily to marvel at it and then pressed on.
As we pressed forward and upward the effort of our drudgery produced an intense stickiness to our clothes as perspiration from our bodies leaked into them, but from our brows it lessened, thanks to the fresh breeze upon our faces. The delicate, marzipan-like aroma of the yellow flowering gorse yielded to summer grasses as our altitude increased.
Ahead of us lay a small saddle where we crossed obliquely a track coming up from Widecombe in the Moor. At the side of the track was a low stone wall, which ran north east for a short distance, parallel to our own route. As we left the wall our path became somewhat steeper. Our map showed two walls to our west, each converging upon the summit of Hamel Down. We could make them out in the distance, mounting the western flanks of Hamel Down. Our path led more or less directly to the edge of the nearest wall.
As we gained the summit our view across the Down to the barren Haytor rocks on our right and the wooded Soussens Down on our left made an interesting contrast. As we approached the summit of the Down it become more conical in shape and steeper to climb, so that in looking to the summit we were looking skywards towards a beautiful azure hue with fleecy white clouds skirting the horizon.
At the top the beacon stone rose from a grassy and rocky mound adjacent to the nearest of the two walls we had seen (which in fact were connected by a short wall along the summit ridge). Here we stopped for a short interval (about 1 minute) to enjoy a drink of water and to admire the view. The path ahead now snaked in a winding ridge top walk in a northerly direction towards Hookney Tor, which was a mere blip on the horizon. Our path was chalky white. As we passed the edge of the further wall coming up from our west, there was another cairn. It is known as Two Barrows. This, and the many other Bronze Age barrows on the ridge of Hamel Down are of Wessex culture. They are burial mounds. There are no other types of internment on Dartmoor of this genre. The internee’s ashes were placed beneath the ground and stone slabs were located over them.
As we journeyed towards Hameldown Tor large wooden poles stood aloft, tall rangy sentinels placed there during World War II to prevent enemy gliders from landing on this level ridge top. We progressed forward for a ½ mile or thereabouts and noticed a small track leading off on our left. we mistakenly assumed the path led to Grimspound but in this we were wrong. As we followed it we discovered Hamel Down Cross, or rather, the remains of Hamel Down cross.
Returning to our path we proceeded to the summit of Hameldown Tor, a loose cluster of rocks with a concrete cairn beside it. From here we could see across the saddle between ourselves and Hookney Tor. We followed the path steeply downhill to Grimspound, a large and well preserved Bronze Age enclosure. Within it are the remains of 16 hut circles, (some of which have been restored), and other stone buildings. It is strategically located, near to the running water of the Firth and lying in the sheltered saddle between Hameldown Tor and Hookney Tor
Below us we could see Headland Warren Farm and between us and the farm, a minor road which we knew we would be crossing further north. We continued to walk around the lower flanks of Hookney Tor until joining and crossing the road, taking a narrow path leading us up and over the featureless heather slopes of Birch Tor. Although the moorland here was unimpressive to look at, the wealth of singing skylarks more than compensated for it.
On the other side of Birch Tor our path ran at an angle to meet the B3212, which in contrast to our isolation today appeared as a major highway. We crossed, probably in the wrong place, as there was no indication of a path of any kind, although our map did not indicate a defined track in any event. This was a rugged and awkward walk and did nothing to help my throbbing knee. The heather was burnt, presumably in preparation for grouse shooting. Traversing it required high knee-lifting and the jagged heather undergrowth scratched Carol’s unprotected legs.
We made our way downhill into marshy waters, where the North Walla Brook sprang into being from the surrounding sodden mires. After traversing the Brook we made our way uphill, where we eventually joined a track leading to Hurston Ridge on Chagford Common. As we approached the ridge top we could discern the huge forested expanse of Fernworthy Nature Reserve and could just see the distant blue waters of the reservoir
At this point I really began to feel uncomfortable at the back of my neck were the sun was unremittingly burning it. I had not covered my neck, as I had earlier intended, and I now belatedly did so. It was, however, too late, and I knew I would pay the penalty for this later tonight.
We came suddenly upon a double row of standing stones, just beyond our path. Although these were marked on our map we had not been looking out for them, and even if we had, we would not have expected them to have been as prominent as they were. We walked between them for their entire length, hoping to feel some kind of aura (but failing) and then crossed back to our path, and followed it along the ridge of Chagford Common, within its soft earth and yellowy grasses. Our path wound down towards the road from Fernworthy, about which were ponies of many different colours. The Metherall Brook ran between us and the road and we had to cross this, and although it was a little awkward it was soon done.
Leaving the moorland we followed the road a short distance and left the access land of Dartmoor. As we did so our path merged with the eastern route of the Two Moors Way. We decided not to follow the conventional route which led off to our left to Teignworthy, but to take the road ahead which led by a more direct route into Chagford. We followed a long, dreary road, by-passing Waye Barton. We were, from time to time, afforded a view over the South Teign River and the grassy fields beyond.
