5th September

We're blessed to often be able to choose the best weather walking day from Friday and Saturday, and then work the day we're not walking.  This week, Saturday was best, so we worked Friday and had a slow start to today.  The first stop was Plymouth - having got wet feet and had to wear wellies for part of Bank Holiday Monday's walk, I was in search of boots.  Thankfully, the shop I had found some which fitted last time had ones of a similar build (not easy as I'm a size 2-ish).  Jonathan also picked up a lightweight mac-in-a-bag, and we both got new walking socks.

An easier walk this weekend, but still including one tor over 500m.  We parked at Bagga Tor Gate - where there is just space for a few cars, and had a pasty lunch before setting off.  The first tor is Bagga Tor (372m) [J5] - after which we were glad to be warned by a fellow walker of a bull in the field!  

Then on up to Lynch Tor (517m) where there is a cairn known as Limsboro' Cairn [J6] and a tor.  Both form part of the ancient Forest of Dartmoor boundary.  Now the cairn is notable for the army flagpole - not pictured as it doesn't add much to the view!

Between Lynch and Standon Hill I was very glad of waterproof boots again.  I would have had very wet socks and feet with my old boots.  It was a bit of a down and up again, but worth it for the views of Tavy Cleave and the tors beyond.  You'll have to go there to look - this one is pointing in the wrong direction!

Coming down from Standon Hill (481m) was not easy - there's a lot of clitter on the way down and it's very steep.  We eventually reached the valley, although the first route back to the car was too boggy.  We then found a helpfully marked 'Ten Tors Please Close the Gate' sign, and from there were able to find a track which led back to the car.  

I'm up to 30 walks and 105 tors.  Feeling accomplished and wondering if another 20 walks can be fitted into the last 4 months of 2020.  With more weather like this week, I hope I can make it.

31st August

 A Ten Tors challenge - based on this walk from alltrails.com, starting from Lydford High Down car park:

Across High Down Ford [F4], then these tors:

1. Arms Tor (457m)

2. Great Links Tor (591m)m [F5]

3. Higher Dunnagoat (562m) and Bleak House [F6]

4. Green Tor (543m)

5. Lower Dunna Goat (557m)  

6. Chat Tor (542m)

8. Hare Tor (531m)

7. Sharp Tor (519m) (My hundredth tor!)

9. Doe Tor (425m)

10. Brat Tor with Widgery Cross (452m) [G5]

Yes, numbers 8 and 7 are swapped because I made a mistake en route - the better way would have been Chat, Sharp, Hare then Doe, but we made it.  It's a good walk for views - this was a clear day and we could see the sea to the north and south at different times.  We did realise that it would have been good to include Little Links too, but maybe I'll go back later in the year.  Whether I will manage to reach all the tors over 500m remains to be seen.

23rd August

With the weather looking like it would be dry with good visibility on this Sunday afternoon, we drove to Okehampton Army Camp and onto the moor.  However, as we stopped for a sandwich, this is what greeted us!

We did consider turning around and going home again, but then it seemed to clear, so we drove on to the last parking space on the track near West Mill Tor and set off.  I wanted to start at the end of the ridge and make our way back along, so we headed up between High Willhays and Yes Tor, along to Fordsland Ledge (585m).  We spent some time identifying tors to the south, and then came back to Dartmoor's highest point, Hill Willhays (621m) [D7].

Along the ridge is Hampster Tor (618m) and then the well known Yes Tor (619m).  Near the track on the way down from Yes Tor is the Target Railway [C8], which we will return to visit at some point.  Instead we went up over Little Tor (531m) and West Mill Tor (541m).  It made a 4.5 mile walk with some good views - even if not as far as the sea this time!

15th August

Our last full holiday day - and it's wet.  But again, by the time it got to lunchtime I'd had enough of the tent, and we headed out.  Having decided not to do the big tors, I looked for a group of tors close together and on this side of the moor.  We parked near the Round Pound at Teigncombe, and first off, Jonathan disappeared with his camera to catch some shots of the pound and a tree he'd spotted there.  We ate our sandwiches and by this time it was properly raining.

Undeterred we donned wellies, waterproof coats and leggings, took a list of tors and set off.  Rain meant fog too, but thankfully we could see our first tor from the car.  At least we thought we could - aiming for Little Kes Tor, we actually arrived firstly at Kestor Rock (437m) [F13], so had to change plans a little.  

The next tor was then in sight - Middle Tor (415m).  Thankfully there is an overhang which can be crouched under there, so I was able to see that Little Kes was north of Kestor Rock, and we might be able to find it later.  On Middle Tor we found the rock basin - I've been looking for one of these before - this one was filled with water!

From Middle Tor, we headed onto Frenchbeer Rock (387m) - again just visible through the fog.  We then made our way to Thornworthy Tor (424m), came back over Kestor Rock and on to Little Kes Tor (393m).  Three miles walked, five tors covered, and pretty bedraggled!  On a bright day, if you're happy to do Devon back roads as they're pretty skinny to get to Round Pound, this would be a good family walk.  There are views of Fernworthy Reservoir from Thornworthy Tor, and loads of stone circles and rows to investigate.

14th August

A longer walk was due today, and it looked like it might at least not rain all day.  We drove on to the more from Okehampton Camp again, this time stopping at the car park near Row Tor.  It was foggy - no tors to be seen, but the paths were mostly going to be tracks and therefore easy to follow, so off we set.

We took the track which follows Black-a-ven Brook, crossing New Bridge and passing the base of Curtery Clitters (512m),  before taking a path up to East Mill Tor (513m).  I was grateful to my maps.me app for this one - it sometimes includes paths which aren't on the OS maps.  And GPS, of course, as the fog meant we couldn't see the tor itself until we were nearly there.  

There are several outcrops - we arrived at one, and saw another as we continued southwards, but the others were out of sight.  We made it back down to the track a little further along, ready to head on to our next tor.

At the next track crossroads, we turned right, and after a little while began to climb.  The path here rises 60 metres in about 600 metres - I counted the water channels (10 I think) to get me up to the top! Left at the top of the ridge, still on a good track, leads to Dinger Tor (542m) [E8].  Gradually the fog was getting thinner, and from here we could see Hangingstone Hill, Steeperton, Wild, High Willhays and Yes Tors.  Dinger itself is well worth a visit - a classic tor and easy to reach on the moor tracks.

We headed back, staying on this 'high' road, which runs along the west side of High Willhays and Yes Tors.  The one decision I did make here was that I wanted to do those high points when they weren't in fog - so that probably meant not during this holiday.  West Mill Tor was close to the path as we descended, but the more obvious one to go over on the way back was Rowtor (468m).  There we did feel a few spots of rain, but thankfully it held off.  In fact we had a couple of hours in Okehampton afterwards too with no rain too.

13th August

We had the delights of a cream tea booked today, courtesy of a gift from a friend.  At last it was a little cooler, although storms were on the forecast.  First off we drove in search of the most easterly tor from Ken Ringwood's book.  We left the A382 at Slade Cross, and shortly wished we'd taken a different route to Hennock!  We had to reverse some distance at least four times to get beyond one particular corner on the road.  I say 'we' - Jonathan was driving, and a good thing too, as I would have really struggled to do that!  Eventually we got through, and after rather more back roads, drove through the village to Five Lanes, where we managed to find a place on the road to park, knowing it wouldn't be for long.  

Bottor Rock (250m) is just about visible from a bridlepath which winds its way between some rather large houses north west from Five Lanes.  It's about a third of a mile from the junction.  I was glad I'd read this description earlier in the day - it helped us look for a path up the bank to the rock.  We didn't take too many steps towards the rock, but it was visible behind the trees.  Possibly there would be better views of it in winter.

Taking an easier route out of Hennock, we stopped briefly in Bovey Tracey, then in Moretonhampstead [F18] where we visited the tourist information centre and stopped on a hot bench with our sandwiches.  We then visited Moretonhampstead Motor Museum.  I'd really recommend it - it's a private collection of cars and motorcycles from the early 20th century onwards.  If you have any interest in cars, motorbikes or generally engineering and mechanical history, it's well worth dropping in.  I'm not a petrolhead, but there are some good stories behind the cars, and the painstaking restorations are really impressive.

We then took a scenic route towards Two Bridges - stopping at the viewpoint above Lettaford, and then driving through Challacombe [K14] and back to the road passing Soussons Down.  Sky was beginning to darken, and there were rumbles of thunder.  We made it into the hotel carrying our raincoats - and then got drenched walking back to the car after our cream tea!  If you visit Two Bridges Hotel for a cream tea - the scones are huge - one was plenty, but as we were brought four altogether we did make a good effort and manage three between us.  Decorated the Cornish way, of course!  On the way back we pulled into the car park at Postbridge, simply because the rain was too heavy for safe driving.

12th August

Suffice to say, after yesterday's yomp, I was not up to much today.  Plus it was still really hot.  We had a quiet morning, but by lunchtime I wanted to get off the campsite.  Castle Drogo [D17] is not far away and although the gardens were fully booked, we could see it was possible to park, and wondered about walking into the Teign Valley from there.  

We started walking around 2pm and it was very hot.  There were a couple of tors here - firstly Sharp Tor (220m) - one of the many.  It's clearly marked from the beginning of the walks from the National Trust Car Park.  The Tor is within the valley, with good views downwards and on out of the valley.  A path then is cut along the hillside (Hunter's Path), but the bits without shade were also without breeze, so quite stifling.  The other tor here is Hunter's Tor (193m).  Again, you can look down into the valley and out from here.  It's worth visiting both tors - the best view of each is probably from the other tor! 

We considered taking a path straight down from the tor into the valley, but I was just too hot and bothered.  So it was back along the hot path, pausing for water and air at each little bit of shade along the way.  Very glad of a cold drink and iced lolly from the cafe when we got back to the car park.