The weather was
good, dry and clear for walking with much blustery wind that an average
politician would envy!
A steep climb up
the girt across the road, put us on the path to Hurston Ridge with Chagford
Common to our left and to our right, the distant evergreen trees of Fernworthy
Forrest. Taking a slight detour off our Hurston path we visited to the first of
two double stone rows that we would see on this walk, two of 71 to be found on
Dartmoor, the best place in the UK for such rows of course! This one was in
good condition, with its standing stone having been ‘made good’ back in 1894
guarding the top end of the row.
Once clear of
this open moorland we proceeded to our designated ‘coffee/tea stop’ adjacent to
the waters of Fernworthy reservoir where I had specially arranged for benches
to be put for our comfort whilst having our drinks and to imagine what it would
be like to be out on the windblown and very choppy water surface!
Our circular
path around the water’s edge took us past the sloping wall of the reservoir’s
dam that was foaming white from the agitated water flowing down its granite
face before disappearing in a small stream below, this overflow water never
reaching Torbay to be used by one and all for drinking and other purposes.
Leaving the
sight of the water’s edge our route took us along the reservoir road to the
point where we entered Fernworthy Forrest and up a long gentle gravel slope
towards Assycombe Hill and our second double stone row and the place where we
would stop for our picnic. This stone row is one of the steepest on Dartmoor
and is in a wonderful location, surrounded by a wide stretch of cut grass and
tall trees, a great place to stop to enjoy the location, even though the wind
through the trees provided a constant roar.
Picnics
finished we soon left the forest for gorgeous open moorland, sunny, windswept
and stunning distant views as we wind buffeted our way along the narrow path
back and down to our start point, skirting Water Hill and Kings Oven along the
way with an eventual slight sniff of open fire woodsmoke drifting in the wind
from the Warren House Inn confirming we had made it back safely.
Charlie