Off we went from the quarry carpark near
Cox Tor – I and several fellow TW walkers, who were hopefully present in
spirit, though certainly not in person. With
a freshening southerly wind at our backs we went up towards Great Staple Tor
but made a distinctly watery diversion to see the ruin of the Tinner’s
Hut. How well concealed it is from the
casual passer-by! After pausing to
admire the views from Great Staple Tor in the presence of some completely
indifferent cattle we moved on to Roos Tor, down towards Higher Godsworthy, and
then up towards Stephen’s Grave. From
there, the route was via bridleway and footpath to the now defunct Peter Tavy
swimming pool for a refreshment stop.
Would my phantom companions want to indulge a passion for wild
swimming? Certainly not I! Onward then, up past Great Combe Tor, just
above which we were overtaken by a very energetic fell runner and dog. The runner certainly had much greater
aerobic capacity than I, though his black Labrador did seem to be somewhat
distracted by the sheep droppins lying around on the ground. By now the weather was closing in and
prudence dictated contouring round, rather than climbing, Cox Tor and the route
led back to the car park. The runner had
not been deterred, however, for he passed again, going downhill at speed,
clearly having conquered the summit.
Altogether a very enjoyable 10.3 km – the only drawback was the complete
reticence of my companions!
Peter C
