The walk
today was designed around a mild version of a pretend ‘Ten Tors’ route, tors
that are within touching distance of the main road into Princetown, but still
very interesting to visit – that’s what I told everyone anyway.
Heading for
South Hessary Tor, our first tor, took us along and up the gravel bridle way to
the tor where we turned right for tor two, Hart Tor that required us crossing
open moorland with several tracks leading to the steppingstones of Hart Tor
Brook that we used to cross, Hart Tor being not too far from an old target
range used in the day of the ball and musket.
From Hart,
the next was Black Tor after crossing the mighty River Meavy via a narrow
‘bridge’ made of rusting mild steel just over a foot wide and a legacy of WW2, perhaps
in its day used for a lightweight jeep at another location, who knows?
The summit
of Black Tor provided a stunning view of the surrounding moorland and a good
stopping point for a quick cuppa between bouts of warm sunshine and threatening
showers.
Now it was
time to go to Leeden Tor after crossing the main road that leads up to
Princetown. On the path to Leeden one of the more observant of our group
noticed a fine specimen of ‘moon poo’, or caca de luna (moon excrement), in
case you ever go to Mexico!
Reports of
the substance date back as far as the 14th century when physician John of
Gaddesden detailed ‘stella terrae’ in his medical writings - describing it as
“a certain mucilaginous substance lying upon the earth,” and suggesting it
could be used to treat abscesses. The truth is no one really knows what it is!
Making it to
Leeden, Ingra was next before dropping down onto the old Princetown railway
track bed near to the granite railway bridge that still seems as good as the
day it was constructed, “they don’t make them like that anymore”, someone said
as we walked under and past! Following the track to a right turn just past the
‘gentleman’s path’, climbed up a grassy track to Swelltor Quarries where we had
our picnic in refreshing hail and rain – at least everyone had a fine granite
throne to sit on!
Refreshed
and fuelled up after our food, we proceeded along to the old track bed that
skirts Foggintor Quarry and leads to Yellowmead Farm, passing old ruins that
were once functional and cared for buildings of a past industrial era, buildings
that echoed once no doubt to the laughter of children who went to Four Winds
School, long since gone from a nearby site, now a useful carpark.
With farm
fields to our left and quarrying waste to our right we soon turned upwards
towards Hollow Tor, making our way over patches of saturated sphagnum moss
topped up by the recent weather, great for keeping our boots clean and supple.
After Hollow
our penultimate tor was Rundlestone Tor that today offered wonderful views
towards Little Mis and Great Mis tors in the distance, all in glorious sunshine
too!
Last on the
list was North Hessary Tor, base camp for the communications mast that on a
clear day that can be seen from a lot of Dartmoor. The tor itself is surrounded
by boggy ground, but today for us it is the gateway to our decent path down into
Princetown, with the smell of brewing beer awaiting us to welcome us back to
the edge of the village, sadly for us no actual beer to drink though, that will
have to wait to better times!
Charlie
