An order for fine sunny weather had been placed for
this walk, to better enjoy the panoramic views available from five Tors –
King’s, Ingra, Leeden, Black and Hart Tor.
We were not disappointed. Any
residual cloud soon disappeared as we left Four Winds and headed up over King’s
Tor. Down we went, pausing first to
admire the granite corbels that were to have graced London Bridge, then to
exchange pleasantries with a male-only group of walkers – a fact that elicited
some comment from one or two in our group!
Onward down the bridleway that is not the easiest to follow (especially
in the dark), our senses stimulated by the sight and scent of hawthorn
blossom. Across the brook we went,
using stepping stones that look stable but in fact lie in wait for the
unwary. The climb up to Leeden Tor
followed a brief coffee stop at Ingra Tor, the moorland silence broken only by
the sound of skylarks, but then – what was this rumbling sound growing louder
by the second? None other than a
presidential helicopter winging its way upcountry from some point west,
doubtless doing a practice run ahead of you-know-what. A picnic stop was made on Hart Tor, before
traversing the long-abandoned rifle range, its stone range markers still in
place. Crossing the road at Devil’s
Bridge, we headed up to Foggintor, initially through tussock grass, which concealed
at least one adder, spotted by one of our number. There was but one wild swimmer in the quarry
today, in contrast to a recent visit, though the day certainly invited it – and
we made our way back across to Four Winds, after a walk notable above all for some
stunning views.
As a postscript, visibility
the morning after is very limited in the familiar Dartmoor drizzle – what luck
yesterday!