Monday 5th May 2008
This was the second half of my epic hike across the length of Dartmoor from the northern tip in Oakhampton to the southern tip in Ivybridge. I had never walked in the southern half of Dartmoor before so this was a bit of a voyage of discovery, and I must admit I was not impressed. I started the walk by hiking through the woodland south of Bellever until I reached stepping stones over the East Dart River. The weather at this point was wonderful, sunny and warm, but unfortunately it wasn't to last. Climbing away from the river I passed through the hamlet of Babeny and up a road to Yar Tor which was beside the road. From there I descended steeply down the hillside to the tourist spot of Dartmeet. Personally I couldn't see the attraction of the place, besides the fact that it is the point where the East and West Dart Rivers meet, but it's only a bridge over the river!
Once over the bridge I crossed the West Dart River by another set of stepping stones and started to climb up onto the high moorland. On the way I passed Combestone Tor which featured a large collection of rocks that were great fun to climb and also a bit of a challenge, but unfortunately they were to be my last bit of excitement on this walk. From there I ventured out onto the moorland on a clear path past ancient settlements, which show that people once actually lived out here. Eventually the path disappeared and I had to use my GPS to locate the top of Rider’s Hill as the landscape was bleak and deserted with no visible landmarks, not even Tors. There may once have been people living here but no one would want to now, and certainly not me as this is not my sort of place at all. From there I accelerated my pace as I had a train to catch in Ivybridge so I quickly passed over Snowdon (it’s changed a bit since I was last there!) and Pupers Hill before descending to an eerily deserted valley, the head of the River Avon, miles from civilization.
Even the birds which can usually be heard on moorland were silent here as I hurriedly made my way beside the stream, over a bridge and climbed once more onto the moorland. Rushing past the top of ‘Petre’s Cross on Western White Barrow’ (as marked on the map) I noticed my objective: a deserted tramway. This wide track would take me almost all the way to Ivybridge with no steep gradients to negotiate and an easy surface to walk on, so I set my GPS to tell me how long it would take me to get to Ivybridge at my current speed and paced myself to ensure my e.t.a. stayed around the 15.00 mark, stopping for my lunch or for anything else only if I had built up enough time. This way I was able to get to the station with ten minutes to spare for the train at 15.26. Unfortunately it did mean I was unable to explore the landscape on the way and I didn't visit any Tors that may have been around. I have rather a negative memory of that mad rush on the second half of the day and the landscape may have benefited more from a relaxed walk across it, which is a pity. The weather had turned grey and overcast so I had no enticement to linger and, besides, generally the landscape seemed just too bleak and flat for a mountain lover like me. From Ivybridge I travelled to Cheddar in preparation for another day's walk on this holiday.
This was the second half of my epic hike across the length of Dartmoor from the northern tip in Oakhampton to the southern tip in Ivybridge. I had never walked in the southern half of Dartmoor before so this was a bit of a voyage of discovery, and I must admit I was not impressed. I started the walk by hiking through the woodland south of Bellever until I reached stepping stones over the East Dart River. The weather at this point was wonderful, sunny and warm, but unfortunately it wasn't to last. Climbing away from the river I passed through the hamlet of Babeny and up a road to Yar Tor which was beside the road. From there I descended steeply down the hillside to the tourist spot of Dartmeet. Personally I couldn't see the attraction of the place, besides the fact that it is the point where the East and West Dart Rivers meet, but it's only a bridge over the river!
Once over the bridge I crossed the West Dart River by another set of stepping stones and started to climb up onto the high moorland. On the way I passed Combestone Tor which featured a large collection of rocks that were great fun to climb and also a bit of a challenge, but unfortunately they were to be my last bit of excitement on this walk. From there I ventured out onto the moorland on a clear path past ancient settlements, which show that people once actually lived out here. Eventually the path disappeared and I had to use my GPS to locate the top of Rider’s Hill as the landscape was bleak and deserted with no visible landmarks, not even Tors. There may once have been people living here but no one would want to now, and certainly not me as this is not my sort of place at all. From there I accelerated my pace as I had a train to catch in Ivybridge so I quickly passed over Snowdon (it’s changed a bit since I was last there!) and Pupers Hill before descending to an eerily deserted valley, the head of the River Avon, miles from civilization.
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