Thursday 26th April White Tor

Starting from the little car park in the quarry on Smeardon Down - Seven tors all close together.

Just a short walk up the hill to Boulters Tor (127).

Follow the track through the enclosed land and...

...on to Setters Tor (128)



Not far away  Little White Tor on the left and White Tor on the right.

Little White Tor (129)

A good place to look across to Great Links Tor and Tavy Cleave

Up to White Tor (130).  There is clitter everywhere and it always feels like you are in the remains of a quarry.  Once upon a time it was a Hill Fort and with a low evening sun you can still see the earthworkings from the main road by Mary Tavy.

From here you can just see Fur Tor in the far distance on the left and Lynch Tor on the right.

Next down through the enclosed land below Roos Tor and following the edge of the moor around to the footpath which leads down to Peter Tavy.

Through several fields with lots of  newly born lambs...

...to Sharp Tor (131).  There are  a number of tors with this name on Dartmoor.

Through an enclosed green lane with these playful little ponies - these were not Dartmoor ponies.

To Great Coombe Tor (132) with Peter Tavy church below..

..and down to this unattractive pool...




...across the river...

...up the other side in search of Little Coombe tor (133), which was in here somewhere but I couldn't get through the brambles!  William Crossing (who lived nearby) referred to this valley as 'Gem' - I can only assume it was more accessable then than it is today.

Tuesday 24th April Peat Cot

So a bit of a mixture of walks really.  The committee planned a walk to a very pretty area of the moor but since I had already done all the tors in that area, I decided to go the other way.  Meantime,  Bud and Brian started later and did yet another walk.

I took the track down to Peat Cot where there is this old Weslyan Chapel.  A friendly chap had been employed by the Duchy of Cornwall to clean all the algae off and paint it.  Inside it is tiny and used for storage.

 I went over the leat and out on to the open moor...

...and down to the Strane River to find Strane Tor (124).  This is hardly a tor just a little cliff on the edge of the river.

Even though I had come to a remote part of the moor I was not alone.  These two other guys were there for the same reason as me.  They are also visiting all the tors on Dartmoor.  They have been doing this for the last 4 years and have nearly completed them.  I was the only person they had ever met doing a similar thing!

Looking back down the valley.

I continued over Royal Hill and on to the Dartmoor Way by the Crock of Gold.  This part of the track goes from Princetown to Hexworthy.

Then a short walk to Blackey Tor (125).  This one is a bit off the the 'beaten track' - you can't easily go anywhere else from here - so it isn't one you would normally visit.

  ...towards Longaford Tor...

...shaped by the elements

Then back to the Dartmoor Way, up to the Peat Cot track and across to South Hessary  Tor (126)...

...with the North Hessary Tor mast in the distance.

Finally back to Princetown with this view of Dartmoor prison.

The committee had decided that with bad weather forecast (which didn't happen) we would have a pub lunch again so we all  joined up in the Prince of Wales for lunch - with Bud, Brian, Roger, Charlie, Terry and Rosemary

Thursday 19th April Pew Tor

Pew Tor (117) is my favourite tor and one that James and Sara have been coming to since they were born. So no surprise when Sara, on a flying visit here from Bordeaux, said she wanted to walk over it.

On the way up we were looking for Samford Tor (118) - also know as Little Pu Tor.  The book says 500 metres east of Oakley Cottage and 200 metres SSW from Pew Tor.  Well this is the spot but it's not really a tor as we know it,  is it?   

UPDATE 29th October 2012 I no longer think this is the location for Samford Tor see here: - 
http://mydartmoorwalks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/saturday-27th-october-pew-tor-and.html

What I like most about Pew tor is the way the tor provides a natural window for different views across the moor

Towards Horrabridge...
...Staple Tor and Great Mis Tor...
 ...Ingra Tor, Leeden Tor, and Sharpitor
...Great Mis Tor
 
Looking across to Feather Tor













Sara and Linda
















Down to the track leading Heckwood Tor (119)...

 ...and the side of the tor which was previously used as quarry...

 ...and how long did someone work on this block only for it to be left abandonded.
Just further down the track is this splendid view of Vixen Tor (120).  There was a time when anyone wandering the moor could walk across to this tor but not longer, as a result of the actions of the land owner to prevent access.

From here a very short walk to Feather Tor (121)...
 ..and then down to Windy Post.

Just up the hill from here is Barn Hill Rocks (122).

Finally over to Prowtytown Rocks (123).  These are just below Pork Hill car park and you can see how they also have been used as a quarry.


The other side of Pew Tor.