Tuesday 26th March Cranmere Pool

A dull grey day and bitterly cold as I set of through Fernworthy Forest from the end of the road.

I took the track that exited opposite the ruins of Teignhead Farm and went down....

...to the clapper bridge to cross the North Teign River.

Looking back to the forest.

I went up Manga Hill through these old gate posts.

Looking east to Kestor Rock.

South around Walla Brook Head with Watern Tor in the distance.

Evenutally the range hut on Hangingstone Hill came into view.

Over towards Cosdon Hill there was just a flicker of sunshine but that was it!

The range hut on Hangingstone Hill.

There was a very heavy frost on this part of the moor. All the grasses had a feather like frosts attached in the shape of a long flag.












In the distance to the west I could just make out the familiar shapes of

Fur Tor                          Hare Tor                       Great Links Tor                     Yes Tor

 

From here I headed west to Cranmere Pool.  The interesting thing about this area is that raindrops falling on the right of the picture will eventually return to the sea at the Taw Torridge estuary near Barnstaple on the north coast of Devon and those falling on the left will return to the sea at Dartmouth on the south coast of Devon.

The letter box at Cranmere Pool

I left my mark in the visitors book. It is surprising how many people visit this remote place.

There is much more about this here:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranmere_Pool

and here:-
http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/cranmere_pool.htm






Looking back

I back tracked and headed towards White Horse Hill.  Normally this is a very wet part of the moor but the heavy frost and frozen ground made it much easier than would normally be the case to get across.

On White Horse Hill is this cairn (now reconstructed) which was opened up in 2011 to reveal the first organic remains found on Dartmoor and about 150 beads - approximately 4,000 years old.

Much more about this on these links:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-14468394
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-15727960
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-21442474

From here I followed the ridge line to Quintin's Man...

...crossing the stream here...

...and then headed up to Sittaford Tor...

...and finally past Grey Wethers before returning back into Fernworthy Forest.