Tuesday 26th September 2017 Lee Moor

A very warm autumnal morning.  First stop was Whitehill Tor sandwiched between the china clay workings to the north and south.

Below us the old settlement beds now put to good use with vast arrays of solar panels.



















Red Admiral in abundance on the ivy below the tor.

An old track through the woods to...

...Blackalder Tor

The view to the south and in the distance the newly opened tungsten mine at Hemerdon

Around a disused settlement pool.

Through the 'moonscape'



No digging

To Luxton Tor

Set above the Dartmoor landscape

Nearby is Saddlesborough Tor marked by the trig point - not much by way of rocks to be a tor.

Back to Hawks Tor....

Where in past times some clever people have swivelled aroud the top layer of the tor to form a shelter.

Down again to Collard Tor


Back down again around the edge of Wotter and across the road to the woods above Lee Moor China Clay Works


 
Lunch at the Farm Café, where this time all the orders were served on time. With Mike, Stella, Jon, Charlie and Brenda.

New from Ordnance Survey

For those of you that have an interest in these things Ordnance Survey have recently updated their offering. You can now buy a licence for a year from £19.99. This allows you to 
  • view 1:50,000, 1:25,000 and satellite images for England, Wales and Scotland.
  • print your own maps
  • download maps to your phone, tablet or view on a desktop
  • plan routes
  • track routes on your phone
  • synchronise routes and tracks automatically between all devices.
The phone app doesn't have all the bells and whistles you get with View Ranger or Memory Map but it does seem to work very well.

You get a free trial for 7 days to test it all out.

For more information click here Ordnance Survey 

Tuesday 19th September 2017 - From Bennett's Cross

A beautiful sunny morning. There were three walking groups competing for the small car park by Bennett's Cross.

We took the track up towards Birch Tor

Misty

Birch Tor




Back past the dewpond to the Two Moors Way

The bee hives, only one here now. I assume the hives here put here whilst the heather was out.

Down to Headland Warren Farm...

...where the Alpaca lives

Then on to the track which leads to Challacombe for a coffee break as two other walking groups went past - I have never seen so many other groups on one of our walks!

We followed the footpath round to Soussons Farm....

....and then on to Soussons Down


Which way?

On to Vitifer Mine.

Lunch outdoors at the Warren House Inn

With Charlie, Jon, Mike, Brenda, Dianne and Bill

Wednesday Evening 13th September 2017 - Leedon Tor

From the car park up to Leedon Tor in the last light of the day.


Down to the little bridge over the railway track and up to the track by Foggintor

Plymouth in the distance.

Along the railway track, across the main road and then up to Hart Tor. Down and behind Black Tor Falls to cross over the viaduct. Back up tot he cars.

We arrived just after 10.00pm to find the Burrator Inn had closed so it was on the very friendly Rock. With Jon, Mike, Brenda and Stella.

Tuesday 12th September 2017 - Widecombe Fair

The annual walk to Widecombe Fair. Starting at Frith Bridge - looking down the valley to Challacombe.
 

Up to Grimspound and then...


...up again to Hameldown Tor.

Across to Hamel Down Cross.

Looking across to Honeybag Tor and Chinkwell Tor with Hay Tor in the far distance.

Along the ridge

Before going down to...

...the fair.
 

And some colourful characters....

 

Ferret racing



Vintage machines


And then the steep climb back up.

Across to Challacombe

A final boggy bit

With Mike, Stella, Anne, Jane, Brenda, Dianne, Jon, Charlie, Jill and John