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Well I decided to finally get my lazy behind off the sofa and get some walking in!! This is a really nice walk around the area of Great Links Tor and certainly whilst I was there seemed to be one of the less populated areas of the moor having onlt seen two other people whilst out walking!
The weather was supposed to be sunny and clear but as you will see from the pictures it didn't quite turn out that way! I am also struggling with trying to get the photos in the order of the walk and after 4 aborted attempts I have given up and just put them at the end! Clearly my IT skills need some work and will try and do better next time! I have also realised the photo's are in reverse order - just to really confuse things!
The walk starts and ends at the Fox and Hounds Hotel on the side of the A386 between the A30 and Tavistock (take the Tavistock turning off the A30). You follow and obvious lane between the Hotel and its detached skittle alley and walk steadily up the hill until you reach Nodden Gate. Go through the gate and you enter the Moor proper and follow the clear and obvious track with an old cutting to your left and the stream in the valley to your right. Great Nodeen is ahaead and just carry on towards it keeping it on your right. You will see in the vallet piles of rocks which are actually on old derelict settlement that was here when the area was worked. The path also resembles a railway cutting, although I am not sure whether there was ever a railway here ir whather the paths were simply used to cart the rocks down form the quarried areas on the moor?
As you leave Great Nodden behind the path drifts to your right and you will see a small Tor to your right with a single tree to the left. You can cut up through here and pick up the path that then heads up to Hunt Tor (my picture says Hart Tor and I now realise I need glasses!). Again a steady climb heads up to the summit of Hunt Tor from where you get a good view across to Yes Tor and High Willhays and you can see across to Great Links Tor (weather permitting!).
You head directly over the moor here towards Great Links Tor and drop down towards a path in the valley below. Cross the path and follow a fairly well worn path up towards the summit of Great Links Tor. Its a steady climb up to the Tor and if you have a loo around the base of the Tor (to the left of the Trig point) there is a nice little shelter cut out of the rock where you can get out of thw wind and enjoy your flask of your favourite warm drink! Be warned there is really only room for one!
When you have finished your break walk through the rocks to the other side of the Tor and you will see across to Higher and Lower Dunna Goat (no idea if the names have any meaning!). There is a clear and visibletrack heading towards these Tors and its a yomp across the moor again! Once you reach them you will see below them in the vallet a clear track where you want to turn right and head along the track. Before you do its worth checking out the ruins of Bleak House - again a sign that the area was well worked in the past!
As you head along the track keep following the track to your right past a small standing stone with a letter L on it (again no idea what the signifcance of this might be) and towards Dicks Well. Don't be tempted to head off left towatd the obvious tor as that isn't Brat Tor. Stay with the path and as you crest the risk you will then see Brat Tor in the distance with Widgery Cross just visible on the summit. A clear worn path marks the way towards Brat Tor and as you get closer you can clearly see Widgery Cross on the Summit of the Tor.
The final leg of the walk is almost back on yourself as across the valley you will see Arms Tor which you need to head towards and then over the Tor where a clear path becomes visble heading down into the Nodden Valley. Follow this path down to the ford and then simply follow the path back the way you came and down to the Fox and Hounds Hotel. A pint is well worth a try here and the food looked good (didn't try it myself though) and I have heard it said the landlord likes those people who use his car park to have a pint after by way of a toll!! This is a really nice walk and if you take the time to take in the views form the summits of the Tors you get some really good views across the moors! Enjoy!
