Widecombe Round - Dartmoor

[garyhortop]

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

The weather was too good to miss do I thought I would take myself off on the moor and try and work off some more of the Christmas and New Year blubber! This is not a walk for the summer holidays as I am sure that as its starts in Widecombe in the Moor the place will be circus at peak times...but a Friday in January I had the place to myself - well almost!

Start from the car park in the town and take the Natsworthy Road out past The Old Inn. You will see a Tarmac lane on your left (just past a small row of houses) and this climbs steadily up to a detached house. Keep right and you'll go thorugh a couple of gates up on to the moor. take a look back as there is a good view down to the 13th Century Church and its 120 feet Tower and across to Haytor in the distance.

At the corner of the stone wall head North and you will join the Two Moors Way and then you follow the pretty obvious and well worn path across the ridge of Hameldown. This area is riddled with Iron Age Barrows (Burial Chambers) and each of these is marked en route. This is quite a good route even in bad weather as it is pretty strightforward to follow as the track is obvious. The main risk is towards the end of the route where you could end up trying to badger your way through the woods to meet one of the roads if things got sticky. But exxentially you follow the ridge across to Hameldown Beacon, Two Burrows, Single Burrow, Broad Burrow, the remains of Hameldown Cross and you will eventually reach Hameldown Tor with an obvious cairn on the summit! One thing that I noticed was at you get nearer to Hameldown Tor you will see an increasing number of up-right posts. (See Photo's) I thought these might have been old telepgraph posts - butapparently not! I am told (not sure if this is a wind-up!) that they were placed their during WWII to prevent German planes form landing on the moor!

Looking North from Hameldown Tor you look inot the Valley and on to the Iron Age settlement of Grimspound. There is some debate as to whether this settlement was an outpost for invaders or whether it was used by the local as a defensive position. Looking at the location the latter seems more likely to me - but you can make your own mind up! There are a series of innner standing stones and what look like hut circles - its difficult to judge the size from the photo's but its about 100m across and I guess could be deemed as Dartmoors equivalent to Stonehenge! (well almost!)

You carry on through Grimspound and head up the other side of the valley following the obvious path on to the summit of Hockney Tor. You get a slightly better view of Grimspound from here due to the topography.

Then heading broadly west I followed the line of a stonewall and headed on to King Tor and another old Burrow of Kings Burrow. Although if this was a kings burrow it was a bit sad compared with some of the others on the route!

Carrying on Eastwards you will see the plantation and it is that you need to head towards. I think the map has been outdated here as I think some of the plantation has been removed so if you follow the Northern edge of the plantation down you will come to a gate and a tarmas road which will take you down inot Heathercombe. As you come to the famr houses there is a cut through the wood alongside a strream (signpotsed for Natsworthy gate). However, I followed this and had to retreat as there were so many fallen tree's over the path (from the recent storms i guess) that I couldn't get through. So I followed the road towards Natsworhty instead - my consoloation was a siting of a deer (not quick enough with the camera) and this Buzzard on the post!

I followed the road to Natsworthy Manor and then took a detour to Jay's Grave. The story of Kitty Jay is a well known one of an orphan girl form the workhouse of Newton Abbot who was placed at a local farm, fell in love with the Farmners Son - who had his evil way - and then Kitty fell pregnant and was abandoned by the farmers son. She then ended it all by hanging herself in one of barns and in those days anyone committing suicide could not be buried on consecrated ground - as a result Kitty was buried on the parish bounds and her grave is still there today and strangely used s a local "wishing well"! You can find the full story if you google dartmoor legends.

I then back tracked to Natsworthy manor and followed the road down as far as Isaford House. Just after here you can cut off the road and head up a steady climb onto Honeybag Tor. At this point disaster struck and my battery run out. However, not before I dsicovered some more unusual local (or not as the case may be) wild life!

From the summit of Honeybag Tor you essentially have to pick a route through the rocks, down into the saddle between Honeybag and Chinkwell Tor and over again onto the southern slope of Chinkwell tor and into Binehill rocks. from here you can pick up the road that leads you back into Widecombe.....where of course the well known song is based.....and Uncle Tom Cobley...though he wasn't in when I called!

[SusieThePensioner]

Gary, it was great to read your report and see the photos, really enjoyed it

It's a long time ago that I last did that walk

from here you can pick up the road that leads you back into Widecombe.....where of course the well known song is based.....and Uncle Tom Cobley...though he wasn't in when I called!

My daughters loved singing that song, when they were much younger, and that went on the whole of the walk

[ChrisW]

Lovely report Gary, really interesting with great photos throughout, what a fantastic walk. Always nice to see great quality photos of home when living so far away

[garyhortop]

Hi Susie/Chris, Thanks for comments and I was just a bit gutted my batteries ran out on the camera as the colours changed again over Honeybag/Chinkwell Tors as it turned into a stunning sunset!! I'll keep posting a few more walks to remind you of home! hoping to get out a bit later this week - the joys of being self employed......and having no work! Just don't tell the missus!!

And if ever you are down this way and want some company on a walk.....!!