Walk

The varied moods & aspects of Dartmoor

Plymouth Rambler Ron Smith talks us through a 6-mile walk with lovely views.

The same six miles in the same week of mid-May; but what a diff erence! Bright sunshine and eluvial deposits of tin ore, mined out by tinners before 1700. The local names for these tinned out gullies are lovely views right across the Moor one day; just a few beams, or gerts. days later, low cloud and blustery drizzle. Both are the days later, low cloud and blustery drizzle. Both are the The leat was built in the 1790s after this form of tinning Dartmoor us Ramblers know and love - truly one can Dartmoor us Ramblers know and love - truly one can was no longer in use, to supply what was then called get pleasure from a walk in all get pleasure from a walk in all Plymouth Dock as it needed weathers. weathers. increasingly more water. Norsworthy Bridge is a very Norsworthy Bridge is a very The Plymouth Leat, or Drakes good starting point for various Leat, had been put in 200 walks deep into the Moor, with years earlier. Our leat was only generous space for car parking. allowed to be built on the strict Simply drive past Burrator proviso that it did not in any Reservoir to the head of the way interfere with Drakes Leat, valley, park just beyond the so had to draw its water from bridge. beyond Princetown, requiring a Our walk starts up the lane to The end monolith of the stone row tunnel under Nuns Cross Farm Leather Bridge and then heads to reach us here. Today, Drakes right. Emerge from the wood Leat no longer runs, since and continue to Crazywell Pool. This deep excavation it was blocked by the building of Burrator Reservoir. of the medieval tinners is a favourite swimming spot Devonport Leat still runs vigorously to above the end of in high summer. Pass the pool and go up diagonally the reservoir, then tumbles down to assist fi lling it. onward until you reach the Devonport Leat. Follow this We follow the leat, initially above and parallel to a track. along the hillside noting how it needed to be built up When the track crosses Elder Bridge, keep following the round the tops of several gullies. These were fi lled with leat nearly to the head of the valley where it emerges

from the tunnel; you do not go that far unless you choose to. When you see a cross above on the left, be ready to cut down right from the leat to cross the head of the narrow valley and climb up the other side onto open moorland. The cross is a modern one erected in 1968 by Lieutenant Commander B. Hutchinson of Stoke Fleming, in memory of his mother. On the open moor keep along a broad unpaved track to pass between a sprawling cairn and an Iron Age enclosure. Here you join the line of a stone row, leading to a tall monolith and a small stone circle. Do not carry straight on to the top of Down Tor, instead veer diagonally left to reach Combshead Tor.

Crazywell Pool Leather Bridge

This very pretty tor has its summit rocks surrounding a sheltered grassy lawn, an ideal lunch spot in windy weather. An alternative lunch spot with a view is by the strange conical Cuckoo Rock, beyond and below the tor. After lunch continue diagonally right down the hill to the track that leads past a ruined farmstead and back to Norsworthy Bridge. This is a very varied walk, showing many diff erent aspects of our lovely Moor. To join in with such a walking group, Google ‘Plymouth Ramblers’ or phone the author, Ron Smith on 01752 674230. n

Ron Smith

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