South of Princetown

7 December 2020

It was a frosty morning as I drove to Princetown. There was a big traffic jam due to an accident on the A38. Despite my early start it was almost 09:00am by the time I set off from the car park in Princetown, not helped by one false start as I left my trekking poles in the car and had to go back for them. Mine was the only car in the car park.

I made good progress to South Hessary Tor and then on past Nun’s Cross to Eylesbarrow. Gradually I warmed up and, by the time I arrived at Higher Hartor, I had taken my gloves off and the sun was shining. With just a few clouds in the sky and excellent visibility, I was looking forward to a pleasant onward trek.

I proceeded on to Lower Hartor and then for some odd reason set a bearing which led to me crossing the Plym at Plym Steps. I even climbed some distance up the hill – and was rewarded with an excellent view of the circle of the prehistoric settlement below Lower Hartor on the other side of the Plym Valley. When I stopped to look at the view, I realised that actually I should be on the other side of the valley too. I descended to the Plym and crossed easily further downstream without walking all the way back to Plym Steps – thankfully my boots and gaiters did their job well.

Back on the right route, I passed a plethora of interesting prehistoric cairns, settlement circles (which are of course better visualised from a distance), some large standing stones and a stone row. I could see my next objective – Eastern Tor and soon arrived at this area of mainly horizontal slabs. It was a wonderfully clear sunny day and so far I had seen no-one since leaving Princetown. From there I turned north to the more scattered outcrops of Whittenknowles Rocks, with remains of an ancient settlement, before heading west again across some boggy ground to the more striking Gutter Tor.

Descending Gutter Tor towards the car park, I saw a horse and rider herding cows and a couple of walkers (first of the day). I made my way towards the grid reference for Sharp Tor. This tor isn’t on the map. I found some rocks at the correct grid reference and assume that was what I was meant to be visiting. Having reviewed this since my walk, I can’t find reference to this tor on the large Dartmoor Tor database, but it is definitely on the LDWA spreadsheet.

Given it was such a small outcrop that I found, I spent an inordinate length of time trying to make sure I visited Sharp Tor. I considered walking from there directly to the obvious Cuckoo Rock and Coombshead Tor by crossing Narrator Brook – since to be off the moor before dark meant that I needed to aim to be back in Princetown soon after 4pm. However, I was keen to visit Sheeps Tor together with it’s unmarked outliers, Maiden Tor and Narrator – so I headed west again.

I found a sheltered spot by a stream for my hasty lunch break before climbing to the spectacular and large Sheeps Tor. Maiden Tor to its west was also easy to find. I contoured from there to the north of Sheeps Tor to reach Narrator. I arrived at the correct grid reference, but which outcrop is Narrator and which are parts of Sheeps Tor it is difficult to say.

Descending the hill, to try to find Rough Tor, I found an outcrop at the grid reference I had marked as on the LDWA database – but on reflection was at the wrong place as the Dartmoor Tor database with photograph shows it is definitely within the Roughtor plantation – so I wasn’t looking in the right position.

Following this, I think I found the correct outcrop for Click Tor in the woods above Narrator Brook. This was old tin mining country so I took care with my footing.

Time was ticking on and to be honest I was getting a bit frustrated about all these outcrops which aren’t on the map and are difficult to find. I decided to miss Middleworth Tor and Shappers Tor and make for the big tors again. This is fortuitous as I will need to go back to explore Roughtor plantation again anyway having decided on getting home that I hadn’t visited the designated outcrop.

It was positive to be climbing again to the prominent Cuckoo Rock and then on to Combshead Tor. The sun was getting lower casting an interesting glow over the landscape. From Combshead, I walked over a prominent cairn, actually with a spot height a metre above that of Coombshead. It isn’t on the list though so I quickly passed on to Down Tor. There was no mistaking this as a tor.

From here there was a descent over rough ground and through the edge of some disused tin workings, where care was needed. I crossed the prominent track across the moor and walked up towards Crazy Well and then to Cramber Tor. The sun was becoming extremely low in the sky behind me, so I opted for the straight route to Hart Tor, leaving Black Tor for another expedition. Hart Tor was prominent and looked wonderful bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. As I reached the road at Princetown the sun was definitely setting and I had visited seventeen tors. Mine was still the only car in the car park, but perhaps others had been and gone while I had been away. It had certainly been a fine day for walking.