Dartmoor CAM

This walk: 2008-4-14. Batworthy Corner, Teign-e-ver Clapper Bridge, Wallabrook Bridge, Tolmen Stone, Gallaven Brook/leat, Scorhill Circle, Watern Tor, cairn, Manga Hill, Teignbridge farm footbridge (FB5), FHS Memorial Footbridge, Three Boys Standing Stone (fallen), Long Stone, Kestor Rock, stone rows and Round Pound.

This walk was based on Walk 11 "Legends and the Men of Bronze" in the Walking in Northern Dartmoor book, pages 52-54, published by Dartmoor Rescue Group.

Walk details below - Information about the route etc.

Possible cist, not on map, near Batworthy Corner, at SX 65810 86555 � 5 meters. See next photo. This is marked by a red flag symbol on the map below.

Possible cist as shown in first photo. There seems to be a definite upright stone showing at the near right corner with a space under what could be a cap stone?

Teign-e-ver Clapper Bridge at SX 65447 87079 � 5 meters. Two slabs held together by iron straps. The Tolmen Stone is a few yards down stream on the left bank as seen from this point, probably the next-to-last stone opposite the dark fir tree.

The Tolmen Stone, at SX 65501 87091 � 7 meters.

The second bridge, Wallabrook Bridge, at SX 65358 87136 � 5 meters. The small hawthorn tree makes a good landmark. This is marked by a red flag symbol on the map.

The third bridge, over Gallavern Brook.

Then, up the hill to Scorhill Circle, at SX 65464 87383 (from the 1:25,000 OS map). There are apparently 24 stones standing here and 8 fallen, according to Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, William Crossing, ISBN 1 872640 16 7, 1912 edition, Peninsula Press, 1990.

A small section of Scorhill Circle, with probably Steeperton Tor in the distance, above the highpoint of the left-hand stone, That is at SX 6200 88923, 3.81 km / 2.4 miles. The magnetic bearing was 296�.

Approaching the Thirlestone arch on Watern Tor. At a certain angle, it can be seen not to be an arch.

A view of the main rock pile of Watern Tor (SX 629 867, from the map)

Another view of Watern Tor.

Cairn, at SX 62900 86086 � 5 meters.

View towards Kestor Rock (middle distance, to the left). Batworthy Corner is the dark corner of the trees on the left.

Stile at SX 62985 86433, with Fernworthy Forest in the background.

The clapper bridge on the track between Fernworthy Forest and Teignhead Farm, at SX 63940 84481. This bridge, and the one in the following photo, is over the North Teign River.

The footbridge at SX 64002 84640 � 4 meters, with a memorial stone dedicated to Harry Starkey. It is engraved FHS 1912-1989. See next photo .....

Harry Starkey Memorial Stone, as described in the previous photo.

View to the north, looking down the North Teign River.

This view was appealing at the time, looking north-eastwards along the edge of Fernworthy Forest towards Kestor Rock, which is behind the hill.

Three Boys Standing Stone (fallen), at SX 66028 85486 � 4 meters, with Kestor Rock behind.

Long Stone (Boundary Stone, SX 66031 85687 � 4 m) engraved GF / DC. According to Crossing (page 242), this marks an ancient forest bondmark, between the common lands of Gidleigh and Chagford.

View of the 10 feet high Long Stone with Kes Tor in the background.

Looking back at the Long Stone. This area has several double stone rows and other features, known to Crossing as the antiquities of Shovel Down.

Zoomed view of Kes Tor (SX 665 862, according to the map).

Looking north along a double stone row towards Scorhill Down and Scorhill Circle (I believe just visible below the top of the hill). A second double row can be seen running off right, towards Batworthy Corner.

View along the second double stone row, with Batworthy Corner at the extreme right of the photo, and left of the white sheep.

Round Pound (SX 663 868, according to the map), passed while driving home. The pound contains a central hut that was excavated in 1951 and 1952 by Lady Fox who found Iron Age artefacts, as well as a Bronze Age flint arrowhead. The pound is described J. Butler (1991), Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities II, 36.1 Kes Tor settlement, pages 170-176.

Walk details

MAP: Blue = planned route, Red = GPS satellite track of the actual walk.

The blue lines are the compass or GPS bearings. The red line is the route actually walked: it deviates sometimes from the blue lines to avoid obstacles such as thick bracken, gorse, bogs or clitter, and often to use paths or animal tracks that are not on the map.

Reproduced from Dartmoor OS Explorer map 1:25 000 scale by permission of Ordnance Survey
on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number 100047373.
Also, Copyright © 2005, Memory-Map Europe, with permission

The memorial stone to the Royal Marines was not found on this walk, although some effort was made to do so. It is said to be some thirty meters from the forest wall, along the northern edge of Fernworthy Forest. It was found on 2007-5-8.

Access from the Postbridge direction was along the B3212, turning left after the Warren House Inn/Bennett's Cross, via Yellands Cross and sharp left at Tunnaford towards Fernworthy. Then, the first road on the right, to Thorn, following signs to Batworthy, via Teigncombe. There is a small parking area on the right, a few yards after Round Pound (also on the right), although I parked at the entrance to Batworthy itself. It may not be wise to go on a Monday - you may meet two different forms of bin lorry, as I did! On the return, I missed a turning and went through Chagford and Bovey Tracey back to Plymouth, on the A38.

Statistics
Distance - 13 km / 8.1 miles
Start 10.45 am, Finish 4.40 pm, Duration 5 hr 55 min
Moving average 3.6 kph / 2.24 mph; Overall average 2.1 kph / 1.3 mph