Dartmoor CAM

This walk: 2010-6-16. Lych Way or The Way of the Dead, Bellever Forest, The Hairy Hand of Dartmoor, Sitka spruce, animal clamp, Princetown, Bellever Tor, Laughter Tor, Bellever Tor letterbox, prehistoric settlement, Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust ponies, Rough Hawkbit.

Other walks in this area: 24 Jul. 2007, 18 Sep. 2008, 9 Jul 2009 & 16 Sep. 2009.

Walk details below - Information about the route etc.

Scene on the Lych Way (or, The Way of the Dead) through Bellever Forest. This was a footpath across the moor along which the dead were carried to Lydford church for burial. This ceased, in theory, in 1260 when the dead were allowed to be buried at Widdicombe, although some still chose to be buried at Lydford.

One of the legendary Hairy Hands of Dartmoor - sometimes associated with this area!

Strolling through the forest, a monoculture of Sitka spruce.

As previous photo.

Another view along the way .....

..... and here they come again.

Caption competition .....

1. Will this rock go a-rocking?
2. Private knobbly knees competition .....
3. Jostling for position .....

Animal crush for trapping ponies for sorting, checking, etc.

View towards Princetown from the southern edge of the forest.

Bellever Tor, SX 644 764, elevation 443 metres (1453 feet).

View to Laughter Man (a standing stone), we thought, but it was a tree.

Filled in gateway, passed on path from south up to Bellever Tor.

Approaching Bellever Tor.

Here they come .....

View to Laughter Tor, 653 757, elevation 420 metres (1377 feet).

Moor Strollers on the way .....

Letterbox stamp located on SW flank of Bellever Tor, in memory of Bog Dog .....

Some of the paperwork in the box.

Trig. point on the top of Bellever Tor .....

Hugh captures another tor in his quest to top all the tors on Dartmoor!

Looking north from Bellever Tor, with Fernworthy Forest on the left and Soussons on the right.

Longaford Tors, SX 61560 77943, elevation 507 metres (1663 feet).

Part of the outer boundary of the prehistoric Bellever Tor northern settlement.

"I'm standing on a bog, I am, and I'm going to show you how deep it is by pushing this walking pole in up to its neck!" .....

"See!" .....

Close-up of the imbedded walking pole.

Some of the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust ponies being used to control undergrowth in 200 acres of the forest area.

Almost back at the car park.

A study in green and blue.

There was a bee on this flower but it wouldn't keep still! The dandelion-like flower is believed to be Rough Hawkbit, Leontodon hispidus - this is because it is mentioned in The Wildlife of Dartmoor by Baldcock & Walters as an old Dartmoor haymeadow flower. Keble Martin's Concise British Flora in Colour illustrates 43 species, all looking similar to this photo and also describes several others (some of which need to have their roots examined for stolons) .......

Walk details

MAP: Red = GPS satellite track of the walk.

This walk is accessed from the B3212 road between Two Bridges and Postbridge with parking on the right-hand side of the road after passing Powdermills and before reaching Postbridge, at the Higher Cherrybrook Bridge car park, marked by the yellow cross and P symbol on the map above.

Statistics
Distance - 5.49 km / 3.41 miles