Dartmoor CAM

This walk: 2011-4-21. Blackthorn, Yeo Farm, celandine, buttercup, bluebells, Sheep's Tor, church path stile, St. Leonard's Church in Sheepstor, three White Rajahs - the Brookes of Sarawak, church interior.

The bluebell part of this walk was done on 19th May 2010, where there are more bluebell photos..

Walk details below - Information about the route etc.

Believed blackthorn (sloe tree), Prunus spinosa blossom: this generally flowers before the leaves emerge (doubtful here though), and the leaves are not dissected like hawthorn. The flowers are creamy white: if they are pure white, then it is Prunus cersifa, the cherry plum, but this is a sloe area.

Taken for the shades of light green in the new leaves.

Yeo Farm, not shown here is the CCTV camera sign.

Part of the footpath near Yeo Farm.

Backlit sheep.

Celandine .....

Buttercup.

Bluebells in Burrator Wood .....

As previous photo.

Common Blubell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, close-up

As previous photo.

Zoomed view to Sheep's Tor.

A church path stile, with just a few stones sticking out of the hedge: mass paths typically included stretches crossing fields of neighbouring farmers; and were likely to contain stiles when crossing fences or other boundaries; or plank bridges to cross ditches.

Signpost.

St. Leonard's Church, Sheepstor.

Looking upstream at Sheepstor Brook, near the church, as it runs down to Burrator Waterfall.

The west entrance to the church.

The coffin stone at the gate, where the funerary party would wait for the parson.

Click the photo to see a larger version of the account of the three white Rajahs of Sarawak..

Leaflets about the church (40 p) and The Brookes of Sarawak (25 p).

15th Century octagonal font.

The nave, for the congregation, and the chancel (at the east end, with the altar), separated by the rood screen. There is a shallow north transept.

The south aisle.

A carved oak pew end.

The window above the altar, by Hardman, which shows the exultation of the patriarch Joseph, is in memory of Sir James Brooke.

The pulpit area.

What is the date - 1616? Part of a very old tombstone, the church being built around 1450 AD (561 years ago in 2011).

One of the plaques on the walls.

A commemoration of the "thorough" restoration in 1861.

The tombs of the three White Rajahs of Sarawak: James Brooke, the first Rajah, with the polished red Aberdeen granite; Sir Charles Brooke, the second Rajah, with the single large slab of Dartmoor granite that was pulled to the churchyard by eleven horses; and between these lie the tombs of the third Rajah, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke and his brother, Bertram Brooke.

A general view of the church against the blue sky of the day.

The porch with a strange sculpture above the door .....

The sculpture, symbolising life after death, with corn sprouting from the eye sockets of the skull and with an hour glass below to signify the inevitabilities of the passing of time. The inscription below says "Death is the door to life" and that above "As the hour so life passes".

The cross outside the west gate, erected by vicar Hugh Breton in 1911 to mark the coronation of King George V .....

Low relief crosses are carved on two sides of the shaft, which was removed from a field where it was serving as a cattle rubbing post near Burrator House.

Walk details

MAP: Red = GPS satellite track of the walk.

This walk was reached via Plympton, Cadover Bridge, turning right at Brisworthy and again before Sheepstor village, skirting the north edge of Ringmoor Down to Ringmoor Cottage small quarry car park marked by the yellow cross on the map.

Statistics
Distance - 4.47 km / 2.8 miles