Dartmoor CAM

This walk: 2007-12-14 - Fernworthy Forest, stone row and circle, cairn, cist, Teignhead Farm, bridges, tinner's hut, Grey Wethers stone circle and nearby pound

This page in stereo

Walk details below - Information about the route etc.

Stone row leading to Fernworthy stone circle, at SX 65485 84126. The stumps of old trees are a little misleading in the photograph but at least the circle is clear of the trees that once crowded the scene.

The circle.

A closer view of part of the circle.

The nearby cairn, 75 meters away in an ESE direction from the circle.

The remains of what appears to be a cist, to the right of the row in the first photo.

A very diminutive stone row (?) leading to the possible cist. The stones are almost buried in the ground today and indicated above by the yellow arrows (I must find out the source of information to do with the marker posts).

View from the gate (SX 64115 84321) at the forest edge looking towards the ruins of Teignhead Farm. Note the old field walls and how they are clear on the map, next image below.

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

Map of Teignhead Farm - the preceding photo was taken from the gate marked by the blue arrow on the map.

View to the right (northwards) from the gate, along the North Teign River valley with Rippator (or Rival Tor) at 421 m / 1381 ft, in the distance.

View to the left from the gate, showing Sittaford Tor, at 538 m / 1765 ft.

Footbridge to Teignhead Farm at 63935 84491, along the style of a clapper bridge but with three stones abreast between the piers. This bridge is mentioned in Wikipedia.

View back towards the bridge with the forest behind. The rain run-off from the path to the farm is seen running into the river at the left.

The first of the farm ruins encountered.

Another small footbridge among the farm ruins, again three stones abreast (see next photo) .....

Another view of the small bridge.

A walled drive-way, of sorts, leading to the main farm buildings.

A water trough? There are other troughs nearby constructed from concrete blocks - nowhere near so attractive!

Perhaps the main former living quarters?

Detail from previous photo.

Tinner's hut at SX 62755 84231, see next photo.

Detail of the tinner's hut.

Composite photo of Grey Wethers restored stone circle at SX 63880 83140, looking towards Fernworthy Forest and White Ridge.

A View of The Grey Wethers from the south, along the bridle path.

Pound at SX 64015 82888, marked by yellow arrows (but not in reality!). This was a little difficult to find and I walked on the edge of it and well beyond, as indicated on the red GPS track of the walk shown on the map below.

Walk details

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

The approach road from Plymouth is the B3212 via Postbridge, past the Warren House Inn. The turn-off at SX 6887 8279 leads to Jurston, Yellands Cross and a hairpin left-hand turn past Tunnaford. There is perhaps an easier approach further on from Postbridge at the Lettaford Cross turn-off (at SX 7098 8404). The road used is scenic but narrow. On reaching the forest, drive right around the reservoir to the end of the road to park. There is a big park at the forest entrance and other small areas by gateways along the road.

Statistics
Distance - 12.1 km / 7.52 miles
Start 11.10 am, Finish 3.43 pm, Duration 4 hr 33 min
Moving average 3.7 kph / 2.3 mph; Overall average 2.2 kph / 1.4 mph