Dartmoor CAM

This walk: 2007-7-4 - Princetown, boundary stones, North Hessary Tor, Rundlestone Tor, Hollow Tor, miners old cottages, Yellowmeade Farm, dismantled railway track. This walk was based on the Footloose walk entitled "Princetown"

Walk details below - Information about the route etc.

Prison boundary stone south of North Hessary Tor, at SX 58355 73736. There are others to the north of the tor although I did not look for them. The government "arrow" sign is clearly visible

North Hessary Tor television transmitter (SX 57815 57216) from the south

A closer view, there is an extensive low building here. The tor with the trig point can be seen at the right of the photo

Rundlestone Tor (SX 57640 74600) with Great Mis Tor behind

Looking west towards Hollow Tor (SX 57107 74543)

Another passing view of Hollow Tor, with tall grass or rushes changing its appearance

Remains of old enclosures (SX 56610 74750). Several pairs of gateposts are visible running back to the right. Great Mis Tor in the distance

SX 56630 74400 - Where the track divides, the right-hand branch going to Yellowmeade Farm (of which, a better view later). Foggintor Quarry works in the distance

Along the track towards Foggintor, granite sleepers of Thomas Tyrwhitt's horse-drawn tramway (Royal Assent granted in 1821, see HERE, page 5), complete with grooves and fastening holes to hold the rails. Salisbury Road party approaching in the distance

Closer view

Looking back at Yellowmeade Farm with Great Mis Tor behind

Entrance to Foggintor Quarry (SX 56622 73683)

A view inside the quarry

A common flower that grows extensively in this area and alongside the railway track: probably a stonecrop (a Sedum species). If the flower petals were pinkish underneath and the leaves blue-green, then probably English Stonecrop, Sedum anglicum. If the petals were white top and bottom and the leaves bright green, then White Stonecrop, Sedum album. The leaves are out of focus, but they should be thick pointed cylinders: in either case, the leaves may sometimes be reddish. Another candidate is Thick-leaved Stonecrop, but nothing further can be said without looking in detail.

Old building at the Foggintor complex - note the tramway sleepers in the foreground with paired holes

As above

Link to a panorama taken from near this point. The image is so wide that it would disturb the display of this ordinary web page ..... remember to press F11 and again when you want to return to normal view .....

SX 57405 73166 - Plymouth to Princetown railway bridge over a stream

Boundary stone (SX 57205 73416) showing PCWW 1917 (Plymouth Corporation Water Works) marking the limit of the water catchment area of Burrator Reservoir. There was another stone across the railway track

Hut circle (SX 57690 73066) near the end of the walk

Walk details

Parking is available at the big car park in Princetown, behind the visitor centre. The walk starts by turning left out of the car park and following the tarmac road to a "Footpath" sign on the right and then left at the end of the path up a footpath to a gate that leads on to the open moor, towards the TV transmitter. The route is to North Hessary Tor, passing a prison boundary stone. There is a temporary fenced area around the transmitter of blue nylon rope behind which is an electric fence to keep sheep out of the transmitter area. Then to Rundlestone Tor, Hollow Tor, old enclosures, Yellowmeade Farm, Foggintor Quarry and the dismantled railway back to Princetown, passing hut circles and settlements.

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

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

Notes
Start 11.20 am, end 2.25 pm, time = 3 hours 5 mins
Distance tracked = 7.97 km/4.95 miles
Moving average 4.2 km/h, overall av. 2.4 km/h