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This walk: 2011-8-17. Venford Reservoir, auxiliary overflow, notice, triple mortar stone, nest boxes, rosebay willowherb, thistle, longhouse ruins, Venford Brook, rainfall notice, ducks, tree roots, pine cone, RD/H boundary stones, White Wood, Sharp Tor, Mel Tor, Bench Tor, River Dart, PUDC, 4th Anniversary cake!

Walk details below - Information about the route etc.

 

The new auxiliary overflow at Venford Reservoir, designed to deal with a 100-year storm event.  

 

Notice at the entrance to the round-reservoir walk, the reservoir opened in 26 June 1907.

 

An unusual triple mortar stone, which is unusual partly because there is no known history of tin ore-crushing in this area.

 

View across the reservoir .....

 

Two nest boxes .....

 

View to an aeration device said to deliver sparkling water to Paignton .....

 

Rosebay Willowherb, Chamerion angustifolium .....

 

A whole plant .....

 

An infestation of plants!

 

View to the southern end, opposite end to the dam.

 

A thistle .....

 

The thistle's leaves (excl. the rhododendron on the right).

 

View to the north (dam) end of the reservoir.

 

Ruins of a medieval long house which has been cleared of bracken by Dartmoor Preservation Association, at SX 6822 7064 .....

 

As previous photo.

 

The stream at the head of the reservoir, Venford Brook .....

 

As previous photo.

 

Notice about Venford Rainfall. 

 

Four ducks in a row.

 

Tree roots along the path .....

 

As previous photo.

 

Nearing the dam, looking across at the car park - where the Pimm's and pasties were!

 

Pine tree, with leaves (needles) in pairs. Besides the Scots pine (which this probably is), the Collins Complete Guide to British Trees includes Red Pine, Japanese Red Pine, Japanese Black Pine, Beach and Lodgepole Pines, Bosnian Pine, Austrian Pine, Corsican Pine, Crimean Pine, Mountain Pine, Stone Pine, Maritime Pine, Aleppo Pine, Calabrian Pine, Monterey Pine, Ponderosa Pine (Western Yellow Pine), Arolla Pine, Bhutan Pine, Weymouth Pine, Macedonian Pine and Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine - all found in Britain!

 

Boundary stone marked RD / H, signifying Richard Dawson, Lord of the Manor of Holne. The reservoir catchment area of 700 acres is marked by these stones at 200 yard intervals. Source: Dave Brewer (2002), Dartmoor Boundary Markers, Halsgrove, page 288.

 

Another view.

 

Another thistle.

 

The walk above Venford Brook, along the line of a large pipeline (water main).

 

A general view inside White Wood, on the climb up to Bench Tor.

 

From near Bench Tor, looking down at the Double Dart in the valley below.

 

Sharp Tor, SX 686 729, elevation 380 metres (1246 feet).

 

Mel Tor, SX 693 726, elevation 346 metres (1135 feet).

 

Rock pile at Bench Tor, a long, spread-out tor at approx. 691 717, with the River Dart down in the valley at the right .....

 

River Dart.

 

A mixture of Bell Heather and Common Ling (the lighter coloured flowers).

 

Damp Moor Strollers with Sharp Tor behind.

 

Another reservoir boundary stone back at the car park.

 

On the reverse face, PUDC - Paignton Urban District Council. The road and reservoir can be seen in the background, on the left.

 

The star attraction at the 4th Anniversary Walk & Picnic .....

 

In disguise: Maida Vale, or Maid of the Veil; by the way - Happy Birthday!

 

Walk details

 Red = GPS satellite track of the walk.


Ordnance Survey © Crown copyright 2005. All rights reserved. Licence number 100047373.
Also, Copyright © 2005, Memory-Map Europe, with permission.

 

This walk was reached by driving east from Two Bridges on the Ashburton road, turning right just before Dartmeet to Hexworthy and driving past Combestone Tor to the reservoir car park, marked on the map by the  P  symbol and the yellow cross.

 

Statistics
Distance - 4.74 km / 2.95 miles.
 

 

 

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