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<\/a><\/p>\nI found a great car park in Belstone, plenty of space and no signs prohibiting overnight parking. \u00a0 Left the van about 6 pm and squashed bivvy bag, sleeping bag and mat into my rucksack, along with a bit of food, water, a can of Hobgoblin and a hip flask, and headed out of the village on a bit of the Tarka Trail. \u00a0Followed tracks (farm, or MOD, or both) around East Okement Farm (which took me across ‘Irishman’s Wall’, could still see the remains of it) through New Bridge and up to Yes Tor. \u00a0 Amaing views, the sun was lowish and sending rays through the clouds. \u00a0 I could see as far as the north Devon\u00a0coast.<\/p>\n
Went on to High Willhays, not as nice bivvy spots as at the Tor but I dislike back-tracking. \u00a0Later I spied some other people on the tor (how very dare they!) and I was quite happy alone. \u00a0The sun poked through the clouds a bit before it went down as a red disc. \u00a0I found a great sleeping spot which was sheltered under an over-hanging rock, but not needed this evening. \u00a0Settled down in a little less sheltered position in order to see the sun coming up. \u00a0It was almost cold; dry and still. \u00a0I had my thermarest\u00a0inside the bivvy bag and it was a bit of a squeeze. \u00a0I woke a few times in the night, it was never particularly dark, I could see lots of stars in a blue\/grey sky. \u00a0Woke a bit before 4 am to find a crescent moon and summoned the energy to take few pictures. \u00a0I finally got up with the sun respectably high in the sky, which\u00a0felt like about 9 am but turned out to be about half six.<\/p>\n High Willhays; 621 m, Marilyn, Hewitt, County Top<\/em><\/p>\n Yes Tor; 619 m, Nuttall<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next morning I walked off-path to pick up a track near Dinger Tor, then followed it to Okement Hill and on to Hangingstone Hill; no gibbet, but a military hut at the top. \u00a0To the west is the source of the East Dart, the West Okement and Taw. \u00a0There is a letterbox marked on the map and I didn’t know what these were at the time, so I tried to find it to find out. \u00a0The area is marked as marsh, but it was very dry. \u00a0Even so, it became impossibly tussocky, with lots of soft mud. \u00a0Very glad of the walking poles. \u00a0In places there were 5 ft drops where the water had worn through the peat, definitely a place to watch your step.<\/p>\n I retreated back to the track and headed north. \u00a0Crossed the Taw next to the dead sheep your mother warned you about – I’d taken some water further up so was lucky on this occasion. \u00a0I followed the path to Oke Tor; a great spot, flat sheep-cropped grass at the top and some shelter from the stones. \u00a0I started to meet a few other people now. \u00a0Followed the Taw back to Belstone and the waiting van.<\/p>\n Hangingstone Hill; 603 m, Dewey<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Camped at the Plume of Feathers pub for a couple of nights. \u00a0There is a new visitors centre in an old hotel where Arthur Conan Doyle stayed when researching and writing The Hound of the Baskervilles<\/em>. \u00a0They had a small exhibition including some letters that he had written at the time. \u00a0In this hot and sunny weather it was hard to imagine the mists that he talked of, but I know this isn’t typical. \u00a0Bought a copy with accompanying notes to read over the next few days, and as it turned out, to inspire some walking.<\/p>\n I visited the prison museum, a mind-boggling array of pieces and text in no particular order. \u00a0The personality of ‘the curator’ was closely felt. \u00a0They had an old bike that was claimed to have belonged to one Mr MacKie.<\/p>\n I set off for a walk at 4pm but\u00a0it was still hot. \u00a0I saw one other person, a guy on a mountain bike going the other way. \u00a0There’s a bridleway straight out of the campsite to South Hessary Tor, which then takes a straight line to Nun’s Cross, and a nice if deserted-looking farmhouse.<\/p>\n Then over the Devonport Leat and across a bit of the Abbot’s Way before heading to Fox Tor, past another cross. \u00a0This is a great viewpoint and overlooks Foxton Mires, which became the Grimpen Mire for Holmes. \u00a0Downhill to Childe’s tomb (familiar from a Seth Lakeman song) and then a bit of compass use to aim for some Cists which were marked on the map but I had no idea what they were – I found some circular patches which must have been them.<\/p>\n To get back I had to cross the Swincomb River, which flows into the West Dart. \u00a0I spotted an animal crossing and waded through in my boots – it was actually quite pleasant. \u00a0Again the poles were useful. \u00a0A bit of a slow tramp up a tussocky and featureless field to eventually come out onto a road back to Princetown, in time to watch the sun setting behind North Hessary Tor. \u00a0Returned to the campsite after 10 pm: they never close<\/em>.<\/p>\n South Hessary Tor; 454\u00a0m,\u00a0Tump<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Left Princetown and drove north east via<\/em> Postbridge to Bennetts’s Cross.<\/p>\n Took a path south towards Soussons Down Wood, then around the edge of Challacombe Down. \u00a0An old village is marked on the map, visible was a wall including some massive stones, and ridges in the ground. \u00a0Later on I saw that these extended around the hill, and there is a field system marked, which looked like terraces. \u00a0Followed a road south for a mile to Blackaton Cross, then a bridleway uphill to meet the Two Moors Way. \u00a0This was a nice viewpoint, of other tors, craggy hilltops and crazily steep roads.<\/p>\n Then I took the Two Moors Way north, over Hamel Down. \u00a0It connects a number of cairns and barrows, which are marked with a stone each with what looked like ‘DC 1853′. \u00a0From Hameldown Tor (529 m) it is downhill fairly steeply, during which the settlement of Grimspound comes into view, the inspiration for Holmes’ hideout on the moor.<\/p>\n Up once more to Hookney Tor, then back to the van to head towards Buckfastleigh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After being slightly lost I followed a campsite sign and ended up at Beara Farm, which was delightful. \u00a0The\u00a0other campers seemed fairly resident, either in vans in varying states of repair or teepee-shaped canvas tents full of children. \u00a0The very friendly farmer called John pointed out the way to the River Dart if I fancied a swim, which I thought was mad but did in fact take a quick dip in lieu<\/em> of a shower. \u00a0It looked calm but the current was respectable and it was of course freezing.<\/p>\n The following day the rain came, and I had a cycle around the place mainly because I had brought my bike and thought I ought to use it! \u00a0Got to Buckfast Abbey which was busy with coach trippers. \u00a0The Abbey Church was odd, being clean and new yet traditional ‘church’ in style…the money required to rebuild it must have been considerable. \u00a0The only place open in the town was The Seed cafe, which turned out to be staffed\u00a0by a guy from the campsite who had cycled there in bare feet. \u00a0A very nice cafe\/shop although the anti-vax stuff was a little scary.<\/p>\n The rain stopped by the evening, my last before heading home. \u00a0The Buckfastleigh to Totnes train line is on the other side of the river…a steam train is just puffing past. \u00a0Holmes and Watson could be on it, on their way to Baskerville Hall.<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\nPrincetown<\/h6>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0Grimspound<\/h6>\n
<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\nBuckfastleigh<\/h6>\n
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