Sunday 5 September 2010

"Better a bad day on the hill...

than a good day in the office" as the saying goes.

WITC tested this theory out last week in the Erme and Yealm valleys. With the haze thick enough to cut with a knife, and the boxes hard to come by, it was not a great day's letterboxing.
We started, as ever, at New Waste. Its a useful starting place though the walk up Stalldown Barrow from there always is an unwelcome start to the day. Beyond Hillsons House comes the great view and walk down to Downings House where surprises are guaranteed. A chance encounter with a plump young fox which WITC flushed out from the deep grass.

North through unvisited territory of Bledge Brook and on to the Kiss-In-The-Ring stone circle. Also known as The Dancers. This is a part of the fascinating and unique past of Dartmoor. The stone row that runs North from here is said to be the longest prehistoric stone row in the world. Its more than 2 miles long, and is either Neolithic or Bronze age - so potentially up to 11000 years old.

Turning for home, we return via the Yealm's East bank, and seeing the Hawnes & Dendles Waste on the opposite bank made us remember the great plantation that used to be here, and now a possession of the Dartmoor Preservation Association.

It sure beat a good day in the office, although we only gathered 18 stamps for our trouble.

2 comments:

4 Winds said...

Not been down that way for a while - did you park at the water works?

whoisthechallenger said...

Yep. Parked at the Waterworks, on perhaps its busiest day ever. Loads of cars and dog walkers out.