The Dartmoor newtake wall is an engineering masterpiece. Such is it's bold authority that beyond it, wild camping is permitted, and letterboxing is somehow ligitimised.
Whilst on a recent walk from Crockern Tor, around Broad Down, the quality and quantity of stone and skill involved with creating the walls was all too clear.
The Stinnions newtake is not of the highest quality you will find on the moor, but is still a wonder to behold. The time, effort and skill involved in building such a wall is stunning. Originally built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries with the assistance of crow bars and similar tools, 
it tended to deviate around the largest boulders if it couldn't incorporate them.
it tended to deviate around the largest boulders if it couldn't incorporate them.It was with these images of blood, sweat and toil of the landowners and 'wallers' of the past in our minds when we walked below Higher White Tor and saw a more modern explanation for the visible quality of the work...
Many thanks to Tim Sandles and www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk for the neccesary information.
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