This week: Part 1

I had two objectives for this week when the opportunity arose to spend a couple of days on the moor.  One was to do some Christmas walks.  Finding a festive series or two provides a perfect end to the letterboxing year.  Of course, it wouldn't be complete without freezing cold fingers, exchanging Christmas wishes in visitors books and a hail storm.

So I headed up to Cox Tor first to find a few boxes.  It was rumoured that snow would fall in Devon on the morning of my walk.  As is customary, hail fell instead where I was.  After Cox Tor, it was on to Aish Tor.  The oft overlooked rockpile on the River Dart's East bank.  From up here I was able to spy Bench Tor, where last Christmas I had my own letterbox walk sited.  This year, I have chosen not to site a Christmas series.  Though I have other plans instead...

Dear Santa...

I decided to pass on the shopping frenzy that is Black Friday, now universally recognised for the supermarket scrums. Yet we are about to meet the internet equivalent: 'Cyber Monday'  The year's biggest online shopping day, with just over 3 weeks till Christmas. WITC considers what deserves to be on the list to Santa this year...

There are loads of astonishing 2015 calendars available at the moment including this one by the Ordnance Survey. Reduced to £5.29, and only available through their website.  Ordnance Survey shop

I love a gadget, and surely they don't get more gadgety than global positioning. The GPSmap 62sc, a Garmin with added 21^st century stuff. Things like a 5 megapixel camera and internet connectivity.

On sale at Handtec at £227.88 Handtec.co.uk

If, like me, you are preparing for another very chilly letterboxing season, it was exciting to discover a revolutionary new type of handwarmer. It can be charged through the main or by USB port, and provides up to 6 hours of warmth. At £29.99, the Hot Rox isn't cheap, but it might be the only handwarmer you'll ever need.  presentsformen.co.uk

As I have a particular fondness for the magnificent scenery of Tavy Cleave, I'll be hoping for a photographic print of the Dartmoor valley.  One from The Green Lanes Shimmer aka landscape photographer Rachel Birch perhaps:  This large signed and mounted print is available at £22.09. thegreenlanesshimmer 

For the outdoorsy people in our lives, a couple of suggestions:

What about a personalised map jigsaw? Select one of 5 map styles, including 'circa 1805' or current OS Landranger, pick a postcode to centre on, and create a unique 400-piece puzzle for your loved one  to complete this Christmas.  (Remember: Princetown's postcode is PL20 6SS!)

Reduced to £23.79 at dash4it

Plus one for the kids: The Two Blondes have written a new childrens book 'The Dartmoor Christmas Tree', beautifully illustrated by Ali Marshall. If you haven't heard of the authors, the Two Blondes are the pair behind www.twoblondeswalking.com: Nominee for the TGO Outdoor Blog of the year 2014.

The book is available at Amazon.co.uk for £6.99 Amazon.co.uk

Happy shopping everyone!

Tuesday, November 12th 2014

A set of 12 cat stamps in the Lyd Valley was my target for my last trip to the moor.  After years of searching for and finding letterbox stamps dedicated to dogs, it was unusual, but not at all unwelcome to spend the day searching for a series of cats.  

The weather was showery, but not cold.  The wind was forecast to be strong, but was not bearing inhibitive.  I parked at Nodden gate, as the farmers were bringing sheep off the moor near the (now very closed) Dartmoor Inn, and car entry was a no-no.  The track, for your information, behind the Fox and Hounds pub has become rutted and must be treated with care when driving.

The boxes were relatively easy to find, and followed the well known path up the river, then back further up he hillside, taking in all the features along the way.  Autumn sunshine lent the scene a warm glow, and eventually, even Great Links appeared from out of the gloom too.

Creepy goings on

Happy Halloween!

In the darkness, a noise.  A shuffling.  Silence again.  Suddenly shadows moved and scurried to one side, then the other..  Then to the boot of the car, which I closed and then locked.

After my longest separation from the moor of the year, by the end of October, I was raring to go.  Clock change weekend of course means the Letterbox Meet at Lee Moor.  Although I was eager to attend (I missed April's Meet) last minute work commitments inevitably prevented this again.

However I was able to complete a short route around Top Tor and Pil Tor.  A few word-of-mouth series have been sited here in the past few months, yet the area is frequently overlooked in favour of higher, more distant spots.  Parking at Hemsworthy Cross, and heading straight for the summit of Top Tor, I wasn't surprised to see several day-trippers resting leaward side of the outcrops, keeping out of the chill wind.  The views were breathtaking in all directions, particularly up the Webbern valley between Hameldown and Chinkwell Tor.  Banks of cloud send short showers in from the West, but as I descended to Hollow Tor and the lesser visited Tunhill Rocks, the sun started to shine, warming the scene.  By the time I reached the cairn at Whitaburrow, a warm Autumn glow was in full effect.

Boxes were being found thick and fast.  I met the Stamping Staggs and compared notes (not clues!).  The area's proximity to the car parks belies its boxing opportunities.  Poor Emily had clearly been a victim of the letterbox thief before, and prepared her new letterbox for the worst.

12 boxes found, and a truly enjoyable return to the moor for Autumn.

The Tour of Britain 2014

I own a bicycle, but I'm not the most committed cycle nut.  I really enjoyed the cycling events I saw at London 2012, and the Tour de France coverage on TV this year was incredible.  So when I won a Twitter competition run by Dartmoor National Park, to join them on their open top bus at Haytor for the Tour of Britain this year, I was ecstatic!

A VIP ticket for the top car park, and a prime view at the summit of this King of the Mountain stage were on offer.  The 170km Devon section of this week long cycle event had several climbs, but this one was the headliner.  Thousands of spectators had walked, cycled or driven up to the moor to watch.  The route passed through Widecombe, Ponsworthy, Dartmeet, Two Bridges, Merrivale and Tavistock.  Then North to Lydford, Okehampton, and East back towards Exeter.  The NPA were understandably delighted by the turnout, and the weather.  Sir Bradley Wiggins, Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish were just three of a stellar line up of professional cyclists on the tour.  True - the build up, cyclists and race cars passed by within 20 minutes, but it made an exciting and unusual day out on the moor.

It was incredible to see the peloton speed up the hill, still chatting to each other as they cycled.  Massive congratulations to all the competitors.  If you haven't seen the Tour on the moor, then hope that it will return again soon.  It seems that the Rugby World Cup matches in Exeter in 2015 will prevent the event returning to the county next year.

A short cut?

It has been years since I last went to Cut Hill, and I'd urge you to make the effort to get out there too.  Summer is the optimum time to visit this remote spot at the centre of the Northern moor.  The planned route involved going in from a different direction, not from the usual Postbridge or Baggator car parks, but from Fernworthy Reservoir.  I'd calculated that this was the closest car park to home within striking distance of the Hill.

I took a few choice paths in Fernworthy Forest to emerge on the slopes of Tom's Hill, taking the 'digger' path over Sittaford Tor and over to Statts House.  In the distance I could make out 2 diggers around Flat Tor Pool.  A surprise, since the August work was only due on the Summer Hill plateau.  I was too far away to see exactly what they were doing though.  I descended to Kit Steps and leapt the East Dart at the confluence with Cut Hill Stream.  Here, the letterboxing began.

My clue list was long.  With not many distant bearings utilised, it was a test of my memory of Cut Hill's landmarks and artefacts: including the pipe, cable, outcrop, rain gauge, guide stones and blocks.  This is a big hill, and I had about 6 hours to scour it.  One landmark I hadn't seen since its discovery was the Cut Hill stone row.  Dr Tom Greeves discovered Dartmoor's highest row up here in 2010.  

The Hill was very quiet today, and I saw just one other person all day (even the diggers were silent).  The walk took me down to Cut Lane Stream, and around to Foresters House.  Underfoot, the grass was long, and damp, and it made for treacherous walking at times.  With 3 hours till Sunset I found myself at Lamerton Lane considering the best way back.  My clues were all for Cut Hill, so I packed up my clues, map and compass and headed down to the Teign valley, following the course down to the confluence below Sittaford.  Another ascent over this Tor, and I was a short walk back to the forest.  Stopping to take some pictures of Grey Wethers in the warm dusk light.  The paths in Fernworthy are not as plentiful as the newest OS map suggests.  Which is a touch frustrating, in that options are limited, though it could be seen to be safer this way, with less chance of getting lost.

A cracking day all in all.  The views from Cut Hill's summit stretch from St Austell to the Blackdown Hills, with both coasts visible at Torbay and Tintagel.  A tricky, under-used route though from Fernworthy, but one for the intrepid.  About 15 miles walked, and 26 boxes found.  

Chagford

On the North-East corner of the Moor, nestled at the base of Meldon Hill is Chagford.  A neat and historic stannary town.  My most recent venture to the moor was here - enjoying the comfort of the Globe Inn to spend a night in the town.  Though I was in Chagford for explorations rather than letterboxing...

St Michael's Churchyard in Chagford is the resting place for the grandfather and founder of Dartmoor Letterboxing - James Perrott.  He died in May 1885, aged 81 in the town he called home.  Chagford parish's website records that the church was dedicated to St Michael the Archangel by Bishop Branscombe (of fellow Dartmoor landmark Branscombe's Loaf fame), who in 1261 was Bishop of Exeter.

James Perrott was a famous Dartmoor Guide, and is credited with taking amongst others, Charles Dickens on the route out to Cranmere Pool via Fernworthy.  Besides walking, Perrott was also a keen angler.

So it was for lunch that it was deemed appropriate to descend to the Teign Valley and the Anglers Rest public house.  The peaceful atmosphere on the deck at the waters edge is phenomenal. Watching Brown trout and dippers darting by.  En route, we passed the tented Castle Drogo.  I had never really considered how visible Castle Drogo was from all over the Eastern moor until this giant white wrap was placed over it in December. The Western Morning News call it the biggest tent in the world, and that if all the scaffolding poles were put end to end, they'd stretch 60 miles!  Despite being damaged by the Winter storms, the wrapping will stay in place till mid 2015, until the renovation work is complete.  I look forward to the grand unveil next year.