After only having one evening walk this year so far, I had two in two days. Yesterday evening I was with the boys around Hucken Tor, and this evening I’ve decided to make a loop around the head of the Cowsic River. Now I have to admit this isn’t really my favourite area to walk, The area is flatish making the shorter views less spectacular, you can however see an awful long way distance wise. I started out from a quiet Holming Beam car park after a very hot weekend, the area to walk is pretty boggy most of the way round and I was hopeful that the hot weather would help with this. The grass in this area is also very long and with the absence of paths makes for a tough walk. All of this walk is also within Merrivale firing range so the calendar was checked before heading out. All in all it was a pleasant walk with one exception, the wildlife. I seemed to attract an extortionate amount of horseflies today, so much so that 5 days after the walk my calf is still looking pickled. I think I counted at least 15 bites. Secondly, cows. Now I don’t like cows at all, very wary of them and coming across them 2/3rds of the way around my walk was not ideal, Less ideal was getting caught between the adult cows and two calves that stood up from behind a rock as I approached, they were not impressed and left me scooting away at a rate of knots!!!
Most of todays walk in one shot, down the left hand side, around the horizon straight ahead and back along the right hand side. The Cowsic Valley in the middleAfter 10 minutes I arrive at this view across to Princetown, the mast and the prisonThis hill is fairly uneventful!!! Lydford Tor stands out in that sunny spot over therePrincetown again from Black DunghillGreat Mis Tor and White Tor over on the right, from Black DunghillAfter a tough trudge I made the Lych Way, all too soon I had to leave the path to head up to Conies Down TorProbably the best view on this walk and one of the best on Dartmoor. Conies Down Tor along the Cowsic Valley, Holming Beam is by the trees above the tor rocks. I met a fella who was pitching his tent behind the tor, he was talking about his walk and how many cows he’d come across so far. It didn’t bode well for me!!The long flat topped Hameldown range behind Beardown Tor, from Conies Down TorUp on Maiden Hill now, and Cut Hill can be seen on the right with Fur Tor on the leftCowsic Head and a distant Princetown mastSo here are the cows, all around Devils TorAs I near a few have wandered off, some are looking my way and others aren’t interested. Beardown Man stands proudOnly a short distance across to Rough Tor, but not todayThe cows have cleared and I stand on Devils Tor, looking past Beardown Man to Maiden Hill, where I was an hour agoAfter giving two calves hiding behind rocks a bit of a startle and causing the adult cows to have a run in my direction I scuttled off pronto away from all that and into the boggy ground between Devils Tor and Lydford Tor. Here I have a view of Princetown and North Hessary Tor againLydford Tor comes into view, Beardown Tor behindOn Lydford Tor now looking to Great Mis Tor over Black DunghillLots of cows between me and the bridge which is at the bottom across the river. Holming Beam by the trees aboveLongaford Tor above the Lydford Tor rocks on the left with Beardown Tor to the right. The views are lovely from hereAt the bridge now and the River CowsicBeardown Tor on the right after crossing the bridgeThe path back to Holming Beam, Ryders Hill to the leftBack at the start
treksandtors 