This was my first proper walk after coming back from the Lakes. Nothing too tricky or too far but an area I haven’t been before, around the Blackbrook River and somewhere I have been around, in Royal Hill. Like much of Dartmoor at the moment the grass is long, the bracken is high and thus paths are sometimes non existent and even when they are cattle seem to frequent them and their verges!! On crossing the bridge below Round Hill Tor I noticed on the map and subsequently on the internet afterwards, that it has no name. Thus I named it Round Hill Bridge!
Start – Roadside B3212 (Between Princetown and Two Bridges)
Starting out this morning the weather was, let’s say, a bit weird. Low cloud seemed to be sticking to some strange spots. Here it is glued to halfway up the mast above Princetown and the prisonTo the north it was right down on the high tors, all the time blue sky was above, the sun was out and warmAfter passing the scout hut this view opens out along the Blackbrook River. Round Hill Tor on the leftDown to this concrete bridge over the Blackbrook, I didn’t cross here as the grass the other side looked thick, so I crossed the wooden bridge and followed the Blackbrook to the next wooden bridgeAfter crossing the bridge it was a short hop to Round Hill Tor. Here looking back over the long grass to Princetown, the mast and North Hessary Tor on the right, the scout hut is in the trees to the left. I handrailed the wall across the picture to get to the wooden bridgeRound Hill Tor, Blackbrook River below and Blakey Tor on the other side of the river, just in the shadowRe-crossing the Blackbrook River, Bellever Tor distant leftNo name on the map, so this is Round Hill Bridge in my book!! Round Hill Tor behindHeading to Blakey Tor now across more longish grass, Bellever Tor dead centre of shotThis definitely wins rock structure of the day or best impersonation of a mushroom!! Round Hill Tor just to the right of it. Princetown mast in the distanceLooking north from Blakey TorAfter a warm slog uphill I arrive at the Crock of Gold, on the map this should be north of the path, however its to the southNo gold!Azure blue skies above Royal Hill summit rocks, also plenty of flies. I think I took 3 shots of this one with a large fly caught straight in the centre of picture!!Looking back towards Princetown from Royal HillNow on the main path through these parts, here looking back eastwards with the Down Ridge above the pathHowever I’m going this way towards Princetown, and need to give a wide berth to these two mothers and their calves. Once around it was a short walk back to Princetown and the car
treksandtors 