I’d planned this walk for a while and never managed to get here, always heading elsewhere, higher places that on paper seem more exciting. To be honest I don’t know this little part of Dartmoor very well, I’ve always headed on to Haytor or Hameldown, or not come over this far from Plymouth and stopped at Shipley Bridge. Two new tors today, Blackadon Tor and one of the littlest on my list in Leigh Tor, both are similar in that they are best done as an out and back to the summit. The second part of the walk involved a short section of the Two Moors Way path, above the Dart valley. This is a fantastic place with plunging views down to the river below, tors on either side and a fine path to follow. Its a walk I will repeat for sure.
The start point of Leusdon HallBoth these stones had engravings on them, part of the silver and diamond jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth 2nd. That’s Hameldown straight ahead. I’m taking the right hand road to Leusdon ChurchI was going to take a picture of the church but the congregation were all outside so I gave it a miss. After finding the walled grassy path I come to this gate which confirms I’m in the right spot for Blackadon TorOn Blackadon Tor with Hameldown to the left and Chinkwell Tor to the rightBuckland Beacon from Blackadon Tor, Buckland In the Moor church in view alsoIts tricky to get a decent picture of Spitchwick Manor but here’s the driveway which I’m about to walk along out on to the road at the far endAfter passing through the village of Poundsgate I do a left turn along a path to Leigh Tor, the climb to the summit is a bit tricky but once up you get a fine view of Buckland BeaconI’ve left Leigh Tor, which is in those trees down on the left and I’m heading up the path to Aish TorAish Tor summit with Ryders Hill in the distanceSame spot with the pointy Sharp Tor stood proudIt was lovely walking along here, Dart Valley down to the left and views to Princetown, the mast and North Hessary Tor in the distanceThe view is pretty good that way as well, Aish Tor up on the leftThe Two Moors Way path to Mel TorA bit of zoom shows a fair few people up on Combestone Tor across the Dart valleyOn Mel Tor now, with Bel Tor middle left of shot and Rippon Tor standing highest in the distance, I could see from here that Haytor had the sun shining down on itSunny Haytor in the centre, Rippon Tor right and Holwell Tor leftThe sun was also out over Sharp Tor, with Corndon Tor to the right, Yar Tor in the shade at the backStill on Mel Tor, looking to Venford ReservoirAs you do in Peru we do on Dartmoor, take your llama for a walk!!Hameldown in view from the grand vista by Bel Tor CornerAlmost back at the car now as I pass Poundsgate Methodist Church, a lovely circuit in an area that can be quite quiet
treksandtors 