Challacombe Down

First walk back after a week in the Lake District and almost got caught out by the earlier nightfall. Had to get a bit of a wiggle on whilst crossing Hameldown and not too much of a stop at Grimspound in order to make it back with 20 minutes to spare before dark. I also found a rugby ball on Hookney Tor which is one of the strangest things I’ve found on Dartmoor so far. A few new places for me on this walk, Challacombe Down and Blacka Tor and also a visit to Stoneslade Tor which I had been over before but didn’t realise it!! More of this weather please for November!!

Start – Bennet’s Cross parking

Route – Birch Tor – Challacombe Stone Row – Challacombe Down – Blacka Tor – Blackaton Cross – Stoneslade Tor – Kingshead Tor – Hameldown Beacon – Two Barrows – Broad Barrows – Hameldown Cross – Hameldown Tor – Grimspound – Hookney Tor – Bennet’s Cross parking

Distance – 7 miles Start time – 1.20pm Time taken – 3hrs 20mins Highest Point – Broad Barrows 530metres

Weather – Lots of white cloud, lots of sun and going dark earlier!!

© Crown copyright 2016 Ordnance Survey FL 2016 SF

Nice blue skies as I look up to Birch Tor, Challacombe Down just to the right

Views to Cosdon Beacon as I start the walk

The last working mine on Dartmoor was here, the Vitifer Tin Mines closed in 1925. The white building in the distance is the Warren House Inn

On Birch Tor with Challacombe Down to the left and Souusons Down the valley to the right

Hookney Tor left and Hameldown Tor right from the same spot

Challacombe Stone Row with Chaw Gully below and Birch Tor beyond that

This is the end stone of the stone row in the dip across there is Grimspound (the circle), which could have had links to this stone row

This wall marks the top of Challacombe Down, here looking over to Fernworthy Forest (back right)

Almost down to the road that will take me to Blacka Tor, Hookney Tor beyond the fence. Challacombe farm is behind me

Blacka Tor looking back to Challacombe Down on the left

Heading up onto Hameldown now and the views across to Haytor and surrounding tors open up

In the far distance in the mast on North Hessary Tor beyond Devon’s green fields

Here looking back along the Two Moors Way path from Stoneslade Tor

From the same place the sun nips behind a cloud meaning I can get a picture to the south west, the dark tors, centre left, are Yar Tor and Corndon Tor. This is from Kingshead Tor

Bit of zoom catches the sun picking out Haytor

Hameldown Beacon, I realised at this point I’d need to get a move on as the sun had about 30 minutes before setting

From Two Barrows into a setting sun

Looking east this time

Back along the ridge to Hameldown Beacon

Greator Rocks picked out by the zoom this time

Rippon Tor

I could see this rock/tor sticking out in the sun to the east. After a bit of work with the map I managed to identify it as Blackingstone Rock. Its on my list of to do’s!!