A walk around northern Dartmoor, and a part I’ve not visited before. When you head up along the road to Okehampton Camp your eyes are drawn to the higher tors of West Mill Tor and Yes Tor, as a result you speed past the hills and tors around Moor Brook and the East Okement River. Today I was putting that right, although I reckon if I had planned on heading to Yes Tor or anywhere above 350metres above sea level then I would have changed plans!! The mist/fog/low cloud/clag, call it what you will was down, in abundance! There was little in the way of a view, the weatherman had said cloud, this was just a lot lower than I expected!! Still there was hope, clear skies promised by 6pm meant that at some point it would start to clear and the cloud level would rise, hopefully!! Even so, the walk through the woods, alongside the East Okement was brilliant and a place I would very much recommend.
| Start – Rowtor parking |
| Route – Okehampton Camp bridge – East Hill – Ashbury Tor – Chapel Ford – Cleave Tor – Tarka Trail – Scarey Tor – Winter Tor – Henrys Ford – Hart Tor OP22 – Rowtor parking |
| Distance – 6 1/2 miles Start time – 11.30am Time taken – 3 1/2hrs Highest Point – Hart Tor 436metres |
| Weather – Cold, low cloud, foggy then clearing a little |
© Crown copyright 2016 Ordnance Survey FL 2016 SF
Erm, not much to see as I leave the car. I’d parked at around 380 metres up asl. So decided to head downhill first for lower ground hoping it would clear before I reached the high spots at the end of the walk
Okehampton Camp bridge, and still not much to see. The normal view to Yes Tor from here is pretty good
Sign for Okehampton camp
If you come this way there is a set of public footpath signs to the right of this gate, thus confirming you are ok to walk this way. I headed to the left of the road looking for East Hill trig point.
And here it is, with a magnificent view down to Okehampton (so I’m told!!)
A little further on from East Hill you reach Ashbury Tor which looks down to the Moor Brook valley
There may be hope as it looks to clear a little, I’m now heading down into the woods for about 45 minutes of walking through there, hopefully by the time I come out it will have cleared!
The walk through here down to the East Okement was lovely, on a gently descending path
The A30 can be seen and heard below
The A30 viaduct with Fatherford Viaduct just past that, I’m turning right here though to head upstream
Apart from the cascades on the river it was all calm down here
With a bit of recent rain this waterfall sounded very impressive
Chapel Ford. I’m heading up the grassy path opposite
After a thoroughly enjoyable 45 minutes walking through the woodlands I pop out near to the Tarka trail, just a short distance backtrack to Cleave Tor, just up on the hill on the right
Cleave Tor, and its definitely clearing as I look across to East Hill and Ashbury Tor
The higher moors to the north start to clear a bit as well
Back on the Tarka Trail now and that’s Scarey Tor (dark area) up ahead
East Okement below Scarey Tor
Looking back the opposite way from Scarey Tor
The pointy Winter Tor from Scarey Tor
That’s Rowtor over there, which shows how much it has cleared as I was facing that on the first picture in this post!!
It was very cold up here on Winter Tor and I had passed on going up to Belstone Tor because of that. I’m heading down just to the left of the trees down there to find a crossing called Henry’s Ford
Before I leave, I take one last photo along the East Okement valley
I did a bit of hopping and jumping to cross the streams to the left of this shot, but this is Henry’s Ford
The track that leads down to Henry’s Ford is on the right with Knattaborough Tor above it. Belstone Tor, Higher Tor and Winter Tor(just above the trees) are to the left
Now at Obs Post 22, used by the army on the Okehampton firing range. Hart Tor is right behind it and Rowtor is in the distance to the left
Hart Tor and the back of OP22, East Mill Tor is above the Obs post
Its really clearing now, Belstone Tor is to the left and even Cosdon Beacon at the back is clear
3 tors in view, Steeperton on the left, Hart Tor centre and East Mill Tor to the right, as I near the car
Rowtor with West Mill Tor peeking out behind. The highlight of the walk was the section through the woodland but I was pleased that the weather cleared to give some views.
treksandtors 