This was a series of walks to get nearer to finishing off my list of Dartmoor Tors. To be honest it will always be the way when bagging hills on a list. There’s always a few at the end that need tidying up, I don’t apologise for this series of parking and bagging of the tops, although now I’m a bit more knowledgeable about the area I should be able to link most of them in one walk. Once I’d bagged three summits I headed for Meldon Hill where I did a nice round to collect another two tops. Before driving back home and stopping off to bag Ausewell Rocks. I’m never sure if this one is on private land, some days there’s a sign, sometimes not. I went for it as it was a very quiet Sunday, near to dusk. The first set of pictures below are from the three tops I bagged first, before going on to the Meldon Hill walk and finally Ausewell Rocks. Just 9 to go now
Distance – Not much to each of them Start time – n/a Time taken – n/a Highest Point – Blackingstone Rock 345metres
Weather – A bit grey really
Blackingstone Rock looks imposing from the car park
A grassy path loops you around the rock before you get to this point, a quick scramble up the rock to the stairway to heaven!!
That’s Heltor Rock, I’ll be there shortly
Dartmoor proper is under a bit of low cloud on this grey day
Here I am on the short path up to Heltor Rock
Good views across the East Devon fields from Heltor Rock
After a bit of driving around I found a spot to park near to the stile and permitted path to Hingston Rocks. This is an out and back route and you can’t go any other way that I can find. This is the second stile which takes you up the short hill through the bracken
Follow these markers up the hill, although in summer the bracken will probably cover all this, so come in winter/early spring
Good views to Moretonhampstead from the summit rocks of Hingston Hill
Route – Meldon Hill – Padley Common – edge of Chagford – Nattadon Tor – Nattadon Common – Weddicott Cross – Weddicott – Meldon Hill parking – drive to Ausewell Cross – Ausewell Rocks
Distance – 3 miles Start time – 1.10pm Time taken – 1hr 50 min Highest Point – Meldon Hill 390metres
Decent views across to Fernworthy forest on the way up
Chagford from the summit of Meldon Hill
The summit trig is over there, with Fernworthy beyond
Unmistakable Haytor is also seen beyond Easdon Tor left
Meldon trig point to Cosdon Hill
Christmas leftovers and a coffee, yummy!!
The path down from Meldon Hill was muddy in places and I’m now on the steep climb to Nattadon Tor, here looking back across to Meldon Hill
Nattadon Tor looking down to Chagford with Cosdon Hill beyond
I’m at the top of Nattadon Common (the tor isn’t at the summit its on the northern side) looking to Meldon Hill
Now heading around the lanes to get to the left hand edge of Meldon Hill over there
Heading for Weddicott
These two are entering ‘horns of the year’ in a few weeks!!!! Fine looking fellows
After a quick drive south and a short walk through the woods I reached Ausewell Rocks, being deep in woodland I hadn’t a clue what to expect, but they were fairly big for a tor and had very loose rocks on them. Time for a scramble up!!
Great view to Buckland Beacon from the top
And to Teignmouth, time to head down to the car and then home
treksandtors 