Arms Tor and Brat Tor

Well, I’m here to start another round of my tors and this is the first of the walks. The question I have is, when you’ve completed a list and you want to do it again, do you start again from 0 having done none of the hills, tors or whatever. Or do you count the ones you have done on other walks? Whether that be as part of collecting them all the first time, or you did a walk just to go back to a favourite. I’m pretty sure I’ve been to some of the tors 3 or 4 times before now. So do I have to collect them all again? Either way, this was a second visit to both these two, however yet again the weather here was terrible. It started out ok but by the time I reached Arms Tor summit the rain was travelling at speed, like an advancing wall of water straight up the valley over Tavistock (to the south). There was no where to hide and I got drenched, despite having full waterproofs one (may need to look at a new jacket as I’ve re-proofed my current one a few times now). Anyway it was a good outing but I’ll need to revisit these in better weather for sure.

Start – Lydford parking behind the Dartmoor Inn

Route – Lyd Bridge and stepping stones – Arms Tor – Brat Tor – Lyd Bridge – Lydford parking

Distance – 2 1/2 miles Start time – 2pm Time taken – 1 hr Highest Point – Arms Tor 457metres

Weather – Cloudy to start, then heavy horizontal rain and a strong wind

© Crown copyright 2016 Ordnance Survey FL 2016 SF

Starting out from the car park you get lovely views to Brat Tor on the right and Arms Tor on the left, when I set out I hadn’t a firm plan of how many I was going to do, the two above were certain but I thought of adding Doe Tor on as well or maybe Sharp Tor. It depended on the weather which at this point looked ok

Looking back and the bump of Brent Tor can be seen, where I finished my round last week

Doe Tor is over to the right of Brat Tor, Hare Tor behind is covered in low cloud though

Looking south along the Lyd valley from near to the bridge, Doe Tor up to the left and White Hill to the right

The bridge over the Lyd and the stepping stones. This is a lovely spot in summer with Arms Tor up on the right and Great Nodden straight ahead

Climbing towards Arms Tor now, the bridge can be made out below over the river. Brent Tor still in view at this point. 10 minutes later however….

I’m at the summit nearly of Arms Tor with sideways rain and a gale blowing, I make a run for those rocks up there and hunker down for an impromptu meeting with myself over the next course of action.