Leftlake, Three Barrows and Ugborough Beacon

/ 14/03/2017

I’m enjoying this go where I want element to my walking at the moment. For the previous year the task has been to finish the tors on my list. Now I have the freedom of Dartmoor again! This walk started out as probably 5 or 6 miles, however I added on lots of extra parts, like walking through Piles Copse, Leftlake and Ugborough Beacon. It was a lovely walk and made better by the feeling that spring is coming, I saw frogspawn so it can’t be far away!! The area behind Three Barrows is an area I haven’t been to before and seeing Leftlake and the area north means I will be back.

Start – Harford parking
Route – Piles Copse –  Leftlake – Three Barrows – Sharp Tor – Piles Hill – Hobajons Cross – Spurrells Cross – Ugborough Beacon – Eastern Beacon – Western Beacon – Black pool – Butterdon Hill – Hangershell Rock – Harford parking
Distance –  10 miles    Start time – 12.30pm     Time taken –  4 hrs 45mins  Highest Point – Three Barrows 464metres
Weather – Some sunshine, lots of cloud and breezy on the tops

© Crown copyright 2016 Ordnance Survey FL 2016 SF
Starting out, I’m heading for the dip in the distance which holds Piles Copse
The sun pops out for a bit to light up the view
Passing under Sharp Tor, I’ll be up there in an hour or so
Piles Copse, I can imagine in the dark this place could be a bit spooky
Climbing out of Piles Copse and looking over the trees up the River Erme
Frogspawn, it must be spring
Great view back over Piles Copse along the Erme
And from further up, Sharp Tor to the left
Leftlake, the bridge would have carried the Puffing Billy railway to Redlake (further north) and now carries the Two Moors Way. The hill behind is Three Barrows
Wilderness behind Leftlake
The clay mine has been filled with water, hence the lake, with the bridge at the far end
On Three Barrows, looking to the green of South Hams
I’m heading this way next, to Sharp Tor, down on the right
Lee Moor forming a backdrop
Sharp Tor cairn looking towards Plymouth
The same cairn looking to Ugborough Beacon, back left
From Sharp Tor you get this brilliant view down to the River Erme and beyond to Plymouth Sound
From the same spot looking north along the Erme to Lee Moor
Looking back to Sharp Tor with Three Barrows at the back with a bit of sun on it
By Piles Hill is the start of the Butterdon Stone Row, which runs for 2km in this direction to the hill in the distance (Butterdon Hill)
Not far from Piles HIll is Hobajons Cross, carved into one of the stones
Hobajons Cross has a good view west
A short distance away is Spurrells Cross, this cross was on the monks path from Buckfast to Plympton Priory, that’s Ugborough Beacon behind, where I’m heading next
Dappled sunlight from Ugborough Beacon
Ugborough Beacon
The shapley tor (middle right of photo) is Three Barrows, where I was an hour or so ago
South Hams stretches out below Eastern Beacon, with its telegraph pole!!
Looking from Eastern Beacon back up to Ugborough Beacon
Western Beacon is next up, with Butterdon Hill to the right
Sunbursts across Plymouth from Western Beacon
Looking back to Ugborough Beacon on the right, with Butterdon Hill (up next) on the left
Lovely sunlight across Hanger Down, with the clump (the group of trees) easily seen
Western Beacon behind Black pool (no not the seaside town), as I climb Butterdon Hill
Butterdon trig and cairn, with Three Barrows in the distance
Where I’ve been, Sharp Tor and Three Barrows from Butterdon Hill
Sunburst to the west
Hangershell Rock is the last port of call before the car
Hangershell Rock
The car park is to the right of the trees down there, I need to head further right though as the area between is very boggy
Sky and silhouettes as I head for the car

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