Finally Spring has arrived, lots of sunshine, warmer temperatures and a busier Dartmoor as a result!! This was a walk in a popular area but away from the crowds and avoiding the busier paths, the route out from Postbridge to Stannon Farm allows a quieter approach to the East Dart waterfall, and the area of Winney’s Down and Broad Marsh is always people free. It was good to be out this weekend, its felt like a long winter and the clocks going forward meant the sun was still quite high when I finished at 5pm. Plenty of lambs in the farm fields, daffodils on the roadsides, primroses, gorse in flower and the skylark overhead, just brilliant. I had a decent meal in the East Dart pub afterwards as well, which was a good way to finish a cracking day. More of these weekends if you please!!
Starting along the B3212 and a fab display of daffodils on the roadside
The track to Stannon Farm, the sky looks blue and sun is warm, shame the wind is blowing but you can’t have it all. Stannon Tor is above the track in the distance
Stannon Tor behind Stannon Farm
Strange what you notice some days, walking to Stannon Farm I noticed the stream, stepped off the path to see this simple little bridge
Climbing up to Stannon Tor and looking back down to Stannon Farm
A wowser view from Stannon Tor
Broadun Rocks and Higher White Tor on the other side of the valley from Stannon Tor. I’ll be on the former later.
The Beehive Hut near to the East Dart River
Looking out along the East Dart valley
First of two visits to the East Dart waterfall. It was idyllic here today
The planes make a star in the sky as I look to Sandy Hole Pass, I’ll come back that way later
It looks stunning up here but the stiff wind was keeping me moving
The path up from the waterfall across Winney’s Down towards Statts House was a good one for the first half, it then turned towards Sittaford Tor, leaving me a boggy trudge the rest of the way. Whitehorse Hill above the path, with Statts House up to the left
Statts House (old peat cutters hut) with Cut Hill in the distance
The path to Sittaford Tor
Broad Marsh, with Sandy Hole Pass beyond. I have attempted to walk across here in the past, I won’t again!!!
Looking downstream to Sandy Hole, I’ll be there in a bit but first a loop up to Flat Tor
On Flat Tor with Willbanks Hill left and Rough Tor right
Flat Tor and flat ground!! Ahead in the area they have called the Mires Project, searching online this is an area where they are trying to regenerate the boggy, peaty ground that Dartmoor is famous for, after years of tinning which has dried large parts up
Now down at Broada Rocks after walking from Flat Tor along Cowflop Bottom, Broad Marsh is behind Broada Rocks, Sandy Hole is to my right
Looking back to the Broada Stones across Cowflop Bottom, with Cut Hill beyond those
Heading into Sandy Hole Pass, you can see how the tinners narrowed the river at this point to increase the river speed, in order to help carry the spoil away.
Out of the pass and following the right hand bank to the East Dart waterfall again
The southern entrance to Sandy Hole Pass
Broadun Rocks with Cut Hill highest at the back, I’ve gone past the waterfall to get here
The great wall to Broadown Tor, Higher White Tor off to the left
Looking down to Postbridge and the forest at Bellever
Broad Down left and Hartland Tor right, the East Dart valley in between
Every time I walk past this house my eyes turn green with envy!!!
Spring has sprung!!!!!
The 13th century Postbridge clapper bridge and the East Dart passing under it. Back at the car here and the end of a fab spring walk
Thanks for sharing this detailed and lovely walk. 🙂
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Great walk, my mate and I did pretty much the same route a few weeks ago. Looks like you had better weather than us though!
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Can’t complain about the weather, it was lovely to have some sun at last!!
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