Another walk in an area I wanted to come back to and this time with some added on bits and new things that I’ve wanted to go and look at. Lakehead Hill is one of these places, with plenty of antiquated cists, cairns and a stone row to keep people happy, Bellever Clapper is a lovely spot to sit and have a picnic. This was a good walk, made better by the mixed weather, with heavy rain sweeping in and disappearing as fast as it came, followed by warm sunny spells, in fact the further east I was the better it got, the weather in the west was not looking to good for the whole time, with dark black clouds permanently covering the tors around Longaford Tor. The eagle eyed amongst you will spot that I have been finding new tors and hills to add to my list (Lakehead Hill and Blackator Rocks on this one), well I’ve found a couple of new websites with differing lists (they always are on Dartmoor) meaning I’ve got about 20 more new ones to add in, this should push me over the 300 mark. Lots more to see out there!!
Starting out in drizzle from Dunnabridge and looking across to a murky Longaford/Beardown Tor area
Bellever Tor up ahead looks a bit brighter though
Cracking clouds in the sky as I look across to Ryders Hill
Laughter Man menhir with Laughter Tor behind
Bellever Tor from Laughter Tor
To the east is the flat topped Hameldown
I’m now on Bellever Tor and between Laughter Tor and here I’d got thoroughly soaked through to my underwear, still the sun was about to come out and it was time for a brew and biscuit. That’s some horrid looking clouds to the west
2 minutes later and the sun was out. Here I look back to Laughter Tor
I keep an eye on this direction as that’s where the weather is coming from. The grey clouds suggest more rain and I was right as it arrived on Lakehead Hill
Follow the grassy path down and to the left to Lakehead Hill, Assycombe Hill in the distance
Looking back up to Bellever Tor
Lakehead Hill Stone Row
And another this time with a cist
I’d just dried out and it started to rain again, I’m heading down to Bellever village along the bridlepath at this point
And from the other side with the clapper bridge in view. Either swallows or swifts were swooping through the bridge arches here, so I sat and had another brew and a bite to eat and watched
Bellever forest
Walking out to Laughter Hole, you get this view between two prominent Scotts Pines to Yar Tor
Laughter Hole farm, there was a sky dish on the roof which suggests it has been lived in recently, it would make a cracking small holding for someone. Some new windows and a bit of TLC needed.
Laughter Hole stepping stones across the East Dart
Yar Tor again, this time from above Blackator Rocks, it was a steep down and up again
Looking back along the East Dart valley
Huccaby Tor looking to Princetown, the mast and North Hessary Tor
From Huccaby Tor looking to Laughter Tor right and Bellever Tor middle
A patchwork of light and colour and dark skies. I’m heading down and left to a gate on to the road you can see
Dunnabridge Pound to finish after the road walk. This would have been a shelter for the shepherd.
