Bellever Tor and Lakehead Hill

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!!

Start – Dunnabridge parking

Route – Laughter Tor Stone Row – Laughter Tor – Bellever Tor – Lakehead Hill – Bellever – Bellever Clapper Bridge – Laughter Hole Farm – Laughter Hole Stepping Stones – Blackator Rocks – Huccaby Tor – Dunnabridge Pound – Dunnabridge parking

Distance – 8 miles Start time – 12.50pm Time taken – 4hrs 10mins Highest Point – Bellever Tor 443metres

Weather – Cloudy, very heavy showers and warm sunshine in between

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

All sunny over towards Haytor and Corndon Tor also

Bellever Tor from Laughter Tor

To the east is the flat topped Hameldown

Assycombe Hill to the north

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

Cairn Circle on Lakehead Hill

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

Bellever road bridge

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.