A better day Sunday than the previous walk on Saturday (click here), thankfully a bit of sunshine and dryness. This area can be a bit of a trudge, so I tried to pick bits of interest in between to lighten the long grass, boggy trudge and hardly any paths that you get from Avon Head around to Hooten Wheels. It was a good walk, I didn’t see a sole until I reached Hooten Wheels which is a nice reminder of how wild this area can be. Ryders Hill is pretty much the high spot of the southern moor, although North Hessary Tor at Princetown just pips it by a few metres. Therefore the views from Petre’s stone at the top are extensive. All in all a fine place to be.
| Start – Combestone Tor parking |
| Route – Combestone Tor – Horn Cross – Ryders Hill – Avon Head Mire – Nakers Hill – Rabbits Tor – Mount Misery Cross – Terrill Posts – Ter Hill – Skir Hill – Hooten Wheels – O Brook – Combestone Tor Parking |
| Distance – 8 miles Start time – 11.30am Time taken – 4hrs 45mins Highest Point – Ryders Hill 515metres |
| Weather – Sunny and bright to start clouding over later, spits of rain to finish. Windy throughout |
© Crown copyright 2017 Ordnance Survey FL 2017 SF
Lovely start on Combestone Tor, looking west towards Princetown and the mast
The fantastic Dart valley, Sharp Tor on the other side
Vag Hill with Yar Tor and Corndon Tor behind
That way, back past the car and up towards Ryders Hill
On the way up I pass Horns Cross
Fabulous vista to the north
A glimpse of Venford Reservoir to the east, Rippon Tor the high point beyond
Ryders Hill trig point
Petre’s boundary stone is near the trig point. Snowdon up to the left and the Western and Eastern White Barrow over to the right in the far distance
The spoil heap at Redlake stands proud
Now heading down towards Avon Head, Nakers Hill beyond
At Avon Head overlooking the mire with Redlake in the distance
On Nakers Hill with Redlake again in view
Ryders Hill catching the sun from Nakers Hill
Now heading down towards Swincombe Head and Rabbits Tor
That’s Rabbits Tor on the bank over there. Fox Tor mire beyond and even North Hessary Tor in view with its head in the clouds
At Rabbits Tor looking up along the wall to Ter Hill
A rain storm passes over Princetown as I head up to Ter Hill
First I reach Mount Misery cross, the first of three crosses in this area
The first of the Terrill posts, this is the smaller western one
And the eastern one, both have the same view into central Dartmoor only being 100 yards apart
On Ter Hill now, no real top to speak of up here just a flat large area, filled with lumpy long grass
I had a sit down between Ter Hill and Skir Hill, here I zoom in to Longaford Tor (pointy one) with Cut Hill at the back
Skir Hill is the same as Ter Hill. All grassy and lumpy
I spy a large herd of bovine with their calves so I detour round to the left to miss them. They are stood pretty near Hooten Wheels which is where I’m heading
Hooten Wheels tin mine, ended in 1920
Looking the other way to a lovely view along the O Brook valley
It feels like rain as I follow the O Brook back to the car
Looking back to Hooten Wheels
Luckily the car is 300 metres to my right here. As the rain starts to get a bit heavier. A great walk though with some interesting parts mixed with tough pathless grassy walking
treksandtors 