Well the week before this walk had been pretty good and the warmest it had been since August last year. If you want to walk in this area then pick a dry spell. Some of the hills around here might be over 500m up but they are pretty flat and as a result can hold some very boggy parts. Today wasn’t too bad, in fact with the sun shining I enjoyed this walk. Even Cocks Hill. It was nice to get up to Rough Tor again and there were lots and lots of 10 tors parties out in training for their walk in a couple of weeks. The highlight of this walk is the views along the valleys, the Walkham, Cowsic and West Dart all have a part to play and make a great photo. And hopefully this weather continues!
| Start – Two Bridges parking |
| Route – Holming Beam – Black Dunghill – Blackbrook Head – River Walkham – Clay Tor – Cocks Hill – White Barrow – Lych Way – Conies Down Tor – Maiden Hill – Beardown Man – Devils Tor – Rough Tor – Crow Tor – Beardown Tor – Cowsic Bridge – Holming Beam |
| Distance – 8.5 miles Start time – 10.00am Time taken – 4hrs 40mins Highest Point – Rough Tor 546metres |
| Weather – Lovely sunshine to start, clouded over towards the end |
© Crown copyright 2017 Ordnance Survey FL 2017 SF
Starting out in lovely weather, the Cowsic valley laid out before me
After not too far I hang a left, cross a stile and get this view straight ahead to Black Dunghill. Great Mis Tor back left
On Black Dunghill I can see Princetown and the mast on North Hessary Tor
I’m heading that way next, on the right hand side of the valley down there is Clay Tor. White Tor in the distance. I need to cross the River Walkham to get there.
Clay Tor, looking along the Walkham
Just behind Clay Tor is Cocks Hill, a fairly flat place but the weather is breathtaking
Nice views south to Great Mis Tor on the left and then a run of tors including Roos Tor and the Staple Tors
To the north you can see Hare Tor and Great Links Tor
I’ve dropped down to the Lych Way now and the bumps in the distance are Beardown Tor which will be my last tor today
I’ve crossed the River Walkham and also crossed a dinky bridge over the dried up Prison leat, which used to take water to the prison obviously!!
Looking the other way. I crossed the Walkham down that way on my route to Clay Tor and Cocks Hill
After following the Lych Way for a bit I reach Conies Down Tor and a great spot for lunch. The Cowsic Valley is running away from me, The trees to the right are where my car is at Holming Beam
Great Mis Tor from Conies Down Tor. The cloud starting to gather a little now and darken
An awful lot of not a lot. Miles of no one and great for peace and quiet. This is Maiden Hill
I’m pretty much at Cowsic Head, looking back along the valley. Maiden Hill is up on the right
On Devils Tor with the menhir of Beardown Man on the right and Maiden Hill beyond. There aren’t many settlements near here so quite why this stone was stood upright not many people seem to know
From Devils Tor I can see a bit of smoke rising from behind Whitehorse Hill (left centre). As it turns out there was a moorland fire around Watern Tor and Taw Marsh. I’m heading next for Rough Tor to the right
Rough Tor or a submarine!! All the military huts up there make you look twice
Glorious view, with Beardown Tor right and Crow Tor among others on the left
Behind Rough Tor the smoke rises
Military huts on Rough Tor
Crow Tor looking at the tors on Beardown
Looking left a bit is Longaford Tor, one of my favourites
And again another fab view of both parts of the last two photos. The valley holds the West Dart river and Wistmans Wood
Looking back to Crow Tor, Rough Tor back left
All of a sudden the cloud dropped and there was a bit of misty type drizzle, as quick as it came it ran off again. I’m on Beardown Tor here
Princetown mast is under the cloud over there
There are three outcrops on Beardown, and a couple of huts also. That’s the Cowsic valley down to the left
Crossing the Cowsic across its bridge. To get here can involved a boggy squelch as the ground to my right can be horrid in wet weather. The very dry week we have had has made it just about manageable
Looking south along the Cowsic, the car is up on the right
And here I am. Not as sunny as at the start but a lovely part of the world which was better than previous visits
treksandtors 
That looked a good day for it!
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The first 3/4s of the walk were some of the best conditions I’ve walked in. About 16 degrees, T shirt weather and a gentle breeze. Lovely stuff
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The hills look deserted. Where you away from the Ten Tors route?
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To be fair the Ten tors groups were criss crossing my route. There was one lot on Rough Tor and lots around Beardown and on the Lych Way. It was great to see so many out. But as you say Cocks Hill and Maiden Hill were deserted
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I have very mixed feelings about challenge walks, but it is good to see people out enjoying themselves. Good too to have some hills to yourself!
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I’m starting to recognize some of the names in Dartmoor now having been for a couple of walks and reading your posts. I love all the old leats and little bridges.
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I have to say when I started walking on Dartmoor it was all about the tors, but now the leats, stone rows and bridges are as much of a walk as anything else
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