October hasn’t really been my best month for walking, lots of things to do at the weekend and far too much work has meant getting out for a bimble has been difficult. However a more relaxed weekend and a couple of days leave meant that I had 4 days to get a walk in. Tuesday was a good weather day so I chose to walk somewhere in the centre of Dartmoor, taking in some difficult to get to places. Hockinston Tor has to be one of the hardest to get to, it is not the height nor the distance to get there, but the terrain that is difficult. Don’t go in summer as the bracken will be around your ears, winter is best as the trees will have shed their leaves and you will have a chance of seeing where you are going. The walk itself is only 7 miles give or take but it feels much longer. That said the stretch from Luckey Tor right round to the Walla Brook is lovely walking with the trees turning yellow and orange all around you. A fine walk.
| Start – Bel Tor parking |
| Route – Mel Tor – Hockinston Tor – Luckey Tor – Dartmeet Clapper Bridge – Badgers Holt – Walla Brook Clapper and Stepping Stones – Stone Park Tor – Sherwell – Ouldsbroom Cross – Bel Tor Corner |
| Distance – 7 miles Start time – Midday Time taken – 4hrs Highest Point – On the road between Yar Tor and Corndon Tor 390metres |
| Weather – Started cloudy but became sunny by the time I reached the Dart River |
© Crown copyright 2018 Ordnance Survey FL 2018 SF
Bel Tor from the car park
And from the same spot Mel Tor, my first target. That’s Venford Reservoir beyond in the trees
Mel Tor has a great plunging view to the Dart valley. North Tor is on the opposite bank and Ryders Hill is part of the ridge in the distance
Looking round to the left is the remainder of the Dart valley. Hockinston Tor is in this direction, down in the trees
Mel Tor again, this time looking east towards Haytor and Rippon Tor area
After a bit of a fight through gorse and trees and rocks I reached Hockinston Tor, here a rock sticks out from the trees to give this view along the Dart river to Sharp Tor
There is a path through the trees to get to Luckey Tor, its not easy to find but it about 50 or so metres up from the river
The River Dart
Plenty of water through the rapids
Luckey Tor in the trees, again there is a rock sticking out to give you a bit of a view
Autumn in the Dart valley
I like the colours of the trees here, I’m heading that way up river, the river turns right at the end and goes to Dartmeet
Nearly at Dartmeet now, the river keeps changing. Here it is all calm and moving slowly
Dartmeet bridge, there were families all clambering over the clapper bridge, so I left them to it and walked over to Badgers Holt
And here is Badgers Holt
After another nice riverside stretch I end up at the Walla Brook and its stepping stones
Near to the stepping stones is Stone Park Tor, which is pretty well covered in trees and greenery
Stone Park Tor is in the trees down there, but I’ve walked up to the top of the hill to get a view of Yar Tor. I now drop down again and across the clapper bridge and head north to Sherwell
As you walk up out of Sherwell you get ever improving views to the north over the Riddon Ridge to Fernworthy Forest and the northern moor
As I reach the high point on the road the view south opens out. Sharp Tor dominates this area and demands your eye.
I’ve walked all around this area many times and never stopped at this cross for some reason. This is Ouldsbroom Cross with Sharp Tor photobombing in the background
Walking back to the car now, views north to Hameldown, with Honeybag and Chinkwell Tors to the right
Further right is Rippon Tor and Haytor at the end of a good walk in some lovely weather.
treksandtors 
Like you I hate bracken. Its one redeeming feature is the lovely golden colour it gives in the right light in Autumn. I had my eye on walk like this whenever I’ve driven across Dartmoor on my recent visits. Happy memories of childhood days splashing about in the river at Dartmeet
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There are a few spots that give you a similar walk on Dartmoor to this. Belstone Cleave, Lustleigh Cleave and this area around Dartmeet all have that wooded river walk. I love the section half a mile either side of Dartmeet, very calm and sheltered in the valley
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