I wasn’t really planning a walk for this weekend but it got to Sunday lunchtime and I took a spare of the moment dart up to the Merrivale area. Looking back I hadn’t been on the Staple Tors for 3 years or so, which is ridiculous really. I walked out the front door and was hit with a buffeting from a westerly wind that was shifting the clouds across the sky at a rate of knots. Not to worry, I’ve been out in this sort of weather before and I seem better than most at keeping my balance when the wind whips up. I must say that at one point on Great Staple Tor I was questioning my sense as I hid behind some large rocks whilst trying to stay still enough to take some pictures!! Once on Roos Tor I had a decision, head into the wind towards Cox Tor, or head down into the valley to the Sortridge leat. The latter won, and I spent a lovely 30 minutes walking in the sunshine out of the wind towards the Merrivale quarry, a place I hadn’t had a proper look at before. A great little walk this one, with plenty to see and 4 tors in a very short space of distance.
| Start – Merrivale parking |
| Route – Little Staple Tor – Middle Staple Tor – Great Staple Tor – Roos Tor – Sortridge Leat weir – Tor Quarry – Merrivale parking |
| Distance – 3 miles Start time – 2pm Time taken – 1hr 45 mins Highest Point – Great Staple Tor 455metres |
| Weather – Sunny but blowing a gale |
© Crown copyright 2019 Ordnance Survey FL 2019 SF
The blue sky and white fluffy clouds hide the temperature and strong wind battering me from the west. Plenty of tors in view as I head up to Little Staple Tor
Into the sun on Little Staple Tor, with Pew Tor to the left
North Hessary Tor and the mast on the left, Kings Tor is prominent in the middle with Sharpitor and Peek Hill back right
Middle Staple Tor now looking up to Great Staple Tor
And looking the opposite way to Pew Tor
My UV lens on my camera was a bit dirty so I took it off for this walk which explains the glare behind Middle Staple Tor as I walk up to Great Staple Tor
Time to find some shelter from the wind as I look to Roos Tor
This tor has some fantastic stacks
Brent Tor away in the far distance as I stuck my head up long enough to take this photo before ducking down again
Great Staple Tor tumbles down the hill towards the Walkham river, here looking to North Hessary Tor and the mast
Roos Tor looking to Cox Tor and the valley which leads to Peter Tavy
There’s a lovely ledge at the back of Roos Tor which gives this view out the back, it was also out of the wind, which was nice
The Walkham valley below Great Mis Tor
Looking the other way out
The start of the Sortridge leat
I was walking the path alongside the leat here. Over Tor on the left with Kings Tor ahead
Merrivale and the quarry
Great Mis Tor and the quarry face
The quarry is flooded now with water from the leat, the remains of the buildings are the only clues to what was here for around 100 years
Vixen Tor standing tall in front of Peek Hill and Sharpitor
Back at the car park with Pew Tor in the distance
treksandtors 
I was out the same day (assuming it was last Sunday and it was amazingly windy). I always have a fondness for these tors as the first proper walk I did on Dartmoor on your recommendation! 😀
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Yes it was on Sunday just gone. The wind was unreal, glad I didn’t go any higher. Couldn’t believe how long it had been since I had been to the Staple Tors, you’d probably been more recently than me!
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