A late start to this walk but with good reason to allow the rain to clear and for some sun to come out. The area around Lustleigh is lovely in any weather, but a bit of sun puts a gloss on the views and the houses here. We started out from Pullabrook car park which allows for a walk into Lustleigh Cleave briefly before looping around Lustleigh and Wreyland before a return through Knowle Woods. It wouldn’t be difficult to lengthen this walk with an earlier start, and there are plenty more tors in the area to look at if you want to add them on, for us we got back as it started to get dark so our route was just right. The River Bovey was the surprise on this walk, we’d had an awful lot of rain in the middle of January and the weeks before, and as a result the rivers were swollen and running very quickly (we’d seen the same on our walk along the River Tavy at Doublewaters the day before here). I was a bit worried that we wouldn’t be unable to cross if the river had widened at Hisley Bridge, but we got lucky and managed to tip toe through to the old bridge. I love walking the lanes around Lustleigh, and Linda soon saw why as we admired house after house with tors in their gardens. A brilliant place for a winter walk.
The map and history of Pullabrook WoodsWalking through the woods towards Hisley BridgeHisley Bridge and a swollen River Bovey, it was the right hand side of the bridge that was the issue as the land is lower on that sideAs we climb away from Hisley Bridge (having turned right), Trendlebere Down is rising to the left and I think that is Hayne Down peeking up in the middle at the back.As we followed the path we hit Gradner RocksIts a substantial outcrop but in the woodlands so lacking views in most directionsBack on the path and we start to see more outcrops, none of these seem to have names but there are so many like this around LustleighWe’d walked through Rudge and turned left and uphill, we stopped for a view back down to the church at LustleighA George 5th postbox in Lustleigh as we head towards Rockholt, this would have been place here between 1910 and 1936Ide House Tor is first up along this road, there is a large rock to my left here to give a clue to an outcrop which is in the driveway of the house of the same nameNow this outcrop is a mix of Brake Tor and Rockholt Tor, you have the rock by the greenhouse plus all the boulders behind on the hill, to the left on the hill is more of Brake TorWe carried on up the road past Higher Truckel Tor to here, which is Ellimore Tor, neither of these are on my list, but they are of interest on this walkQuite liked these arrows on the tree trunk as we dropped into the woods from the roadLinda navigates a slippy path by the stream, there were plenty of large boulders hereInto Combe now and this lovely done up houseOur first look at some spring flowers, snowdrops near to CombeSnowdropsI’m stood on a road here and not someone’s roof and looking out across Lustleigh and the woodsAlong the road to Parson’s Brown Loaf, you used to be able to get a decent photo back along the road but the trees have hung over the road blocking the view nowThis photo looks a bit arty but the truth is I didn’t pay attention to the focus, this is Highfield House TorAnd a bit more in the garden belowNow we have dropped down a slippy path from Highfield House to Pathfields, this is Pathfields Northwest TorAnd looking across to Pathfields Tor in the tree ridge, these two are pretty close togetherPathfoelds TorBeyond the tree ridge is more of Pathfields Tor, this is the more photographed side due to this rock which looks like a Terry’s chocolate orange with a piece taken outLustleigh church is next after a lane walk past some lovely housesLustleigh cross and the thatched house in Lustleigh village, we are heading down that path to the right towards WreylandProbably one of the best looking houses on the planetKnowle Rocks are on the right as you enter Knowle Woods, you need to walk in a bit and descend, I have carried on downhill to the road below but this time carried on through Knowle WoodsLovely views down towards Bovey TraceyHigher Knowle Wood Tor (or its southern cousin which I group together with the northern one)Packsaddle Bridge, as we near the car park, I’m pleased to note that the cottage on the left had a new red roofAnd finally Drakeford Bridge and the swollen River Bovey. A lovely walk around Lustleigh which never fails to impress and provide a gorgeous location for a walk.
8 thoughts on “Gradner Rocks, Lustleigh and Knowle Woods”
Enjoyable read Steve, Tors are interesting things aren’t they, sadly my walks on Dartmoor I can count on one hand as I’m generally heading down to Cornwall, maybe I need to correct that. Nice the see the George V postbox, I keep my eye out for those and older ones myself.
Its only since the death of the queen that I’ve had more of an eye out for them, I was never certain of the difference between the two George’s, there is clearly vi on the George 6th ones
Must be a true dream for a Dartmoor aficionado to live in a house with its own tor!
It’s been great to see the snowdrops out the past couple of weeks, that first hint that spring is not too far away
treksandtors 
Enjoyable read Steve, Tors are interesting things aren’t they, sadly my walks on Dartmoor I can count on one hand as I’m generally heading down to Cornwall, maybe I need to correct that. Nice the see the George V postbox, I keep my eye out for those and older ones myself.
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Its only since the death of the queen that I’ve had more of an eye out for them, I was never certain of the difference between the two George’s, there is clearly vi on the George 6th ones
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That house is really picturesque and you got a great photo of it. The Parsons Loaf and the snowdrops are lovely too. 🙂
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Its a lovely house that one, 1600s I think it was
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Must be a true dream for a Dartmoor aficionado to live in a house with its own tor!
It’s been great to see the snowdrops out the past couple of weeks, that first hint that spring is not too far away
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Saw a daffodil as well at the weekend, so its getting nearer, also nice to be driving home in a bit of light now as well
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The snowdrops are out up here now too – I guess they arrive earlier down there in the sunny south 😉
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The warmer south westerlies bring the warmer storms throughout the winter, but at least the benefit is the earlier snowdrops and daffodils
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