1) Great Rock Mine - (SX825/815)

Great Rock Mine and Milling Plant is situated about half a mile to the north west of Hennock Village.  The mine, which dates from 1822, was initially known as Hennock Iron and Tin Mine.  The mine worked five iron lodes, which were the Main South Lode, Middle Lode, Beadon Lode and two smaller North Lodes.  In 1849, Hennock Mine produced 1,600 tons of iron ore and production continued until 1889.  In 1902, the Ferrubron Manufacturing Company took over a lot of the local iron ore mines, renaming the Hennock Mine as 'Great Rock', and only keeping this and the Kelly mines open.  Great Rock, being in the granite belt, was known for its micaceous haematite, a shiny almost powdery substance obtained from iron ore, which was used in the manufacture of rust-resisting paint.  On reopening, peak production of about 2,500 tons per year was achieved in the 1940's, with the Royal Navy one of its biggest customers.  The mine, which was the last working mine on Dartmoor, was finally closed down in 1969.  In the late 1970's and early 1980's parts of the mine were used for student training by the geology department of Leicester University.

Great Rock supplied the powdery ore which was used in the painting of Plymouth's Royal Albert Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the painting of battleships, tanks and railway bridges, etc.  It has also been used in the past as a powder sprinkled onto wet ink, before the advent of blotting paper and was known then as 'Pounce' and also as 'Devonshire Sand'.  Jim Hine, who lived at Great Rock, left school in 1948 and went to work for the paint company in London - Griffiths Bros of Bermondsey.  At church on a Sunday, you could always tell who worked at the iron ore mines.  No matter how smartly they dressed up, the men would always have a revealing sheen on their faces or clothes from the shiny ore, micaceous haematite.  Because of labour shortages during World War II, women went to work in the mine at Great Rock.  Nesta Burton from Hennock was the first woman to be employed there by Ferrubron.  Up until the 1920's waterwheels provided the power for the mines.  Electricity was first used as late as 1950.  Ron Tucker remembers buying some old fairground machinery before electric power had reached the mine and hooking it up to the waterwheels at Great Rock, which then provided enough power to run a few light bulbs in the premises down at the mine.

The ore extracted from the mine occurs in shiny platelets and is known locally as 'Shiny Ore'.  The mines were also often referred to as 'Treacle Mines', as the glistening black residue, being soft, would flow and look like treacle.  This might well be connected to the origin of the Dunchideock Treacle Mines, which is a joke that has been around since at least the middle of the 19th Century. (Source: Hennock Village Signboard & Internet Searches).

2) Hennock Lych Gate Gravestone - (SX8304/8091)

This gravestone is set into the ground immediately inside the lych gate of the Hennock Churchyard.  The engraving on the stone is not easily read, but is something like: "1603 / Here Lieth / Richarde / Washer He / Died 1st of March".  The year of 1603 is not clear as it looks more like 1003 on the stone. The stone commemorates the Reverend Richard Washer, vicar of Hennock from 1575 to 1603 and who was buried on 20th March 1603.  The inscription in the bottom left hand corner of the stone has now become very worn and difficult to read.  (Source: George Thurlow's 'Dartmoor Companion', page 353 & Internet Search).

1) Tolchmoor Gate Holed Stone - (SX5806/6164)

The large stone, with a square hole running through it, in the lay-by at Tolchmoor Gate was once one of a pair of gate posts that was used in this spot on the road. When in use it was sited on the edge of the road and, in order to close the road, a large, heavy bar was slid through the holes of both stones to form a barrier.  The road was widened in the mid 1930's and, as there was no longer a need to close the road at that time, the redundant stone was moved further back into the lay-by. (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 210).

2) Cholwichtown Farm Cross - (SX5862/6119) 

The details of the Cholwichtown Farm Cross can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website.

3) Stirling Bomber Memorial - (SX5943/5987)

In the early hours of 21st August 1942 Mk1 Stirling Bomber OJ – V, No R9329, damaged, and according to an eye witness, on fire and trying to gain height, struck the hillside above Gibhill Wood. It subsequently hit the tops of trees and crashed, bursting into flames, with the loss of all crew. Ten minutes earlier the Navigator had made the final entry in his log book, “03:15 completely lost”.  The seven man crew had come together at the beginning of the previous month; this was their twelfth operation as a unit and eleventh with this aircraft. With ages ranging from 26 to 19 years they were: Pilot Officer Robertson and Sergeants Harris (observer), Simpson (wireless operator), Jenkins (flight engineer), Nicholson (forward turret gunner), Clarke (mid-upper turret gunner) and Bond (rear turret gunner).

The Stirling had taken off the previous evening at 20:45 from 149 Squadron’s base at Lakenheath in Suffolk for a mine laying operation off the French coast near Bordeaux and the Gironde Estuary.  Encountering heavy anti-aircraft fire in the target area, and presumably sustaining damage, the pilot managed to bring the aircraft back to England flying at low level. It would have been on a homing for Exeter, which was predetermined for damaged bombers returning from the west coast of France.   On this occasion the weather was particularly bad with thick fog over the South West coastline. Research suggests that during bad weather returning crews would use the Land’s End lighthouse as a marker and fly to the right of it.

Not knowing how serious the situation and conditions were for the air crew it is considered they mistook the Lizard lighthouse for the one at Land’s End. By flying to the right of the Lizard they would have flown directly over Plymouth. If unable to give the recognition signal for a friendly aircraft the anti-aircraft defences there would probably have opened fire, dealing the aircraft a fatal blow.  The Stirling, built by Short Bothers and Harland & Wolff, had only flown 153¾ mission hours and upon recovery its engines were reused.

In 2009 two villagers from Lutton were walking in Gibhill Wood when one of them happened to notice a cross carved on one of the trees. It was learned that it had been done in 1942 by RAF recovery personnel to mark the spot where a Stirling bomber had crashed. Following investigations the two decided there should be a more permanent memorial to the crew. In doing further research they also discovered that two other villagers were pursuing a similar plan. The four joined forces and engaged the community behind the project.  Delamore Estate, the owners of the land where the aircraft came down, gave permission for the memorial to be erected and provided the granite block used. South Hams Council enabled funds for the wording and names of the crew members to be engraved of the face of the memorial.  On April 11th 2011 the stone was unveiled and a service of dedication held.  (Source: ‘A Book of Remembrance for the Crew of Stirling Bomber R9329 of 149 Squadron’ (Internet source) and ‘Wings Over Dartmoor’ by Graham Lewis).

4) H.H.T Stone - (SX5697/5818)

This stone, on the south western edge of the Hemerdon Mine site, is inscribed 'H.H.T / 1862 / The / SEA LEVEL / OF THIS / PLACE IS / 682 FEET'.  The stone also has an Ordnance Survey benchmark inscribed into the bottom of its face.  The stone has recently been moved from its original position (Grid Ref: SX5763/5863) which used to be on the public footpath to the east of the Hemerdon Mine site.  As this section of the footpath now falls within the mining site, the stone was moved to its current position to preserve the stone and maintain public access to it.  Good care must have been taken when re-siting the stone as my GPS registered the height of the new position as exactly 682 feet above sea level.    

The 'H.H.T. refers to Henry Hele Treby, who was from a notable Plympton St Mary family.  He was born on 28th May 1800, at Plympton House in Plympton St Mary, to father Paul Treby Treby and mother Letitia Ann Trelawny.  By the time of his father's death, in 1832, the family had moved to Goodamoor House, with their previous residence being let out to a succession of tenants.  Goodamoor House is now the home of Ben Mee, proprietor of the Dartmoor Wildlife Park and is situated at the heart of the zoo. This is only a short distance from the original site of the stone, which would have been at the edge of the Goodamoor Estate.  Henry Hele Treby died at the age of 66 on 3rd April 1867, at Goodamoor House.

A couple of interesting points about Henry Hele's father, Paul Treby Treby, are that he was born Paul Treby Ourry, whose grandfather was Louis Ourry, a Huguenot refuge from Blois, in France and changed his name to Paul Treby Treby by Royal Licence in 1785.  Paul Treby Treby must also have been the master of the local hunt as his name appears prominently on the Hunter's Stone, a short distance up the track from Shipley Bridge.  (Source: Bob W's Internet Search & Dave Brewer's 'A Field Guide to the Boundary Markers on and around Dartmoor', pages 80/81).

5) Plympton St Mary Boundary Stone - (SX 5625/5923)

This boundary stone was re-sited during the preparation work that was necessary for the reopening of Hemerdon Mine.  The stone was in place beside the B3417, at Grid Ref: SX5614/5977, when the top of the stone was almost flush with the road surface.  During the preparation works for the reopening of the mine, the B3417 has been rerouted a considerable distance to the west of its original route, which now falls well within the mining site.  The boundary stone was dug out, cleaned up and has now been re-sited in its current position against the boundary fence of the mine alongside the new stretch of the road.  The stone is inscribed with P S M (Plympton St Mary) on its face and has an Ordnance Survey benchmark cut into the top, together with the normal pin set into the stone. (Source: Maurice & Mark Fenlon).

1) Muck's Hole Bridge - (SX6487/7946)

Muck's Hole Bridge spans the Stannon Brook on the lane between Ringhill and Higher Merripit Farm.  The surface of the bridge is just normal road tarmac, but underneath it is supported, in the traditional Dartmoor manner, with granite boulders.  It is different from many road bridges in that two large granite boulders have been laid across the bridge on the road verges, presumably to prevent vehicles from running off the road and into the brook.  The two stones seem to have been laid just above road level to allow any surface water to drain away beneath them and into the brook.  I've not been able to find the reason why the bridge has been so named, but the nearby gate across the road has been similarly named as Muck's Hole Gate.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 503).

2) Grey Wethers Stone Circles - (SX638/831)

The two stone circles at Grey Wethers lie between the North and South Teign Rivers and the Lade Hill Brook.  Prior to 1909 only sixteen of the stones were standing, but Robert Burnard came along and restored all the fallen and buried stones to their original position, as accurately as he was able.  Each of the circles had thirty stones, which was one more than the similar circle at Fernworthy and the diameter of the circles differ by only 0.7 of a metre.  Shallow pits within the circles were made by trial excavations by the Dartmoor Exploration Committee in 1898 where they found, similar to the Fernworthy Circle, a layer of charcoal covering what would have been the original ground surface.

As with many famous Dartmoor landmarks, there are a couple of legends attached to these circles.  The first concerns a farmer who, whilst imbibing a pint or two at the Warren House Inn, was persuaded to buy a flock of Grey Wethers (Sheep) 'out to Siddaford'.  It was only later, when he rode out to view his purchase that he realised that he had been 'fleeced', rather than having bought a flock of fleeced animals.  The second is that a wife, in order to expiate her sins, would have to perform a number of rituals at sites across the moor.  The last of which was to kneel before one of the stones in the circles and pray for forgiveness.  If nothing happened, she was forgiven and she could rise up and walk away.  However, if the Lord of the Rings deemed her transgressions as unforgivable, the stone would fall down upon the unfortunate woman.  This is believed to account for all the fallen stones over the years prior to its restoration. (Source: Jeremy Butler's 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities', page 165, Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 767 & John Hayward's 'Dartmoor 365', page 126).

3) Beehive Hut - East Dart (SX6393/8145) 

The beehive hut, situated between the East Dart River and the Lade Hill Brook, would have originally been built up so that the stones closed over the top in a dome.  The internal measurements are given as 4 feet 11 inches wide by 6 feet 3 inches deep.  It has been suggested that the roof caved in due to the rather crude corbelling in its construction and that the only reason the rear wall is still standing is due to a large boulder which was built into the wall for support.  The hut was built by tinners in the area and would have been used to store their tools and ingots of tin.  No doubt the tinners would also have used the hut themselves as a shelter in extreme weather conditions.  (Sources: Thurlow's 'Dartmoor Companion', page 293 and Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 496).

1) RAF Harrowbeer - Roborough Down (SX515/677)

In the 1930's, the Plymouth City Council began a search for a new airfield and Harrowbeer was the chosen site from a short-list of three, the others being Chelston Meadow and Roborough.  The only drawback was the possibility of the site becoming fog bound in certain weather conditions.  The airfield was constructed during the second World War and vast quantities of rubble cleared from the blitz of Plymouth was transported to Yelverton for use as hardcore for the runways.  The surface was coated with tarmac to provide for a smooth take-off and landing.  All the shops in the centre of Yelverton were reduced to a single storey to reduce the possibility of airplanes crashing into them on take-off and landing.  A number of other properties were completely demolished at the site of where the roundabout now stands.  There was a rumour the top of Roborough Rock had been removed to make it easier for the airplanes to manoeuvre, but has since been proved to be false.  

The base became operational in 1941 and was at first occupied by 500 squadron, flying Bristol Blenheims.  Later that year a number of Hurricanes landed at the airfield.  The base continued to expand and develop and, in 1944, Harrowbeer along with many other RAF Stations became involved in Operation Overlord, the D-Day Invasions.  During the invasion, Spitfires took off from Harrowbeer to defend against the expected enemy attacks.  The end of the invasion was the start of the demise of RAF Harrowbeer and by August 1944, it had ceased to exist as a base in it's own right and became a satellite of RAF Exeter.

The Air Ministry took the decision, in 1950, that it no longer required a base at Harrowbeer and the process of its de-requisitioning began. Initially only the hangars, huts and fences were removed and the runways were left intact.  After the war, the aircrew's billets were used as temporary accommodation for local families and some of these were still in use until the 1970's.  At one point the Plymouth Corporation attempted to acquire  the site for their own civil airport, but this was rejected by a House of Lords Select Committee.  

In 1981 a granite memorial was erected at Harrowbeer, near the Leg of Mutton Inn, as a tribute to all who served there. It reads: "RAF Harrowbeer Operational 1941-1949.  From this station flew pilots of many Commonwealth and Allied Countries, including Britain, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Poland and the United States of America, with the support of their ground crews and Airfield Defence units.  This stone is in memory of all who served here and especially of those who gave their lives.  Many local residents helped build and maintain this airfield. Unveiled by the first Station Commander, Group Captain the Honourable E.F.Ward, on the 15th, August 1981, the fortieth anniversary of the opening of the Station".  (Source: RAF Harrowbeer, Yelverton Website).

2) The Dewerstone - (SX5378/6389)

The summit of the Dewerstone appears as an innocuous pile of rocks on the south western edge of Wigford Down and overlooking the wooded valley of the River Plym.  However, when viewed from across from the other side of the Plym valley the full size of the jagged rock forms an impressive sight jutting out through the trees right down the hillside.  In fact, the summit of the Dewerstone sits within the site of an Iron Age hill fort, which would have had good natural defences from the two steep-sided valleys down to the Rivers Plym and Meavy.  The word 'Dewer' is an ancient Celtic word for the Devil, and Dartmoor tradition has it that the Devil, riding a gigantic black horse, gallops across the Moor each night and leads a phantom pack of black hounds to chase weary or foolish humans over the Dewerstone to their deaths.  Another legend has it that a shepherd actually saw the black hounds devouring an unfortunate man on his way home from the fields one night.

The rocks we saw are just the 'tip of the iceberg'.  The summit rock has been engraved with a number of names, the most prominent of which is: 'CARRINGTON / OBIT / II SEPTEMBRIS / MDCCCXXX'.  This refers to Noel Carrington, Romantic Dartmoor Poet, who was born in Plymouth in 1777 and died at Bath in 1830.  He is buried at Combe Hay, a small village about 5 miles to the south of Bath.  Other inscriptions include: F. WIDGER, F. DODDRIDGE and W. FORD.  There doesn't appear to be any records to show who these people might have been but, of course, they could merely be the names of ordinary people that have been added to the rock.  I did wonder whether 'F. WIDGER' could have been the Dartmoor Painter 'F. J. WIDGERY', but there is no sign of the letter 'Y' at the end of his surname.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 184 & Wikipedia).

3) Wheal Lopes Leat (SX52/65 – SX51/63)

Encountering this leat during the first part of the walk came as a surprise. Subsequent searches regarding its existence have yielded little factual information, but it appears to have supplied water to a mine located in an area referred to as Vicarage Wood and Hole Bottom, which is north-west of Bickleigh Church.

Apparently the mine was initially leased in 1760, but little was known of its workings until the 1840’s when the Plymouth & Dartmoor Mining Co. acquired the sett. Although ore was raised the proceeds did not cover costs and serious financial difficulties occurred due partly to mismanagement.

With the plant still in situ a new group of adventurers decided to form the Wheal Lopes Copper, Tin & Zinc Mining Co Ltd on 31st December 1859 under a twenty-one year lease from Sir Massey Lopes of Maristow House. Reliable information suggested the existence of substantial copper ore with two shafts driven to depths of 81 and 62 fathoms. It was said that abundant water was available from the River Plym at a small rent but the Meavy was the source with a take-off above Hoo Meavy Weir.

In view of the dates involved nothing has emerged concerning whether the aqueduct immediately south of Shaugh Tunnel existed prior to the railway or not and who was involved in its construction.

Despite marvellous prospects there were insufficient funds to work the mine properly and when some unscrupulous directors misappropriated urgently needed capital the unhappy shareholders cut short their misery by winding the Company up in 1868; it was finally struck from the register in 1882.  (Sources: The Northern Mine Research Society (1993) and ‘Walking the Dartmoor Railroads’ by E Hemery).

4) South Devon & Tavistock Railway (SX519/565 – SX480/739)

During the 1830’s interest was aroused in the railway coming to the area south and west of Dartmoor and the people of Tavistock desired to embrace this development. With Brunel having surveyed a route between Plymouth and Exeter in 1836 it would be twenty-three more years before their dream became reality.

When Brunel planned his route a proposal for an Exeter to Plymouth link via Crediton, Okehampton and Tavistock was put forward by F Giles (engineer of the London & Southampton Railway) and in 1840 plans were deposited from a survey directed by J M Rendel (son of a small farmer and a road surveyor near Okehampton) for a route, with additional proposals, between Plymouth and Exeter that traversed the Forest of Dartmoor (via Nun’s Cross) and included a branch to Tavistock.

The success of each scheme depended on its merits and who in turn supported or opposed it. In the end the South Devon Railway Co’s extension of the Bristol & Exeter Railway won through. With work commencing after a Bill of 1844 the expanding network connected to Plymouth via Newton Abbot and Totnes in April 1849.

For the people of Tavistock continuing drive, competition and wrangling amongst promoters and objectors eventually culminated in a branch-line being adopted over a route surveyed by Brunel that connected with the South Devon Railway near Marsh Mills. Built to the broad gauge actual construction began in September 1856 and the line opened officially in June 1859.

Our walk picked up the dismantled track-bed at Shaugh Bridge Platform which had opened in 1907 after many years of representation, and by which time Brunel’s 7 foot gauge had been swept away by the 4 feet 8½ inch standard. The platform’s site had previously been a siding for the loading of low-grade ore from Shaugh Bridge Iron Mine which was shipped to South Wales for smelting. The platform, so busy before the motoring era, closed to traffic on 21 December 1962.

Passing on beneath the dry and rusting Wheal Lopes Aqueduct and through Shaugh Tunnel a point is reached near Goodameavy where a siding from Dewerstone Hill Quarry was to have connected with the railway. Although an embankment and bridge abutment were constructed on the quarry side to enable the line to traverse the River Meavy, Sir Massey Lopes (land owner) withheld permission for this essential undertaking to be completed. We left the railway not long after at an over-bridge on the Goodameavy Road and headed for the open moor.

The line eventually extended to Launceston, opening to traffic in July 1856. The through route from Tavistock Junction to Launceston closed on 31st December 1962.  At Yelverton the branch to Princetown would have connected, being opened in August 1883 and closing to traffic on Saturday 3rd March 1956.  (Sources: The Tavistock Launceston and Princetown Railways by G H Anthony and ‘Walking the Dartmoor Railroads’ by E Hemery).

5) Drake’s (or Plymouth) Leat - Roborough Down (SX521/678 - SX509/635)

Due to growing mercantile importance in the late 16th century demands for reliable fresh water supplies made existing sources inadequate for Plymouth’s citizens. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1585 authorising the City Corporation to ‘digge a Trenche through and over all the landes and groundes lying between Plymouth and anye parts of the said river of Mew’. Sir Francis Drake was appointed the task for a fee of £300 - a sum that had to finance the work and compensate affected landowners. Local tinners were employed to cut the entire channel with Drake digging the first sod in December 1590. It was 18½ miles in length, between 6 and 7 feet wide and completed on 23rd April 1591.

The leat commenced from a point on the Mew (Meavy) just below Lower Lowery where a wide head weir and sluice were constructed (SX5580/6885). Its channel followed the right bank of the river eventually taking a north-westerly direction around the slopes of Yennadon Down from where it swung south-westerly. Passing between what is now Dousland and Lake, it would later be conveyed by aqueduct over the Princetown Railway, went under the Meavy road skirting around the northerly coombes of the River Meavy to reach Roborough Down.

Today, as it crosses the Down and Yelverton Golf Course it gives the impression, although no longer flowing because Burrator Reservoir has superseded its role, of a well maintained channel. The leat was lined with granite slabs in 1871 and Hemery calculated that some 113,950 of them would have been cut and dressed for this undertaking. As Tyrwhitt's tram-road had fallen into disuse at this time and the GWR branch to Princetown was 12 years in the future it is possible the old tram-road was put back into sufficient working order to transport the stones from the Walkham quarries. The condition of the bed of the leat is due to works undertaken by Plymouth Corporation at the beginning of WWII to ensure an emergency watercourse to the city in the event of the main Burrator supply suffering bomb damage. Numerous clapper bridges will be observed spanning its route over Roborough Down.  (Source: ‘Walking the Dartmoor Waterways’ by E Hemery).

6) Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway – Roborough Down Section (SX517/674 – SX510/636)

(See also Research Notes for August 2015 [1] Thomas Tyrwhitt and the Princetown Railway)

We only followed the top half of this section from the Clearbrook Road.

When Tyrwhitt’s tram-road was constructed Yelverton did not exist, only the small hamlet called Elfordtown the name becoming corrupted and applied to the place we now know; its growth a result of the expanding railway system.

Coming off the high moor from the western slopes of Yennadon Down, where a right-hand hairpin turn was taken to double back and reach Dousland Barn, the tram-road followed the course of the Devonport Leat until near what is called Woodman’s Corner on OS 1:25,000 maps. Here it crossed the aforementioned leat and next the Princetown Road to subsequently swing away on a contour north of where the Yelverton roundabout is sited before turning south to re-cross both the Princetown Road and Devonport Leat. Its path over Roborough Down then stays between the Devonport Leat and Drake’s Leat.

Traversing the Down the route is traced by the extensive remains of granite setts which fastened the iron rails at a gauge of 4 feet 6 inches (a section of rail is in situ at SX5177/6718). Three cylindrical stones (representing distances of 11, 12 and 13 miles from Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour) are also to be found, whilst at SX5172/6511 a building known as North (or Tyrwhitt’s) Wharf still stands where horses were changed, fed and stabled.

The tram-road can be followed across the Down as far as a point near Roborough Reservoir where it enters areas of private land.

Although the abandoned track bed of the GWR Princetown and Yelverton branch is clearly traceable on the higher moor some parts of Tyrwhitt’s tram-road are not. As far down as Horseyeatt they both shared, with minor deviations, the same route. Afterwards and whereas the GWR branch went to the east of Yennadon Down (Burrator Halt), Tyrwhitt’s line turned south-westerly through the fields of what is now Peekhill Farm crossing the Princetown Road at SX5450/6944. It continued along the west and south-west side of Yennadon Down passing the sites of a disused chalk quarry and iron mine then turning sharply at SX5437/6786.  (Source: ‘Walking the Dartmoor Railroads’ by E Hemery).

7) Devonport (or Dock) Leat - Roborough Down (SX517/674 – SX504/644)

(See also Research Notes for March 2015 Devonport Leat and April 2016 Devonport Leat - Southern End)

At Yelverton the in-filled leat lies below the road that fronts the shops but its route continued beneath the A386 where it ran through the corner of Harrowbear airfield, its channel being used to drain away surface rain water during WWII. Tracking back under the A386 the alignment of Tyrwhitt’s tram-road then bisects it to place the leat west of the tram-road as it traverses Roborough Down.

Although it was constructed some 200 years after Drake’s leat its condition is less well attended to and its course not so well defined over the down. A bridge at SX5193/6620 spans its channel providing an opportunity to observe its southerly direction more so than that to the north.

A tunnel 215 yards long was dug near the Chubb Tor enclosures where the leat was taken under a small ridge to avoid an inconvenient proximity with Drake’s which an act of 1793 ruled should not be affected.  Like Drake’s it has clapper bridges that carry old tracks and wood ones for the aid golf course users.

From the point of abandonment above Burrator Lodge, where its current water supply is transferred by pipe to the Dousland Water Treatment Works with any surplus running off into Burrator Reservoir, the dry leat continues around Yennadon Down and enters private land at SX542/682. Passing through fields where it would have crossed Tyrwhitt’s tram-road it reaches the Dousland Water Treatment Works and negotiates a sharp turn to follow the northern side of the Princetown Road through private land and, like Drake’s where it becomes its companion near Woodman’s Corner, was taken by aqueduct over the GWR Princetown branch on its approach to Yelverton.  (Source: ‘Walking the Dartmoor Waterways’ by E Hemery).

1) Rippon Tor Cross - (SX7464/7559)

The details of the recumbent Cross on Rippon Tor can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website.

2) Buckland Manor Boundary Stone - (SX7369/7377) 

This is the most southerly of a number of stones set up by Edmund Pollexfen Bastard in 1837 to mark the boundary of his Buckland Manor.  This stone is inscribed with 'EPB 1837' on its southern face, 'B' (Buckland) on its western side and 'A' (Ashburton) on its eastern side.  The manor of Buckland-in-the-Moor dates from Saxon times and was sold to the Bastard's of Kitley Manor, Yealmpton, in 1614, although the family also remained as owners of Kitley Manor.  The estate was passed down through the family to Edmund Pollexfen who was born in 1784.  He went on to become MP for Devon and died in 1838, only 12 months after having the boundary stones erected. After his death, the estate passed to his son, the Reverend William Pollexfen Bastard (1832 to 1915).  Although William was Rector of Lezant in Cornwall, he continued to hold Buckland Court  and there is a large granite cross in the Buckland Churchyard in memory of William and members of his family.   (Source: 'Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers' & Wikipedia).

3) Ten Commandment Stones - (SX7350/7310)

The Ten Commandments monument was created in 1928 to celebrate the rejection by parliament of the proposed new book of common prayer.  The Lord of Buckland, Mr William Whitely of Wellstor appointed stonemason Mr W. A. Clement to undertake the work, which was started on 23rd July 1928 and finished by August of the same year.  Mr Clement, who came from Exmouth, is reputed to have lived on site in a shepherds hut in order to complete the work which consisted of cutting over 1500 letters into the hard moorland stone.  Made up of two tablets of natural granite, the monument displays the commandments, a favourite saying of Mr Whitley’s and the dates when the Bill was read out in parliament.  

Over the years, the stones have suffered quite severely from erosion by the moorland weather, resulting in the words becoming hardly legible.  Thanks to a Parishscapes grant and funding from the Dartmoor Communities Fund, the community of Buckland-in-the-Moor have been able to restore the stone monument in two phases.   The first phase, completed in late May 2017, saw the stones cleaned and wrapped in preparation for the restoration work to commence. The second phase of the process saw further careful cleaning before some of the lettering was re-carved to bring it back to legibility. Finally, the lettering was painted with a specially designed black paint suitable for use at high altitude and exposed weather conditions.  The work was completed in July 2017, having been carried out by Bath-based conservator and lettering expert Iain Cotton and his team.  Now that the work is complete, the site will be monitored by National Park Archaeologists and any deterioration will be managed by the National Park Authority’s Conservation Works Team.  (Source: 'Moor than meets the eye' Newsletter - July 2017).

4) Holwell Manor - (SX7444/7772)

Walking down through the trees, after we entered the Wildlife Trust's newly created reserve at Emsworthy Mire, we passed the ruins of Holwell Manor.  Around this medieval farm court, were two longhouses which were occupied until some time during the eighteenth century.  Even though the walls of the houses were on average three feet thick, evidence shows that they had been repaired with slates at some point in the past.  Both houses were quite substantial, with the western one measuring 86 feet by 12 feet and the eastern one was 60 feet by 12 feet.  The eastern house also shows evidence of a barn having been built up against it.  There are still a number of gateposts scattered around the site, some of which have gate hangers attached and others with holes having been drilled into them.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', pages 731/2).

5) Duke Stone - (SX7453/7719)

The Duke Stone is a boundary stone which once stood on the boundary of the Ilsington and Manaton parishes.  The original stone was set up in 1853 'to the memory of the present Lord of the Manor, the Most Noble Edward Adolphus, the Duke of Somerset K. G.' on the right bank of the Becka Brook.  It was one of the series of stones stretching across Haytor Down to mark the boundary of the lands held by the Duke of Somerset.  However, this original stone went missing, believed to have been washed away in the floods of 1938, although Eric Hemery stated that it was lying in the bed of the brook, when he wrote his book 'High Dartmoor'.  Since then others have searched the area, including the bed of the brook downstream, but have had no success in finding it.

On the death of F. H. Starkey, in 1989, some money was raised in order to provide a memorial to him on Dartmoor.  After consulting Dave Brewer, the Dartmoor Preservation Society decided that it would be a good idea to have a new stone cut and erected as a replacement for the Duke Stone.  The stone was cut by the Dartmoor National Park Authority and erected in its current position on the opposite (left) bank of the brook on 11th May 1993.  The stone is engraved with 'DUKE STONE' on its western face and 'DS 1853' on the opposite face, below which have been added the letters 'FHS' in commemoration of Harry Starkey.  Although the letters were recut in 1998, they have since started to fade again and are not easy to decipher.  The stone now stands on the boundary of the parishes of Ilsington and Bagtor.  (Source:  Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers', pages 96-98 & Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page738).

1) Black Prince's Tomb - (SX6360/9306)

These stones look, to all intents and purposes, like the remains of a cist with the two end stones standing erect and the two side stones lying flat on the ground between them.  This was shown in my Dartmoor schedule of place names as the 'Black Prince's Tomb'.  I've not been able to find any information about these stones as a cist.  However, looking in Jeremy Butler's 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities', he dismisses the stones as a cist and says they have been artificially set in this position.  He goes on to suggest that they are the remaining stones of a stone setting known as the 'Eight Rocks'. These were arranged in a circle, probably the retaining circle of a cairn, much in the same way as the Nine Maidens Stone Circle on Belstone Common.  Legend says that the stones would dance to the sound of the South Tawton Church Bells.   However, most of the stone was 'robbed' some time ago to provide material for the nearby stone walls.  (Source: Jeremy Butler's 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities  - Vol. 2', page 207).

2) Stone Post B/S - Foxes Holt - (SX6403/9255)

There were three in this series of Boundary Stones erected around Cosdon, to mark the bounds of the lands between the Duchy of Cornwall and the parish of South Zeal.  They were erected as a result of a dispute between the two parties.  Back in the late 19th century, the villagers of South Zeal began building stone walls to increase the size of their grounds and had enclosed a substantial amount of Duchy land before the Duchy became aware of their activities.  On finding out what was happening, the Duchy's bailiff and his men started to demolish the walls when they were met with the substantial force of the villagers, together with reinforcements from other nearby villages, and were forced to retreat.  However, the South Zeal villagers later realised their tenuous position and came to an agreement with the Duchy over the payment of a nominal rent for the land.  As a result, the Duchy arranged for three Boundary Stones to be erected, in 1885, to mark the limit of the newly agreed boundaries.  The first stone, is known as the 'Stumpy Post' (SX6631/9331) and is marked DC1 (Duchy of Cornwall 1) and SZ1 (South Zeal 1).  The 'Stone Post' is the second in the series, marked DC2 / SZ2.  The third stone was sited further round to the south-east, near some enclosures, but this stone has now disappeared.   (Source: Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers', page 48).

3) Water Extraction from Taw Plain - (SX620/924)

With the exception of former mining activity around the eastern side of Taw Marsh few features give evidence of water being extracted from the area for power or domestic use, but it has been exploited.

In 1878 the Dartmoor and Exeter Water Co proposed damming Taw Marsh to provide Exeter with drinking water. Some forty years later, the Dartmoor & District Hydro Electricity Co planned a strategic series of twelve reservoirs with power stations and canals etc. around the Moor. Taw Marsh was on the list but apart from Mary Tavy all were refused through local campaigning. In 1936 South West Utilities Ltd attempted to obtain permission for both a water supply and hydro scheme. A reservoir covering around 385 acres would have been involved with a canal system on the western side of Oke Tor ridge. The House of Lords also rejected this scheme which, as local tradition has it, was a good thing because during World War II a number of enemy bombs were dropped into the Marsh. But, the idea of exploiting Taw Marsh did not go away.

In 1957 the North Devon Water Board obtained permission to sink a number of test bore holes to ascertain the viability of water extraction. This led to the 1959 North Devon Water Act whereby supplies would be extracted from the Marsh. However, the project was not without issue. With the widespread occurrence of granite in the area the water was found to be radioactive due to the presence of radon; a warning lodged beforehand by objecting parties.  

Not to be distracted, and at a cost of around £52,000, the water company consequently sunk nine wells and installed an underground aeration tank for the removal of radon and carbon dioxide with balancing tanks near Irishman’s Wall. A compensation control house and gauging station was also constructed, its purpose to ensure the permitted agreed levels of flow after the allowed 2.5 million gallons of water per day, to a maximum of 60 million gallons for every 30 days, had been taken were maintained. To complete the system a treatment works along with a supervisor’s cottage and a two million gallon underground reservoir were built near the Watchet Hill moorgate. A monumental stone stands outside the works commemorating Major Ormsby Allusen, chairman of the North Devon Water Board from 1945 to 1963. Although credited with bringing “the benefits of a pure and wholesome supply of piped water to many thousands of houses and farms in the area” what was not apparent at the time was the water supply yielding too high a content of aluminium; a fact recognised by subsequent owners South West Water in the late 1990s which consequently stopped water being drawn from the Marsh.

A study in the early 1990s revealed how, over the years, the cumulative result of water extraction had led to groundwater levels, both in the Marsh and the actual river, being reduced to such an extent that a large amount of environmental damage had occurred. With concern raised by both English Nature and the Dartmoor National Park Authority the Environment Agency was presented with a quandary of improving the natural habitat of the Marsh whilst maintaining the public water supply. The solution was granting South West Water permission to extract water from the River Exe for the period 1997 to 2000 in lieu of not doing so from Taw Marsh. At that time South West Water insisted on retaining the nine bore holes in the event they were needed again. However, the 1989 construction of Roadford Reservoir meant the water supply demand on Taw Marsh would be replaced thereby negating a need for the agreement. Finally, in 2011, the Environment Agency revoked the Taw Marsh licence. Following this the decision was made that removing of the bore hole manhole covers and the radon treatment works would cause a much greater impact on the marsh than just simply leaving them in-situ which is what happened. The final chapter of the Taw Marsh water extraction was that on the 19th of October 2011, the nine bore holes along with various other structures and pieces of equipment covering Taw Marsh were put up for auction on the instructions of South West Water.

As far as the natural environment is concerned there was one last problem - that of a weir located under Belstone Tor which impeded the progress of fish trying to reach their spawning grounds in Taw Marsh. In the same month as the auction the Environment Agency solved this problem by establishing a 250 metre exclusion zone around the weir and with the help of some explosives simply blew it up.  (Source: Extracted and edited from the Legendary Dartmoor website).

4) Walrus Stone/ Belstone Clanger - (SX6212/9239)

This large rock which, to me, looks rather like the portion of a bell is situated between the track over Belstone Common and the River Taw.  It seems to have been given two names - the Walrus Stone and the Belstone Clanger.  It depends at which angle you look at it as to whether you think it's a basking walrus or a section of a large bell.  Take a look yourself and see what you think!  (Source: Maurice & Internet).

1) Halstock Pound - (SX6034/9308)

The two Halstock Farms, Higher (SX605/928) and Lower (SX601/936), have been in existence for at least 500 years, as the Forrester's Accounts for the North Quarter for 1505-06 records the dues for the Halstock Farms as "Item for the venvell of Holstock - 2s 6d".  The Pound is located at the place referred to as 'Dartmoor Gate', between the two farms and abuts onto the barn, which is known as 'East Bowden'.  It would appear that, in the old days, the pound was only ever used for the round-up of Dartmoor Ponies.  However, the pound has always been kept in good repair and is now used by the farmer for sheep and cattle, as well as ponies.  It would also appear has though it has now been enlarged as Eric Hemery gives it's size as thirty feet by twenty three feet.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', pages 862/3).

2) Halstock Chapel - (SX602/937)

A short distance beyond the (Halstock) bridge we pass Halstock farmhouse, and make our way through the yard. At the further end of this a track runs S. by the side of a field called Chapel Lands to Halstock Down, reaching it at a point known as Halstock Corner. But instead of following this track we turn L. into the field named, our path lying across it, and close to its northern edge. At the point where the track leaves the farmyard are the remains of some low walls, much overgrown, and close by, in the corner of the field, are the vestiges of an enclosure. It is traditionally reported that Halstock was once a settlement of considerable size, its inhabitants numbering several hundred, and these ruined walls were formerly pointed out as marking a part of its site. The name of the field to which we have referred commemorates the ancient sanctuary referred to in the Forest Perambulation of 1240 as St. Michael's Chapel of Halstock. Little more, however, than its name now remains. Its site is marked by some grass-covered banks, on which grow two storm-stricken thorns, but there are no traces of masonry. The Rev. H. G. Fothergill, a former Rector of Belstone, left some manuscript notes to a work written about 1839, by William Bridges, entitled, Some Account at the Barony and Town at Okehampton, and these were printed in a new edition published in 1889. These notes contain some references to the chapel, of which Mr. Fothergill took measurements. He found it to be nine paces in length and four in width on the inside and says it was enclosed in a sort of court measuring 23 paces by 13 at the western end of which were traces of a belfry or vestry. Some years ago I also carefully measured it, and found it to be 40 feet long, and 24 feet wide; and the court in which it stands 90 feet by 57 feet. The foundations of what Mr. Fothergill supposed to be those of a belfry, or vestry, cover a space 30 feet by 25 feet. These are external measurements. Halstock Chapel, together with the church of Okehampton, belonged to Cowick Priory, in the parish of St. Thomas-by-Exeter, which at its foundation was subordinate to the great abbey of Bec, in Normandy. About the middle of the fifteenth century, on the resignation of the prior, Henry VI applied its revenues to Eton College, but Edward IV transferred the gift to the Abbey of Tavistock. The remains are in the S. part of the field, the site being marked by the two thorns.  (Source: extract from William Crossing's 'Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor', page 193).

3) Halstock Bridge - (SX5991/9365)

A bridge, built by the tenant at Halstock, now crosses the brook, before which there was a ford here, with a single stone clapper for foot passengers. The clapper is still in its place, but is hidden beneath the soil placed upon it to elevate the roadway. Some years ago I took the measurements of this stone and found it to be 11 feet in length, and 1 foot thick. It was wider at one end than at the other, but about the centre its width was 2 feet.  (Source: extract from William Crossing's 'Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor', page 193).

4) Roman Chair - Halstock Cleave - (SX60541/94160)

The ground on East Hill, above and behind Ashbury Tor, is the site of a large Iron Age fortification, which includes a deep earthwork cut on the neck of the hill between the two gorges. This gives every indication that it was a place of permanent occupation, rather than being an emergency fort to be used as a form of defence at times of attack.  At the edge of the fort, and sitting back against the gorse bushes, is a natural outcrop of the Tor, known as the 'Roman Chair'.  Although, to me, it looks more like a settee or a large armchair than the normal shape of a chair.  It has been suggested that the 'Chair' was man-made, but the consensus of opinion is that its current shape has been formed purely from natural weathering.  It seems as though the name 'Roman Chair' came from it's proximity the fort which used to be referred to as the 'Roman Fort'.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 867).

5) Fatherford Tramway (part of The Devonshire Heartland Way) - (SX591/945 - SX602/946)

The ‘way’ is a sinuous 45 mile trekking route mostly making use of country lanes and footpaths. It connects Okehampton via Sampford Courtenay, North Tawton, Zeal Monachorum, Colebrooke, Yeoford, Crediton, Shobrooke, Sweetham (Newton St Cyres), Upton Pyne and Brampford Speke with Stoke Canon.  For the purpose of these notes the path adopts at its western end the route of the former Fatherford Tramway between the viaduct of that name and Okehampton Station.

When the Devon and Cornwall Railway (later part of the London & South Western Railway) was being extended westwards a substantial quarry was worked at what is believed to be SX 6044 9455 on the west side of the East Okement. Stone taken from this location was used in constructing some of the buildings and the bridges and viaducts of which Fatherford would be one. To enable transportation of the stone to the locations required a narrow gauge horse-drawn tramway was laid along the valley side to a point just west of Okehampton Station at Gunn’s depot.

It would seem the tramway was constructed in 1870 by or for Robert Relf, the railway contractor.  In 1881 approval was given by the L&SWR to lay an addition line to a loading bank adjacent to a new siding at Okehampton.  During WW1 the tramway was used to convey pit props cut in the valley to the station.  After being disused and neglected the tramway was lifted in 1930.  (Source: Bob W.)

p.s. Bob D. and I walked the whole length of the Devonshire Heartland Way, in stages, back in 2011 and I can recommend it to anyone who is thinking of walking it as it really does go right through the heart of our beloved County. (Maurice).

a) Leather Tor Farm was once two separate farms which were located adjacent to each other, with the whole site dating from medieval times.  There are records which show that the land here has been rented since at least 1362.  The buildings were first erected in 1370, when the farm was known as Lodertorre.  The two farms were run as separate enterprises up until the mid-19th Century, when they were merged into one.  Prior to the amalgamation, the eastern farm was tenanted by Abraham Giles and the western farm by Samuel Hamlyn.  After the merger, Abraham Giles took over the running the new combined farm whilst Samuel Hamlyn moved to the nearby Lower Lowery Farm, with his son eventually taking over Vinneylake.  The main house was rebuilt in 1870.  The farm had then to be vacated in 1924 as it fell into the water catchment area for the newly extended Burrator Reservoir, with the final tenant being John Lillicrap who then moved to Walkhampton.  The farmhouse has now been left derelict and is gradually succombing to the elements.  There had been calls for it to be maintained to prevent it collapsing completely but, as there is another house of the same design still being occupied near Walkhampton, it was decided that this one could be sacrificed.  

b) Just down the track from the farm, a vooga (SX56717/69773) has been built into the northern bank of the track.  The vooga is a cave-like structure that was built by the tin miners in which to store their tools and ingots of tin etc.  This one measures 11 feet deep, 3 feet wide and 4 feet high, with a substantial granite lintel across the front which would have supported the doorway.  After the tinners' had finished in the area, the vooga was used by the farm for the storage of potatoes, swedes and other similar crops.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', pages 123 & 124 and the South West Lakes Trust signboard on site).

2) Peek Hill Plane Crash - (SX562/693)

On 19th May 1941, at 2.30 in the morning, a German Junkers 88A bomber was off course and flying over Dartmoor when it struck the ridge of Peek Hill and crashed, with the wreckage ending up far below the ridge towards the banks of the Burrator Reservoir.  The plane was one of a group of 36, which formed the entire Küstenfliegergruppe 606 (Coastal Aircraft Group or Marine Patrol Group), on a mission which had set off as a bombing convoy from Lannion Airfield in France.  The intended course was to fly over the tip of Cornwall and to bomb a fleet of allied ships which were sailing 120 miles to the north west of Ireland.  This was the first mission of this plane's crew in a Junkers, after they had converted from Dornier Do 172 bombers, and possibly they went astray due to unfamiliarity with their new aircraft.  The impact of the crash tore off both propellers and sent the plane tumbling down over the hill.  Of the four crew inside the plane, none survived the crash and all were buried in the Sheepstor cemetery.  The members of the crew were: pilot (Unteroffizer Paul Nowacki), navigator (Oberleutnent Günther Hitschfeld), flight engineer (Unteroffizer Hans Knor) and radio operator (Unteroffizer Joachim Kasten).  The bodies have since been exhumed and reburied in the German Military Cemetery at Cannock Chase.   (Source: DartmoorCam website).

3) Burrator Discovery Centre - (SX5519/6852)

The Burrator Reservoir is one of several reservoirs managed by the South West Lakes Trust and, in 2014, the trust opened their Burrator Discovery Centre, which formed a part of the Burrator Historic and Natural Environment project.  The centre is open to the public and provides information not only on the construction and maintenance of the reservoir and it's two dams, but on other local history such as the Princetown Railway, farming, tin mining and other local industries. The grounds around the centre also feature a number of interesting artefacts such as a reservoir boundary stone (inscribed: 'PCWW 1917' - Plymouth Corporation Water Works), a granite trough and a totem pole.  The Discovery Centre also provides access to Wembley Walk, of which more information is provided under Item 4 below.   (Source: South West Lakes and other websites).

4) Wembley Walk (Burrator Reservoir) - (SX5519/6852)

Wembley Walk is a short walkway that runs from the grounds of the Dartmoor Discovery Centre, opposite Burrator Lodge, down to the reservoir water's edge.  The walk is managed by the Burrator Discovery Centre (see Item 3 above) and is normally open throughout the centre's opening hours, but access is kept locked out of hours.  The walkway has been used to display the many stone artefacts that were removed from the local farms and houses when they were abandoned prior to the completion of the reservoir extension.  The initial reservoir was completed in September 1898 and covered an area of 85 acres, with the capacity to store around 300 million gallons of water.  It was soon realised that this would be insufficient and plans were drawn up to increase the capacity to 800 million gallons, which could provide in excess of 10 million gallons of water per day.  In 1916, the Plymouth Corporation Water Works purchased the whole watershed of 5,500 acres in advance of increasing the height of the dam by 10 feet.  This extension to the dam was completed in 1926.

On completing the purchase of the land within the watershed, the corporation terminated the leases of all the farms within the area.  At least one of the farms is now beneath the reservoir, although most of the farms were above the water level but fell well within the water catchment area.  The farms were considered to be a great risk to the water supply as effluent and other contaminants would inevitabley find their way into the local brooks and streams which flowed directly into the reservoir.  The farms in this area were particularly rich in granite stones which were put to many different uses.  It was felt that it would be a great shame if all this local history were to be lost, hence the stones that were deemed to be of the most historic value were rescued and placed along Wembly Walk so that, not only would they be kept secure, they would also be put on display for all to see and enjoy.

The walkway contains two arches along its short length, with both having a number of these stones built into them.  In between there are a number of granite troughs, millstones, tinners' stamping stones, a lectern and some dated stones.  Many of these latter stones date from the 17th century, although some have become quite weathered and are now difficult to decipher.  A white-coloured stone shows the date of 1871 and contains the names of R. G. Serpell, Mayor and James King, Chairman of the Plymouth Corporation Water Works.  This obviously relates to the agreement between the City of Plymouth and the Water Corporation for the reservior to be built.  Another stone is embossed 'M. L. 1868'.  This refers to Massey Lopes who was a local landowner and architect.  He arranged for many of the local farm houses and buildings to be restored and would always incorporate a stone showing his initials and date within the reconstruction.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 114).

(N.B. These notes were rewritten in January 2021 as the original notes had somehow disappeared before a back-up was taken).  

Beside the road and opposite the entrance to the Yellowmeade Farm track can be seen the outline ruins of the old Foggintor Mission Hall.  The hall was built in 1887 to be used for non-denominational worship for the workers of Foggintor Quarry and locals living nearby.  Alongside the hall there was an adjoining house for use by the Caretaker.  In 1895, the local parish councillor complained to the Walkhampton Parish Council that there were about 60 children living in and around the quarry area who were receiving no education and requested that the Council set up a school for them.  It was decided that the Mission Hall would provide suitable premises and a temporary lease was obtained. A teacher was appointed and the new school opened with 41 pupils in August 1896.  However, the building was not ideal due to its exposed location and children would often arrive at the school so wet and cold that they had to be sent straight home again.  Temporary permission for the school lapsed in 1897 and it had to be closed down.  However, it was shortly able to reopen again and became very popular, with pupil numbers rising to 95 by the year 1903.  Overcrowding then became an issue and, in 1912, the County Council decided that it would provide a larger and more suitable premises.  The school moved out of the Mission Hall premises in September 1912 and used the Foggintor Quarry Chapel as a temporary classroom until the new purpose built school was ready for use at the site where the Four Winds car park now stands.  The Mission Hall and Caretaker's house were demolished in 1965.   (Source: varous websties). 

2) Foggintor Quarry - (SX566/736)

The Yellowmeade Farm track follows the line of the old horse-drawn Foggintor Quarry Tramway which originally went to Higher Quarry, which was sited somewhere around the Hollow Tor area.  When the Foggintor Quarry opened, the tramway was already in place to serve the new site.  The iron rails of the tramway were supported by granite setts, but most of these were removed by quarry apprentices during the General Strike, in 1926.  As the apprentices were too young to strike, I imagine they were given this task to keep them occupied.  The quarry was quite substantial and was thought to have contained seven crane bases, together with its own weighbridge.  Stone quarried from Foggintor was used by Thomas Tyrwhitt in the building of the prison at Princetown, as well as being transported by rail to Plymouth where it was transferred onto barges bound for London.  Foggintor stone was used during the erection of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square as well as other notable buildings and monuments in the capital.  The vertical side walls of the quarry are quite high and are now regularly used by the marines and other branches of the armed forces during their training exercises on the moor. 

Foggintor Quarry was quite a large concern with up to 267 people living at and around the quarry at its height in 1861.  The original name of the quarry was 'Royal Oak', until its name was changed to 'Hill Quarry' and more latterly to 'Foggintor Quarry'.  Just prior to reaching the quarry and sited beneath a large spoil heap are the ruins of an old farm.  Originally this was part of the quarry but later became Hill Farm, or Eva's Farm as it was known locally, named after Henry Eva who was once a tenant of the farm.  Further on and opposite the main entrance to the quarry can be seen the substantial ruins of Hill Cottages.  Running between the still standing walls of these cottages the ground still shows evidence of the branch tramway that was used to carry waste stone out to the large spoil tip.  Near to the cottages are the ruins of the Foggintor Quarry Chapel which has been used for various purposes, including Worship, School (see Foggintor Mission Hall above), Workshop and a Private Dwelling.  It is thought that a total of ten cottages were built around the site in 1846, of which some were occupied up until about 1951.  The cottages were demolished in 1953.  (Source: varous websties). 

3) Yes Tor Farm - (SX56294/72788)

It is thought that Yes Tor Farm might well date from the 13th century, when it formed a part of the Buckfast Abbey lands.  It certainly predates the building of the Princetwon Railway, as the track cuts straight through some of the field walls and grounds of the farm.  The railway did provide a bridge to the south of the farm in order that cattle could be taken safely across the line.  There was also a level crossing to the north, to which the gates were still in position up until the 1980's. At one point, the farm was closely connected to the Swell Tor Quarry as, in 1825, the records show that the tenant was John Johnson who was also the quarry manager.  Two of the field names, Quarry Park and Smith's Shop Field, also provide a link to the quarry.  The latter being named after a Blacksmith's Shop located adjacent to the field.  The farm is now in a very ruinous state, but there is strong evidence of two bee boles built into one of the farmyard walls.  Bees were kept in 'Skeps' and throughout most of the country these could simply be left out in the open but in the more exposed places, such as Dartmoor, the skeps would be placed in stone Bee Boles to give them additional protection from the harsh weather experienced across the moor.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', pages 1032 & 1033).

4) Ward Bridge - (SX54197/72018)

Ward Bridge, which spans the River Walkham, is on the route of the Dartmoor Way as it comes off the moor near Ingra Tor and drops down on the road to the River Walkham and up the other side to Sampford Spiney and beyond.  This would have been a centuries old crossing place on the river, but a tablet built into the outside of the bridge parapet seems to indicate that the stone bridge was first built here in the 1870's.  The bridge was swept away by floods in 1890 and a second tablet, beneath the first, shows that it was rebuilt in 1891.  About 100 yards each side of the bridge is a moss-covered boundary stone, inscribed with a large 'C' (County), erected against the roadside bank.  Back in the days before the County were responsible for maintaining the roads, they were all run by turnpike trusts.  The trusts, which were set up locally, were allowed to charge a toll to all passing traffic, the proceeds of which would be spent on the maintenance of these roads.  The one exception to this were the main bridges, together with a short section of road each side of the bridge, which came under the responsibility of the County Council.  The County Council placed 'C' boundary stones, at the side of the road, about 100 yards each side of their bridges to mark the point where their maintenace responsibilities ended and those of the turnpike trust took over.  (Source: Maurice). 

(N.B. These notes were rewritten in January 2021 as the original notes had somehow disappeared before a back-up was taken).  

The modern looking triangular boundary stone on the Willsworthy Range is inscribed with the letters 'M', 'P' and 'B' on each of it's faces.  These represent the boundaries of the parishes of Mary Tavy, Peter Tavy and Brentor.  In 1987, there was a major restructure of the parish boundaries in the Borough of West Devon and this saw the creation of four new parishes and an adjustment to the alignment of several others.  The original of this boundary stone stood at the point (SX518/836) where the three parishes originally met but this, unfortunately, was one of two stones that were destroyed by the American Forces during World War II.  This replacement stone was erected at the new junction of the three parishes at some point during the year of 1987.  (Source: Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers', pages 187 to 190).

2) Wheal Jewel Leat & Reservoir - (SX522/813)

In 1936, as a result of other hydro-electric projects undertaken around Dartmoor towards the end of the nineteenth century, it was decided to recondition the old Reddaford leat and build a reservoir beside the old Wheal Jewel workings which had opened for tin in 1865 on the site of earlier workings and closed in 1911.  Constructed in the early part of the nineteenth century Reddaford leat supplied pounds associated with the water powered machinery of the big Mary Tavy mines of Wheal Jewel, Wheal Betsy and Wheal Friendship.  It drew water from the River Tavy, beneath Ger Tor, and had a fall of only 26 feet over its 4½ miles length.

This new ‘S’ shaped reservoir was designed to hold 6,000,000¹ gallons of water and is also supplemented by a feed from the Wheal Friendship leat which is taken off the Walla Brook below Doe Tor. From the screen house at the reservoir’s southern end, water is carried by a 3 ft 6 inch diameter pipe through a fall of 560 feet for two miles to reach the Mary Tavy turbines on the old South Friendship mine site where it drives alternators connected to the National Grid.  The scheme came into operation in August 1937 becoming part of the nationalised system in 1948. It was subsequently controlled by the Central Electricity Generating Board, but is currently under the custodianship of South West Water and referred to as their Number Two Water Plant².

The leats across Kingsett Down supported an extensive industry, which in its hey-day comprised many mines named after families and mine captains with deep shafts and seventeen water wheels of differing size at Wheal Friendship working machinery to process ore and pump away underground water.  Wheal Friendship near Mary Tavy was, at one time, the largest copper mine in the world covering an area of 30 acres, and dates back to 1714. When first worked it dealt with lead, then copper and small amounts of silver during periods of fluctuating viability. In its latter years, up to 1924, arsenic became its main product and source of income. One of its shafts reached a depth of 220 fathoms at a time when copper was being extracted in 1875.

Of the visible remnants from this mining period the most significant is the restored engine house of Wheal Betsy (also known as Prince Arthur Mine and North Wheal Friendship) at SX5101/8140, above the Cholwell Brook, which closed in 1877. There is also a three-spanned clapper called Horndon Down Bridge over the dry Wheal Friendship Mine leat at SX 52237 81728.  (References: Wm Crossing, Helen Harris, Eric Hemery & South West Water).

Notes:

¹Harris and Hemery quote this figure, but South West Water give 16,000,000 in thier Mary Tavy Power Station leaflet.

²South West Water mention about doubling their energy production from renewable resources by 2015 and a longer term plan to obtain 50% of their energy needs from renewable sources by 2050. Reference the above leaflet. I have been unable to find any recent information as to the operation of this station.

3) Gibbet Hill - (SX50316/81159)

Gibbet Hill is the highest point on Black Down (1,158 feet) and mentioned by William Crossing in 'One Hundred Years on Dartmoor' as the scene, so stories said, of the death by burning of the wicked Lady Mary Howard of Fitzford House.  He also refers to tales of unfortunate wretches being confined in an iron cage and left to die.

It was the custom some two hundred years ago to hang felons in an iron cage suspended from a gibbet until starvation and carrion crows disposed of them; such policy being undertaken to discourage the crimes of highwaymen that operated on the Tavistock to Okehampton road. The last local brigand of notoriety, Rawley, had eluded capture by hiding in a mineshaft at Wheal Betsy until justice triumphed in the early part of the eighteen hundreds.  There was one case told of a male occupant existing (in the cage) for some time due to country people supplying him with food and he being ravenous enough to eat candles when folk returning home from market had nothing better to offer him.

Apparently a moor gate, known as Iron Cage Gate, used to stand at the end of Burn Lane on Black Down (possibly at SX49154/81671) where prisoners were kept in cages until hanged at the top of the hill.  On the north-west side of the summit are some workings known as Gibbet Hill Pits (Blackdown Mine), whilst on the southern slopes two fenced off shafts can be found. These are the remains of unsuccessful trials for tin dating from about 1870. There is also a record of the Duchy requiring payment of a rental in 1862.  (References: Wm Crossing, Helen Harris, Eric Hemery and the Internet).

4) Iron Cage Gate - (SX48685/81093)

I was not sure about the position of Iron Cage Gate and have continued to seek information that might clarify its location. William Crossing referred to it as situated at the end of Burn Lane and Mary Warne wrote of it near a gate by the cattle grid on the Brentor Road. On my 1:10,000 Memory Map version of Streetview, Burn Lane is only named for some of its length but it would seem likely that it forms a junction with Station Road at SX 48685 81093 where a cattle grid is clearly visible on Google Earth. It is from this corner that both Crossing and Hemery give The Dartmoor Path as continuing its route across Black Down to the Rattle Brook making it more than likely to be the location of the gate. Along its way this path crosses the Lych Way at Forstall Cross, which is not marked on any of my OS maps. Crossing speculates in his 'Ancient Stone Crosses' as to whether a cross ever existed there and mentions a boundary stone marking the spot. As to how its name came about there is no explanation. From the detail I have I can only estimate that the crossing point of these two paths falls between the two leats at approximately SX 52610 83180 which is close to where the western end of the military rifle butts are located.  (References: Wm Crossing, Eric Hemery & Mary Warne).

Lydia Bridge, which spans the River Avon, was built as a pack-horse bridge in the seventeenth century to replace the original clapper bridge.  The clapper was used by the  monks on their route between Buckfastleigh and Plympton.  This track would have branched off the Abbot's Way on Dean Moor and followed the River Avon downstream to the outskirts of South Brent.  After crossing the clapper here, the track went on out to the Owley Moor Gate, crossing the Blackwood Path at Spurrell's Cross, to the Harford Moor Gate and onwards through Cornwood to Plympton. 

Sabine Baring-Gould once collected a number of folk songs from Robert Hard, a stone-breaker, who lived at Lydia Bridge.  This was arranged through the local vicar who invited them both into his drawing room and the songs were noted down as they were being played on the Vicar's piano.  The local Miller, John Helmore, also provided Baring-Gould with some more folk songs and the set was published in his 'Songs of the West', in 1890.

The picturesque mill on the right bank below the bridge was, at the end of the 20th Century, a canvas mill owned jointly by William Crossing's father, Joseph, and Henry Hurrell, grandfather of the naturalist H. G. Hurrell.  Joseph persuaded Henry to take his son, William, into the business but the call of the moor was too strong and the exasperated Hurrell insisted on a premature termination of the moor-dreaming William's apprenticeship.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', pages 257 & 329).

2) Ball Gate - (SX67031/61300)

Although Ball Gate is often referred to as Coryndon (Corringdon) Ball Gate, there doesn't seem to be any reference to there ever being a Coryndon Manor in existence.  It would therefore appear as though this Gate has taken its name from the area where it is sited - at the north end of Coryndon Ball.  The Gate probably marks the one-time perimeter of Brent Manor, although the boundary of this manor has shifted several times over the centuries.  Again, the location of the original Brent Manor House is also subject to debate.  The main candidate would be the Church House, situated near St Petroc's Church, as this is probably the oldest building in South Brent.  However, there is a large house, named 'The Manor' to the north of the old Railway Station, on the road to Lutton.  The entrance drive to this house has a set of gateposts identical to those at Ball Gate, but whether these have always been sited here or have been re-sited from elsewhere is subject to conjecture.  All the signs are that Brent Manor was a large and powerful Manor in its day and its not inconceivable that it had a set of similar gateposts at each of the entrances to its grounds. (source: Bob & Maurice research).