1) Coffin Stone (SX6773/7330)

Information about the Coffin Stone can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website.  (Source: Maurice).

2) Dr Blackall's Drive (SX694/731 to 707/716)

Dr. Thomas Blackall came from a very prominent Exeter family in the late 1800's.  His father, John, was an eminent and noted doctor, a career which Thomas shared.  In 1862 there was a Thomas Blackall serving as the sheriff of the City of Exeter, a place where he spent most of his time.  However, he did own Spitchwick Manor and had a love of Dartmoor which is the very reason for Dr. Blackall's Drive.  He decided that to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Dart valley he would build a drive which would capture the views in all their splendour.  Accordingly, one Gerald Warren and other members of his family set to and completed the task of constructing the drive, sometime around 1880.  Thomas Blackall died in 1899 and, in accordance with his love of Dartmoor, was buried at the nearby church of Leusdon which in turn afforded another splendid view of Dartmoor thus providing an apt final resting place.

Dr Blackall's Drive starts at Bel Tor Corner (SX6949/7312) and runs in a general south-westerly direction for approximately two miles, where it rejoins the Ashburton to Two Bridges Road again above New Bridge (SX7076/7162).  Over the course of the two miles it drops over 450 feet in height, from 1141 to 682 feet, an average gradient of 4.35%.  Along the way, there are a few aptly named features, such as Brake Corner and Stumble Corner which evoke mental pictures of the horse and carriage having to negotiate these very carefully to prevent potential mishaps to both the horse and passengers.  (Source: Legendary Dartmoor website).  

1) Hound Tor Medieval Village (SX746/787)

This abandoned settlement, lying between the landmarks of Hound Tor and Grea Tor, was excavated in the 1960s by Mrs E. Marie Minter (who died before the archaeological report was fully written up) and found to consist of a cluster of rectangular longhouses and barns dating from the 13th century.  Constructed from surrounding moorland granite, the walls of the houses were possibly rendered on the inside in some way: none stands high enough now to show the position of windows.  Roofs would have been thatched with heather, rushes or straw and smoke from open hearths dispersed through the eaves.

Evidence suggests that the area was farmed during the Bronze Age (it may have been first farmed even earlier) and also used for summer grazing during the Roman period.  There is a possible reference to a village hereabouts in the Domesday Book (1086).  During the Middle Ages a combination of population growth and favourable weather seems to have encouraged people to move higher up on to the moor, taking in marginal land that was normally too difficult to cultivate.  Animals were an important element in this kind of husbandry – oxen to pull the ploughs, cattle for meat and milk, and sheep for meat and woollen clothing.  Medieval farmers liked to bring their beasts indoors, creating the typical Dartmoor longhouse – a rectangular building in which the family lived at one end and the animals at the other.  There were at least four of these in the Hound Tor hamlet.

The life of the permanent ‘granite’ settlement may have been short.  Pollen evidence suggests that cereal farming had ceased by 1350.  There are two considered explanations for abandonment and one or both may have played their part.  At about this time the Black Death pandemic was sweeping the country, also the climate was worsening causing inhabitants to retreat to the lowlands. However, a recent re-examination of pottery found at the site suggests occupation extended to the end of the 14th or early 15th century before locals finally gave up their struggle for a moorland existence.  (Sources: Butler, English Heritage & Legendary Dartmoor).

2) Becka Brook (new) Clapper Bridge (SX7477/7788)

See February 2015 walk for details.

3) Quarrymen's Hut - Holwell Tor (SX/7507/7778)

See February 2015 walk for details.

4) Hey Tor Granite Tramway

See February 2015 walk for details.

5) Yarner Copper Mine (SX783/783)

In the 1850's and 60's Yarner Wood echoed with the hiss of a steam powered Cornish beam pumping engine. The engine drained workings 300 feet below ground, where up to 50 miners dug out copper-bearing ore. Two waterwheels supplied energy to haul and crush the ore, which was then sorted by hand for sale at Truro. Yarner lies at the north-east end of a belt of copper mineralisation following the south-east edge of Dartmoor.  The first mining lease was granted in 1829 but there is no definite evidence of mining until the late 1850's. Between 1858 and 1865, 2,300 tons of copper were produced from the mine. By the mid 1850's 15% of the world's copper came from Devon. Copper was used for munitions and manufactured goods.

A miner's life was hard.  Many lived in Bovey, a 2 mile walk along exposed roads to Yarner. To keep their clothes clean, Miners changed in the Blacksmith's Shop for their 8 hour shifts underground, working in wet candle-lit galleries. At the end of the day they changed back into their own clothes, ready for the long walk home. Many suffered from Bronchitis and Rheumatism.  They paid 9d per month into a sick club, receiving 3s 6d per week when they fell ill. Workers on the surface had a hard time too, sorting ore and breaking up the rocks with hammers.   (Source: Natural England signboard on site, based on an article by Tom Greeves).

1) Wistman's Wood (SX612/769 - 611/777)

Wistman's Wood is dominated by Pedunculate Oak (Quercus Robur) trees which, although not very tall, are hundreds of years old. There are several interpretations of the meaning of the name: Wistman's Wood.  Spence Bate suggests 'Wysg-maen-coed' - meaning 'Water-rock-wood'.  William Crossing uses 'Weales man's Wood' - meaning 'Wood of the Celt' and C.M. Spooner proposes 'Wisht-man's Wood' - meaning 'Pixie-led or Haunted man's Wood'.  Whatever the meaning, this is certainly a magical place, with the trees growing out of the moss covered clitter and the branches of the trees are all tangled and bent into unusual shapes.  On 2nd July 1886, the central grove of the wood was hit by a fire of such intensity that the smoke could be seen rising by the Duchy Steward, Charles Barrington, from his home at Tor Royal, Princetown. Although great damage was done by the fire, time is a great healer and the woods have managed to regenerate themselves over the years.

2) Wentworth Buller Stone (SX6122/7737)

At the northern end of Wistman's Wood and close to the edge is the Wentworth Buller Stone.  Wentworth Buller was a young Botonist when, in 1866, he felled one of the trees in the presence of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, in attempt to discover something about the age of the trees.  A section of the tree was sent to the Curator of Exeter Museum for safekeeping.  This large stone was used to commemorate the event, with the following inscription: 'By permission of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, Wentworth Buller, on September 16th 1866, cut down a tree near this spot; it measured nine inches in diameter, and appeared to be about one hundred and sixty-eight years old'. (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 455 and Legendary Dartmoor Website).

3) Beardown Man (SX5961/7963)

At 11 feet 4 inches, Beardown man is the second tallest Menhir on the Moor, beaten only by the largest Drizzlecombe Menhir which stands at 14 feet above the ground.  However, this Bronze-Age menhir can boast of having the record for being located at the highest location of all the menhirs on the moor, at 1793 feet above sea level. The stone is quite wide across the face, but has no great depth to it - making it look like a very large slab. Unfortunately, no-one can say with any certainty what purpose the menhir would have had back in the Bronze-Age.  Various theories range from a Ritual Monument, Waymarking Stone, Meeting Place or a Memorial to an important Tribal Leader - take your pick!  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 400 and Legendary Dartmoor Website).

4) Brown's House (SX6149/7987)

Legend has it that Brown was a very ungainly man, morose in character and that he set up the farm in this isolated spot in order to protect his pretty young wife and to keep her away from the attention of other young admirers.  Although there is no truth in this legend, the farm was, in fact, set up by a man by the name of Brown - Dr Benjamin Hayward Brown (Doctor in Physics).  Dr Brown applied, in May 1810, to lease an area of 305 acres from the Duchy of Cornwall on a 99 year lease.  When, after several months, he'd had no response to his application, he went ahead and started building the house and outbuildings anyway.  When the Duchy found out that he had already started work before the lease was granted they were not amused.  In the end they did, however, grant the lease but at the rate of 1s 6d per acre per annum, when the going rate was usually only 1s per acre.  In addition to not being happy that he had already started work on the farm, the Duchy were becoming concerned at the vast acreage of the Moor being enclosed for farming and set the higher rate to discourage further apllications for land.  Eventually, they did take pity on him by recognising the additional costs of setting up the farm in such an isolated spot that they reduced the rent to 1s 3d per acre. In June 1812, after the buildings were complete along with some of the boundary walls, Dr Brown sold his lease to Matthew Walbank, from Gloucestershire, for the sum of £700. It appears as though Matthew Walbank continually had money problems and by 1818 he'd moved to Moretonhampstead, sub-letting the farm to a succession of other tenants.  There is no reference to Brown's House after 1829, so it is likely that the farm was abandoned at this time. (Source: Elisabeth Stanbrook's 'Dartmoor Forest Farms', pages 114-120).

5) Crockern Tor - Parliament Rock (SX6154/7577)

Back in the 15th to 18th Centuries, Crockern Tor was used by the Dartmoor tin mining community as their 'Great Court'.  Crockern Tor was chosen as the most suitable place central to the four stannaries that existed on the moor.  The court was centred around the Parliament Rock and it appears as though the accoustics were very good for the 100+ men who were required to attend the court.  The court consisted of a Lord Warden, as President, a Vice-Warden plus the Stewards, Bailiffs and 24 Stannators (or Jurats) for each of the four Stannaries. The four Stannaries were Ashburton, Chagford, Plympton and Tavistock.  Prior to convening a court session, the Lord Warden would serve notice on all four of the Stannary Stewards.  Each Steward would then convene a meeting of all tinners in his area, regardless of rank or standing, for which it was compulsory that they attend.  This meeting would then select the 24 most able men to represent their Stannary at the Great Court about a week later.  In more recent times, The Judge's Chair and Table has been removed from the tor, with the Chair being resited within the Dunnabridge Pound and the Table at Dunnabridge Farm. (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 428). 

1) Dean Burn Clapper Bridge (SX6982/6654)

This clapper is sited over the Dean Burn at the bottom of the footpath from the road junction at Bowerdon, south of Cross Furzes, on the way out onto the moor towards Water Oak Corner. The clapper consists of two imposts, laid end to end over the stream, and which are supported by a boulder midstream.  The imposts have a number of dates engraved into them. The date '1972' is clearly shown at the eastern end of the western impost. There is another date on the western end of the eastern impost which is more difficult to read - possibly '1702' or 1705'.  The date of '1737' has also been inscribed on the down-stream edge of the eastern impost. There is a further inscription in the centre of the eastern impost but this has become so severely worn that it is now impossible to decipher - it is possibly a pair of initials with a date below it. Unfortunately, I've not been able to discover who is responsible for these inscriptions or their meaning. This picturesque spot, which is on the route of the Abbot's Way, is surrounded by sturdy Oak and Beech trees with their dappled shade and the trickling water giving it the same atmosphere now as it would have had back in the days when the monks used pass through here on their way in crossing the moor to the abbeys at Tavistock and Buckland.  (Source: John Hayward's 'Dartmoor 365', page 321).

2) Broken Piping & Supports over River Avon (SX665/661)

The stone pillars on the Avon a little way downstream from Wella Brook Foot, whilst not remotely interesting in themselves, may prompt casual enquiries from walkers as to their former purpose. They are in fact the remnants of a reservoir boundary fence which was dismantled some years ago — aside from the section around the quarry from which stone was taken for the building work (Grid Square SX68/64) — the line of which is still marked on the O.S. Outdoor Leisure Map 28. (Source: Dartmoor Cam's Website quoting from Mike Brown's 'Guide to Dartmoor' CD).

3) Huntingdon Wheel-Pit & Mine (SX6658/6651)

A caption under one of Dartmoor Cam’s photos suggests this wheel-pit held a 40 foot water-wheel. Another source says it is one of two wheel-pits.

The mine workings seem to have been given several names depending on the years concerned with disagreements in working periods from different sources:

Devon Wheal Vor - 1800-1815

Avon Consols - 1851-54

Devon Wheal Vor - c1858

Huntingdon Mine - 1864-68 (1862-67)

Devon Consols, Wheal Rose

Huntingdon mine with the upper wheel-pit by the river Avon operated for 2 periods from 1800-1815 and 1862-1867. There were 7 air shafts and 2 wheel-pits. The mine consisted of a series of East-West trending lodes, except Gibby's Beam which trends North-East and two parallel lodes West of the Walla Brook which trend North-West. The works on the most southerly lode were reopened in 1864 as New Huntingdon Mine. The Engine Shaft was 35 fathoms deep with several levels and extensive stoping, most of which appears to have been done before the 1864 reworking. Output, possibly from Gibby's Beam, is 3.5 tons of black tin in 1837 and 4 tons in 1854.  (Source: Various Websites quoting:  A.K. Hamilton Jenkin, H.G. Dines & M. Atkinson).

4) Holne / Ian Mercer Boundary Stone (SX6783/6865)

This Boundary Stone is fairly new, having been placed on the moor as recently as 1990 at a spot known locally as 'Sitting Down End'. This name relates to the fact that the Commoners would always take a refreshment break at this spot whilst undertaking the Beating of the Parish Bounds.  The stone has been roughly fashioned and was probably once part of a gatepost, as suggested by the hole drilled into it.  It is sited on the line of the Holne Parish Boundary with that of Buckfastleigh.  The 'H' engraved into the centre of the stone obviously stands for Holne, but lower down the stone it has been engraved with the letters 'IM' in a sans-serif font.  These were placed here to recognise the work of Ian Mercer, the former Head of the Dartmoor National Park Authority, who also acted as the Steward of the Holne Manor on behalf of the Devon County Council.  Ian Mercer, himself, was asked to unveil the stone by removing its cover of bracken, on the occasion of the beating of the Holne Parish bounds in 1990.  He was then lifted up by the commoners and ceremoniously 'bumped' on the stone for his efforts.  (Source: Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers', page 125).

5) Hayford Cross Socket Stone (Lud Gate) (SX6824/6733)

Not very much is known about this cross base, I'm afraid, except to say that it was mentioned in Rev. Hugh Breton's 1931 book 'The Forest of Dartmoor'. I can find no reference to it in any of my Dartmoor books or the internet and I don't know where the cross was originally sited or what it's original purpose would have been.  My best guess is that it would have been sited on the nearby route of the Mariner's Way, which was used by sailors who regularly travelled the 73 miles between the ports of Bideford and Dartmouth looking for work. The nearby Hayford Hall is reputed to be the inspiration behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' and still has a stone sculpture of a hound guarding the entrance gates. (Source: Dave Hamnett - who notified Glenn and I about his 'find').

The head water for the Prison Leat is taken off the River Walkham a short distance to the northwest of where it combines with the Spriddle Lake.  It was necessary to start at this higher point in order to give it sufficient height to maintain the flow of water all the way to the Prison in Princetown.  The leat also merges with the Spriddle Lake, to receive a supplementary supply of water, before continuing its southward journey. The leat skirts to the west of Black Dunghill, east of Great Mis Tor and crosses beneath the B3357, before winding its way down to Princetown and its final destination at the Prison.  The Leat was built by the prisoners themselves but, unfortunately, it no longer seems to be maintained with the result that many breaches have occurred and the majority of the water received at its headweir is now lost back into the River Walkham.  The lower reaches of the leat are normally almost dry, except during periods of exceptionally heavy rainfall. (Sources: Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 1039).

2) Timber Bridge (SX5745/7917)

Timber Bridge was originally made of wood and spans the Prison Leat a short distance to the east of Sandy Ford, the point at which the Lych Way crosses the River Walkham. The old wooden bridge has since been replaced by a fine arched stone bridge over the leat.  This type of  structure is very rare on Dartmoor as the majority of stone bridges, away from the roads, have been built as clapper bridges.  In addition to being used for travellers along the Lych Way, the bridge was also vital to the Peat Cutters who worked their extensive peat ties on Maiden Hill between this bridge and Walkham Head.  The Peat Cutters created a well-defined cart track northwards from the bridge to their peat ties in the Walkham Head area in order that the peat turves could be transported off the moor.  (Sources: Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 1019).

3) Walkham Head Peat Pass (SX5779/8138 to SX5785/8149)

For information on the Phillpotts Peat Passes and the Marker Stones, please refer to the research notes for the Winney's Down Peat Pass in  June 2015.  Unfortunately, the metal plaque that was attached to the Walkham Head southern marker stone is now missing, but the one on the northern post is still in place at the time of this walk.  (Source: Maurice).

1) Black Tor Double Stone Row (SX5699/7139)

This double stone row now supports the outer cornditch wall of Stanlake Farm Newtake. The western of the two rows aligns with the outer face of the Newtake Wall, where a few orthostats can still be seen embedded into the wall. The eastern row has now been almost totally obliterated by the sloping bank of the collapsed wall. Even before the Newtake wall was built, a tinners' leat crossed the stone rows and would have caused quite a bit of damage to it.  The leat itself has now all but disappeared.  Originally, the stone rows were thought to start at a cairn at the southern end and run for a distance of 295 metres to a large blocking stone, between the rows, at the northern end. The distance between the rows increased from 1.7 metres at the cairn to 2.4 metres at the blocking stone. (Source: Jeremy Butler's 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - Volume 3', pages 47/49).

2) Thomas Tyrwhitt and the Princetown Railway (Dousland SX539/681 to Princetown SX588/735)

It is considered that without Thomas Tyrwhitt Princetown would never have existed. He was amongst those who were called ‘improvers’.  Aged 23, he began operations on Dartmoor in 1783, completing his Tor Royal residence in 1798. Tyrwhitt was an MP from 1796 to 1812, at which point he became Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and private secretary (and close friend) to the Prince of Wales.  He’d persuaded the Government to build a prison for French PoW’s. Thus Dartmoor Prison had its foundations laid in 1806 and from 1812 to 1816 housed French and American POWs. After the cessation of hostilities Princetown declined towards desolation. Resigning Parliamentary duties he returned to Dartmoor and renewed his activities on behalf of the people. Tyrwhitt had a vision of developing, cultivating and populating the district by improving the lives of orphans, paupers and the industrious poor; making use of the redundant prison in the process. However, his scheme never came to fruition and was abandoned in 1822.

Meanwhile, he’d put forward a proposal in 1818 for a railway from Plymouth to Princetown. This became the horse drawn Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway Co, running from a point near Laira to King's Tor (a temporary terminus). Opened on 26th September 1823, it would be December 1826 before the railway finally reached Princetown. Needless to say its total estimated cost of just under £40,000 proved hopelessly short to the tune of an additional £26,000. Tyrwhitt never lived to see the fulfilment of his lifelong ambition as he died in 1833.

Movement of granite from the quarries of Ingra, Swell and Foggin Tors increased between 1830 and 1840, but later declined. Between 1847 and 1852 the South Devon Railway Co and South Devon & Tavistock Co purchased lower sections of the original route for development. In 1877 the GWR, now in possession of the SD&T, proposed connecting Princetown to the existing Plymouth & Tavistock Railway, but later withdrew their idea in favour of purchasing the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway Co route from Princetown to Yelverton under a new company known as the Princetown Railway Co. Opened on 11 August 1883 the upgraded branch was worked in perpetuity by the GWR until nationalisation.  From Yelverton the railway had a 10½ mile run to Princetown with platforms at Dousland, Burrator Halt, Ingra Tor Halt and King Tor Halt. Over that distance it rose 895 feet and deviated at least twice from the original route: Yes Tor Bottom and Little King Tor - where both original track alignments are still clearly visible. The former terminus in Princetown was in a yard behind what was once known as the Devil’s Elbow Inn before the GWR relocated their new station to land where Princetown’s Fire Station now stands.

In 1908 William Duke, who opened Merrivale Quarry in 1876, applied for a light railway order to connect Merrivale to the Princetown Branch near where the Swell Tor Siding started. Although the request was sanctioned, and apart from commencing an embankment which extends from the quarry towards the River Walkham, the work was never carried out. Passenger traffic declined after 1931 with goods, minerals and parcel traffic sharing a similar fate by 1937/1938 at which time the quarries were non-producing. By 1955 passenger and goods traffic had dwindled to virtually vanishing point, categorising the route as unremunerative under BR’s reorganisation and modernisation plan. The line managed to remain open until 3 March 1956 after which its infrastructure was removed leaving what can be seen today.  (Sources: G H Anthony ‘The Tavistock Launceston and Princetown Railways’, Wm Crossing's ‘Princetown – Its Rise and Progress’ & Kath Brewer's ‘The Railways, Quarries and Cottages of Foggintor’).

3) Clay Works Boundary Stone CW 2 (SX5515/7388)

Boundary Stone stone CW 2 is believed to be the only remaining member of a series of boundary stones for a china clay sett referred to in a lease dated 29th September 1835 and granted by Sir Ralph Lopes to George Stone, Baron of Plymouth. The lease was to run for a period of 21 Years on 'certain lands in Walkhampton'.  Dues were payable to the landowner of 2 shillings per ton for the first 7 years of the lease and 2 shillings and Sixpence for the remaining 14 years, on China Clay.  The price for other types of clay were set at 1/12th of the rate. The site was referred to as the 'Yes Tor Bottom China Clay Works'.  Boundary Stone CW 1 was placed beside the Milestone '12 Miles from Plymouth' on the B3212 Princetown to Yelverton Road.  Three other Boundary Stones (CW 3, CW 4 and CW 5) were believed to have been sited on the north side of the railway line somewhere between Foggintor and Princetown.  Only the CW 2 Stone now remains in situ. (Source: Kath Brewer ‘The Railways, Quarries and Cottages of Foggintor’ & Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers', pages 239-241).

1) Grimstone & Sortridge Leat (SX540/748 to SX515/717)

The Leat was thought to have been built around the 15/16th Centuries to provide a drinking water source for the Manors of Grimstone (SX516/705) and Sortridge (SX506/710) in the parish of Horrabridge. The source of water for the Grimstone and Sortridge Leat is provided by the west bank of the River Walkham (SX552/773).  After flowing through a channel under the B3357 at Merrivale, the leat winds around to the west and crosses over the Beckamoor Brook on a wooden launder (SX5356/7493).  This launder has the name 'John Wills 1953-1987' engraved into its upper edge.  The leat passes the Blacksmith's Shop (SX5361/7477) on Barn Hill, Beckamoor Cross (SX5344/7429) and continues on over Plaster Down.  Along this stretch are at least 3 Bulls-eye Stones, which are strategically placed to restrict the flow of water at junctions.  The stones have a 1" diameter hole drilled through them to allow a measured amount of water to be diverted along a channel to other farmsteads along the route.  The constant flow of water over many years seems to have enlarged the holes and it can be seen on the stone at Grid Ref: SX5269/7323 that the original hole has been plugged and a new one drilled beside it.  Both manors are now served by a mains water supply, but the leat still supplies water to large drinking troughs in their farmyards for general use. (Source: Eric Hemery's 'Walking the Dartmoor Waterways').

2) Blacksmith's Shop - Barn Hill (SX5361/7477)

The Blacksmith's Shop, beside the Grimstone and Sortridge Leat, on Barn Hill operated as a Smithy for Quarrymen during the latter years of the 19th Century.  The Smithy was used for making, repairing and sharpening the tools used for the extensive stone working industry in the area.  In the main, this would have been before the opening of Duke's Quarry at Merrivale in 1876. Before the quarry, the men would work amongst the stone on the hillside, mainly around the slopes of the Staple Tors.  The stone would be 'dressed' at Sett Makers Bankers and carted off for sale from the site.  On the bank of the leat, below the Blacksmith's Shop, is an excellent example of a Wheelwright's Stone.  This would have been used to hold a wooden cartwheel in place while a heated iron tyre was placed over it and hammered into place. (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor' pages 1011 & 1044 and John Hayward's 'Dartmoor 365' page 222).  

3) Beckamoor Cross (Windy Post) (SX5344/7429)

Information about the Beckamoor Cross can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website. (Source: Maurice).

4) Sampford Spiney (SX534/724)

The moorland parish of Sampford Spiney (Spanley) was included amongst the vills of the west quarter and belonged to Plympton Priory.  The church (St. Mary) was probably a 14th-century cruciform building, enlarged to its present size in the early 16th-century.  Hall Farm, beside the church, was the manor house. It was rebuilt in 1607 and is a good example of its kind. The whole scene is remote and boulder-strewn.  Easton Town (SX535/728) is a 17th-century farmhouse, and behind it is Warne's Kitchen, c. 1600 in date, one of the best examples to be found of the old Dartmoor type of farmhouse in which there was direct communication between the living-room and the cattle-shippen. It retains its primitive porch and original circular stone staircase in a curious "turret."  Woodtown (SX539/718), in the picturesque valley of the Walkham, is a 17th-century farmhouse.  Huckworthy bridge over the Walkham is of uncertain age. (Source: W.G. Hoskins 'A New Survey of England – Devon’).

Information about the Sampford Spiney Cross on the village green can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website. (Source: Maurice).

5) Heckwood Tor - Granite Block (SX5391/7375)

The dressed granite block beside the track at Heckwood Tor is a stone that was intended for use in building the breakwater at Plymouth, but was abandoned after a flaw was found in the stone.  A substantial amount of granite used in the building of the Plymouth Breakwater was sourced from the Quarry at Heckwood Tor. The dressed stones were carted from the Quarry down to Morwellham Quay and then loaded onto barges for transportation down the Tamar to their destination in Plymouth.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor' page 1007).

Information about Starkey's Bridge and Memorial Stone can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website. (Source: Maurice).

2) Teignhead Farm (Grid Ref: SX635/843)

Please follow the attached link to the notes made on Teignhead Farm from our previous visit in July 2013.

3) Winney's Down Peat Pass (SX6186/8230 to SX6208/8250)

There are a total of nine peat passes, or Phillpott's Cuts, on the North Moor.  These were cut at the direction of Frank Phillpotts around the turn of the 20th Century.  They are all situated in areas of deep peat and tracks were cut through the peat, down to the base level, to make it easier for huntsmen and cattlemen on their journeys across the moor.  Some of the passes were cut from new and others were based on earlier tracks that were already established but had become blocked up again.  The passes were originally marked by wooden posts at each end, but these soon disappeared through decay and animals using them as rubbing posts.  After Frank's death in 1909, the wooden posts were replaced by granite pillars, cut from Duke's Merrivale Quarry, and transported to site by George French of Postbridge and his pack-horse.  Each post bears a metal plaque which reads: 'THIS STONE MARKS A CROSSING THROUGH THE PEAT, WHICH MAY BE OF USE TO HUNTING AND CATTLEMEN: THE CROSSING WAS MADE BY FRANK PHILLPOTTS, WHO DIED OCTOBER 1909. IT IS KEPT UP IN HIS MEMORY BY HIS BROTHER AND SON.'  It was his son, Raleigh, who made all the arrangements, although he never managed to complete the job as some of the passes still do not have marker posts. (Source Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor' page 73).

4) Sittaford Stone Circle (SX6301/8281)

This Stone Circle, which consists of about 30 recumbent stones, was discovered back in 2007 by Alan Endacott during a period of swaling in the area.  It wasn't until this year (2015) that funds became available and the 'Moor than meets the Eye' project commissioned a geophysical survey of the area.  This, together with an analysis of soil samples taken from beneath the stones, established that they have been in place for around 4,000 years, which dates the circle to around the same time as Stonehenge!  The stone circle, at 525 metres above sea level, is not only the highest on Dartmoor, but the highest in the whole of Southern England.  With a diameter of 34 metres, it is the second largest on the moor, beaten only by the circle on Mardon Down, near Moretonhampstead, which is about 38 metres in diameter.  It is also the first stone circle to have been discovered on Dartmoor in over 100 years.  Not all the stones are intact as some have become broken over the years, but the fact that a number of 'packing' stones have also been found in the holes strongly suggests that the stone circle originally stood erect.  (Source: various internet sites).

Information about Bennet's Cross can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website. (Source: Maurice).

2) Blue Jug (SX7084/8036) & Gray Weather (SX7068/8031) Boundary Stones

Blue Jug and Gray Weather are two boundary stones which were erected near the source of the East Webburn River on behalf of the Duke of Somerset to mark the boundary of his Natsworthy Manor. The stones were erected in 1854 and have their names inscribed on one side, with 'DS' (Duke of Somerset) and the year '1854' being incised on the reverse. The Duke of Somerset, at that time, was Edward Adolphous Seymour, who was born in 1804 and died at Stover House, Newton Abbot, in 1885.  During his lifetime he had held the positions of Liberal MP for Totnes (1834/35), Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests (1849/51) and Lord Lieutenant of Devon (1861+).  The Duke bought the Stover Estate from George Templer in 1829. He then acquired the Natsworthy Manor in 1854 and arranged for the stones to be erected in the same year. I'm afraid that I've not been able to find out how these boundary stones came to acquire their names.  (Source Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor' pages 681/2).

3) Stoneslade Metal Cross (Grid reference witheld))

Information about the Stoneslade Metal Cross can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website. (Source: Maurice).

4) Herring's (Aaron's) Knock (SX7088/7811)

Herring's (Aaron's) Knock is actually a triangular-shaped natural boulder which has been commandeered as a boundary marker for the Widecombe Town Manor.  The top of the stone has a gash or cleft in it, which is probably perfectly natural but has quite a bit of folklore attached to it.  William Crossing informs us that legend has it that the Knock, or Cleft, was made by someone called Aaron who struck the rock with his substantial staff - hence the rhyming couplet that he quotes: 'Aaron's Knock, Made this Chock' and the source of the rock's alternative name of 'Aaron's Knock'. This rhyme is now repeated at the rock during each beating of the bounds for the Manor, but no-one is able to say who Aaron actually was.

Another possibility for the name of Herring's Knock is that it has derived from 'Heron's Cnoc', which translates as the 'Hill of the Heron'.  'Cnoc' is Gaelic for Hill and it's easy to see how the word 'Heron' has been transmuted into 'Herring' over the generations. A third possibility that has been suggested is that the 'Knock' resembles the notch made in the end of arrows used in Archery into which fits the bowstring, as this is also referred to as a 'Knock'. (Source: Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Stones' pages 80/81 & Legendary Dartmoor Website).

5) Gatepost in Lane near Lower Blackaton (SX6986/7783)

The Gatepost in the lane leading down from Hameldown to the road at Lower Blackaton had an interesting round hole drilled well into the post very near the top. Although I'm unable to find anything written about this stone, I believe it was once what was known as a 'Holed-Stone' gate hanger.  This worked by having two stones, with holes drilled into them, acting as a pivot for the gate.  One stone would be laid flat on the ground, with the hole facing upward, and mostly built into the stone wall beside the gateway. The other would be laid flat on top of the wall, with the hole facing downward and overhanging the edge of the wall.  The upright pillar of the gate, on what would be the 'hinged' side, would be extended above and below the bars of the gate and these extensions would fit into each of the holes.  Thus the gate would be able to swivel open and shut.  This stone was probably removed from its original position and has now been reused as a modern upright gatepost. (Source: Thurlow's 'Dartmoor Companion' pages 230-235 & Maurice's Theory).

The Meldon Reservoir was built in the early 1970's, for the North Devon Water Board, at a cost of £1.665m.  It stretches for over ¾ mile up the valley, covers a surface area of 57 acres and, with a maximum depth of water of 132 feet, can hold up to 680 million gallons of water.  The dam is 181 feet high, 125 feet wide at the base and used a colossal 270,000 tons of concrete during it's construction.  The aggregate used in the construction was supplied by the nearby Meldon Quarry. The reservoir is designed to supply the main grid with 5 million gallons of water per day.  A plaque, built into the north eastern wall of the dam, shows that the Reservoir was opened on 22nd September 1972 by Peter Mills MP who was, at the time, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food. It would seem that very little of historical or geological value was destroyed in the building of the reservoir and the island near the south western end is entirely natural and not man-made.  This island has, for several years, been a favourite nesting site for local Canada Geese.  (Source: Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 904/5).

2) Dinger Tor (SX5865/8815)

Legend has it that Dinger Tor is the original home of Devon Cream Teas. At one time a local giant had four wives, of which the eldest three were very mean and ill-tempered, unlike the kind and loving younger wife who was always the giant's favourite.  The three older wives were very jealous and decided to make their husband's life a misery until he got rid of her.  In the end he relented and took the younger wife to the coast where he found her a safe and secure place to live in a cave.  One day, only the brave action taken by the young girl prevented a ship from being lured onto rocks by a group of local wreckers.  In order to express his thanks, the ship's captain showed the girl how to prepare a 'real' cream tea.  On his next visit to see her, she made a cream tea for her husband, the Giant.  He was so delighted with this treat that he decided to over-rule the wishes of his other wives and bring her back home. They too were so overcome by the taste of this treat that their whole nature changed and all four wives decided to work together to set up a Cream Tea Cafe at Dinger Tor.  Sadly, this is no longer open for business!  (Source: John Hayward's 'Dartmoor 365', page 61).

3) Liberator Crash Site - West Okement Ravine (SX565/884)

Scattered along the north-east facing slopes of the ravine, between Stenga Tor and the Slipper Stones, are some remains of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The aircraft, PB4Y-l 63926 / B-5 (E), was a heavy bomber for long-range anti-submarine warfare attached to United States Navy Bombing Squadron 110, based at Dunkeswell airfield.  A new granite monument to commemorate the crash and its victims was erected above the valley during 2022.

On 28th December 1943, USN Fleet Air Wing 7, based at Dunkeswell in Devon, despatched the Liberator, together with fourteen others, on a mission to locate and attack a group of enemy destroyers in the Bay of Biscay. During the patrol PB4Y-1 B-5 engaged with two enemy aircraft and a second Liberator, PB4Y-1 B-12, being close by joined fire at which the enemy were forced to break off their attack, disappearing into cloud. Upon concluding their patrol these two PB4Y-1s exchanged base headings and returned home individually.

On reaching England’s south-west coast PB4Y-1 B-5 descended into cloud and having turned onto an easterly track, struck the hilltop, digging a furrow ¼ mile long, before dropping 400 feet onto the rocky ground of the West Okement Valley, where it blew up, disintegrated and burned out. All ten crew were killed. Some reports suggest the aircraft’s remains were strewn over a quarter of a mile. Investigations revealed that the Liberator had crashed with its full bomb complement. Apart from encountering some harsh winter weather conditions in the vicinity the cause of the crash remains a mystery; the pilot, Lt. William W. Parish, was one of the most experienced in the squadron. This was the fourth American plane to crash on Dartmoor during the month of December 1943.  It would seem that back in the 1960s a considerable amount of wreckage was still in-situ and complaints from various Dartmoor conservationists caused the site to be cleaned up. One of the Pratt and Whitney engines was restored to working order.  (Refs: Wotherspoon, Clarke & Sheldon and Legendary Dartmoor).

A scanned copy of Graham Lewis's pages on the Liberator Crash can be found here, as a .pdf file.  

4) NDWB (North Devon Water Board) Reservoir (SX560/898)

This secret little reservoir, which is surrounded by a wall and now covered with trees, was built by the North Devon Water Board to supplement their water supply in the area.  Water would flow by gravity along a pipeline to the water treatment works at Prewley. In times of low water, supply was maintained by pumping water along a parallel pipeline to supplement the existing gravity-fed supply.  The water catchment area of the reservoir is marked by a number of square concrete posts, on each bank of the West Okement and engraved 'NDWB'. (Source: Hemery's 'High Dartmoor', page 903).

The expansion of the dockyard at Plymouth encouraged the growth of a new town – Devonport - and, as a consequence, a rivalry between it and Plymouth. To obtain a copious and independent water supply for this new town powers were obtained in 1793 to take same from the West Dart, Cowsic and Blackabrook resulting in a leat 21¼ miles long. Today that leat only carries water to a point near Burrator dam from where it is piped to the Dousland treatment works with any surplus flowing into the reservoir. The Plymouth, or Drake’s, leat was a separate undertaking dating from 1585 and abstracted water from the Meavy at a take-off point below Lower Lowery.  The first tunnel at Nuns Cross utilised the linking together of several existing adits from Nuns Cross Mine but this resulted in a sluggish flow which was remedied by a new, lower sited channel and tunnel c1850. (Source: Hemery).

2) Old Farm Hut (SX6016/6991)

At the above location, not far from the western portal of the Devonport Leat tunnel, Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 series maps show a small square. Under the shelter of a few beech trees inspection reveals the remains of a building which has its origins from about 1793. It had no primary connection with mining activity but was constructed as a smithy for the making and maintenance of tools used by the men employed in driving the leat-tunnel.

A former occupant of Nun's Cross Farm, Mrs Phillips, always referred to the building by the name of 'Old Farm'.  (Source: Eric Hemery's 'High Dartmoor' & 'Walking the Dartmoor Waterways').

3) Devonport Leat (Hutchinson) Cross (SX5995/6991)

Information about Devonport Leat Cross can be found on our Dartmoor Crosses website.  (Source: Maurice).

4) Hingston Hill Stone Row (SX5902/6938 to SX5869/6927)

Given the misnomer of ‘Down Tor’ stone row this antiquity must rank as the most impressive example of its kind on Dartmoor. Restored under the eye of Robert Burnard in 1894 the row is in the region of 381 yards in length with a retaining circle about 12 yards in diameter enclosing a barrow. The huge pillar standing over 9 feet above ground level at the western end of the row weighs about 3 tons and the total number of stones in the single row was 174. (Source: Butler, Crossing, Rowe and Worth).

5) Deancombe Farm Staddles (SX5798/6877 & SX5797/6878)

At Deancombe Farm there are two sets of Staddles to be found amongst the ruins of the farmyard buildings.  Staddles are normally mushroom shaped stones which stand about 12 to 18 inches above ground and which are set in two or three regular rows to form a rectangle. The farm's supply of hay would be stacked on top of these Staddles in order to keep it off the ground.  This would ensure that the bottom of the stack stayed dry and would also be out of reach of any rodents who might want to feast on it or make their nests in it.  The Staddles at Deancombe have now lost their mushroom-shaped caps, but still provide a good example of how they would have been used back in the time when it was a working farm. (Source: Maurice).

6) Engraved Rock - River Meavy (SX5681/6950)

This rock, which is in the bed of the River Meavy just above Norsworthy Bridge, is clearly engraved with the year '1841'.  I've not been able to discover anything about the rock or the reason for the engraving.  I can therefore only assume that perhaps that the rock was moved downstream by floodwater (no mean feat due to it's size and weight) in that year and has been engraved accordingly.  There is a precedent for this with a rock in the River Cowsic which is engraved: 'This Stone was Moved by a Flood 1707'. (Source: Maurice). 

7) Indian's Head (Devonport Leat) (SX5724/7131)

Also referred to as the ‘Turk’s Head’, this small object will be found in the Devonport Leat some 100 yards down-stream of the Meavy aqueduct (the Iron Bridge) set into the mortar between two of the left-hand retaining wall granite blocks - almost opposite a lone tree set back from the right bank. Its appearance is like a white plaque approximately 2 inches diameter and about 5 inches above the water line. The original significance is unknown but it has been speculated that either a French POW sited it during the Napoleonic Wars (1809 to 1816) or by someone else unknown a few decades later when repair work was carried out on the leat. It was most likely the porcelain face of a doll from the period though the current item has replaced the original which was defaced during 1984 being renewed in 1996 following a competition run by the DNPA. (Source: Legendary Dartmoor).

8) Crazywell [Classenwell/Classiwell/Clazeywell] Pool (SX582/704)

With its varying names, the origins of which little is known, the pool was once reputed to be the largest natural one of its kind on Dartmoor. In local circles there was a story of how the bell ropes from Walkhampton Church were tied together to determine its depth without success. However, this water filled pit, which was finally measured as being closer to 20 feet at its deepest point, is the result of an old mine working and lies at the head of gert that runs down to Newleycombe Lake. It was even blamed for the early silting up of the Plym Estuary by the carryover of large amounts of sand.

There are legends and folklore tales attached to it, such as the howling of tormented spirits or the foretelling of parishioners’ deaths. There was an old tradition that Piers Galveston once concealed himself on the moor during a period of court banishment and that a local Reverend, with poetic licence, penned a ballad in which Piers meets the local Witch of Sheepstor at the poolside to ascertain his future which led to a misreading and his subsequent beheading. Also, that visiting the pool on the night of Midsummer’s Eve will result in dire consequences. The pool was also used for military training purposes and in 1998 a young marine tragically drowned there whilst on an exercise. (Source: Butler, Crossing, Hemery, Legendary Dartmoor, Rowe and Worth).

There were leased quarries on Hey Tor Down circa 1819 at which time granite was conveyed off the moor by horse drawn wagon; a costly and time consuming task. To alleviate such expense a tramway (brain child of George Templer, quarry lessee and son of James Templer the canal builder) was opened in September 1820. Its total length from Emsworthy Rocks to the Teigngrace Canal Terminus was about 10½ miles and in traversing that distance it dropped over 1,200 feet in altitude.

At the time of the tramway’s inception the acquisition of metal rails was both unreliable and costly so the idea was germinated of utilizing quarry material. Granite was hewn into blocks about 1 foot square and between 4 and 8 feet in length and then worked along one long edge to create a rebate 7½ inches wide by 3 inches deep. A pair of blocks would then be laid on the ground with their wider rebate outer most and facing up to provide a surface for wagons to run along. The gauge between the granite ‘rails’ was set by laying each pair so that the shoulders of the shallower cut were maintained at a distance of approximately 4 feet 3 inches apart. These raised shoulders thus enabled wagons with four 2 feet diameter flangeless iron wheels to follow the course of the track without falling off; each flat topped, side-less, wagon being capable of carrying a maximum load of 3 tons.

Six tramway branches were laid on the downs: Emsworthy Rocks East and West, Holwell Tor, a Rubble Heap north-west of Hey Tor, and two for Hey Tor itself. The ¾ mile branch to the north side of Holwell Tor (also known as Ovals Tor) connected the lowest and second largest quarry of the Hey Tor group to the main line. Transporting hewn granite out of this location was by necessity a stiff task. From here a train consisting of twelve coupled wagons – some 36 tons or more in weight – would see a team comprised of eighteen or nineteen shire horses hauling the load up to the main line for onward movement by less energetic means.

Two rhymes come to hand:                                                                       

1) Nineteen stout horses it was known
From Holwell Quarry drew the stone,
And mounted on a twelve wheeled car
'Twas safely brought from Holwell Tor.
        
2) Eighteen brave steed and twelve old car
To take stone from Ovals Tor;
The stallion in front they did place
It was John Murrin's, of Teigngrace.

Although there had been a pause in its use, around 1841, the enterprise worked until about 1858 when disharmony and lost contracts took hold and the tramway fell into disuse. There was some sporadic use into the 1860’s but competition from Cornish quarries and other sources brought about its demise. Granite from the quarries was incorporated in the construction of London Bridge and other buildings in the capital including the British Museum library. The last occasion on which Hey Tor granite was sought was in 1919 when stone for Exeter’s war memorial in Northernhay Gardens was cut. The moorland section of the granite tramway is now protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and has the distinction of being the first ‘rail’ line constructed in Devon. (Source: Jeremy Butler, William Crossing, Helen Harris, Eric Hemery and Legendary Dartmoor).

2) Quarrymen's Hut - Holwell Tor (SX/7507/7778)

This is a fine example of a bee-hive hut, which can be found hidden below the level of the tramway.  There are several suggestions as to it's original purpose: a workman's shelter, a tool store, or possibly an explosives store. The latter seems more logical as you would not fit many workmen inside and the large roof slabs do suggest a need for something to contain an explosion should it have happened. (Source: Legendary Dartmoor website).

3) Becka Brook (new) Clapper Bridge (SX7477/7788)

The new Becka Brook footbridge on Dartmoor was featured on Spotlight during November 2014.  George Coles was interviewed for Spotlight in his role as Media Secretary for the Moorland Ramblers Group.  The major funding for the bridge was provided by by the Moorland Group Environmental Fund and HF Holidays.  George was the first Rambler to cross the new Becka Brook bridge which was finished on Monday 24th November 2014.  The Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) who obtained planning permission and set up the project, including negotiation with the landowners, stated that it is the first new clapper bridge on Dartmoor since the war.  The clapper bridge looks good in its setting in a narrow Dartmoor valley and is much more appropriate for its setting than a modern timber footbridge.  (Source: Devon Area Ramblers website). 

During our December 2021 walk, we saw that a plaque has now been added to the side of the bridge to confirm that the bridge was erected in 2014 by the Dartmoor National Park Authority.  The plaque also acknowledges that the bridge was funded by HF Holidays Ltd and the Moorland Ramblers Group.  (Updated: December 2021). 

4) Widecombe Church (SX718/767)

Widecombe acquired considerable fame or notoriety in the mid-seventeenth century because of the terrible storm which hit the village in autumn 1638. News of the events quickly spread through England and within a week or so of the storm, a pamphlet describing ‘those most strange and lamentable accidents’ was published in London. It quickly sold out and a second, larger account was produced. Together, they provide a graphic and at times gory description of the events which occurred in Widecombe on Sunday 21st October 1638, during divine service, as allegedly recounted by eye-witnesses who had ‘now come to London’.

The two accounts described how the sky darkened strangely during the Sunday service, so that the congregation could not read their books and could barely see one another, closely followed by ‘a mighty thundering’ and ‘terrible strange lightening’. The lightening struck the church tower, badly damaging it and causing one of the corner pinnacles to collapse through the roof of the nave. Either that bolt or a second strike entered the nave itself in the form of ball lightening, and some of the congregation recalled seeing ‘a great fiery ball come in at the window and passe through the Church’, accompanied by fire, smoke and a strong smell of brimstone. Most of the congregation threw themselves to the floor amidst great cries ‘of burning and scalding’. The minister, George Lyde, was in the pulpit when the lightening struck, but even though it passed close by, leaving one of the faces of the pulpit ‘black and moist as if it had beene newly wiped with Inke’, he was unhurt. However, ‘the lightening seized upon his poor Wife, fired her ruffe and linnen next to her body, and her cloathes, to the burning of many parts of her body in a very pitifull manner’. A friend sitting next to her was also ‘much scalded’ and another unnamed woman ran out of the church with her clothes on fire and was left not only ‘strangely burnt and scorched, but had her flesh torne about her back almost to the very bones’. Two male members of the congregation were killed, Roger Hill and Robert Meade, warrener to Sir Richard Reynell, both apparently by being thrown back so violently by the lightening that their heads were smashed against the church wall. The accounts describe in detail how the unfortunate warrener had his skull smashed open so that his brains were thrown out and a bloody indentation made in the wall. Many others were injured, some of whom subsequently died: a woman who ‘had her flesh so torne and her body so grievously burnt’ died the following night and a man sitting close to the warrener was burnt all over and lingered ‘in great misery’ about a week. On the other hand, there were remarkable escapes, of people whose hats or clothes were burnt off but their bodies left untouched, of small children forgotten and abandoned in the ensuing chaos who wandered out of the ruins unharmed some hours later: ‘but it pleased GOD yet in the midst of judgement to remember mercy, sparing some and not destroying all’.

The church itself was badly damaged by the lightening. The ball lightening within the body of the church burnt or overturned pews, scorched the stonework and caused one of the main beams to collapse, though it fell harmlessly to the floor between the minister and the clerk. The tower was also badly damaged and its partial collapse in turn damaged the roof of the nave. The following day two volunteers ventured up the wrecked tower, despite the ‘loathsome smell beyond expression, as it were of Brimstone pitch and sulphur’, to inspect the damage. One turned back in fear and the other was violently sick that night. On the Monday, too, the minister conducted a joint service for the first two victims, Hill and Meade, who were buried side by side at the east end of the nave; when Lyde threw some earth onto the coffins, the sudden noise caused those attending the funeral to ‘runne out of the Church, tumbling over one another supposing that the Church was falling on their heads’. (Source: Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers' pages 81/2).(Source: Cromwellian Britain website).

5) Shovel Stone (SX/7342/7632)

This boundary rock lies about 350 yards to the north east of Hollow Tor.  Although there is no inscription on the rock, it marks the boundary between the Parish of Widecombe and the Manors of Dunstone with Blackslade.  (Source: Dave Brewer's 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers' pages 81/2).

1) Castle Drogo Hydro-Electric Station (SX724/898)

At the time that Catle Drogo was built, in the early 20th Century, it had no access to the mains electricity supply. A high quality hydro-electricity generation system was installed in the 1920s and operated until 1994, even though the castle was connected to the National Grid in the 1950's. The hydro-electricity system is situated in a particularly beautiful part of the River Teign Valley, next to the famous deer park wall.  This Lutyen's designed Turbine House is now Grade II listed. The turbine is currently in a severe state of disrepair but could be restored by the original manufacturer, Gilbert Gilkes & Co., to make it fully operational again. Once restored it has the potential to supply the equivalent of all the onsite electricity needs and even produce surplus for export to the National Grid.  (Source: National Trust website).

 2) Granite Stone Sculpture - River Teign (SX7102/8904)

The carved boulder placed on the island in the River Teign is the second of a number of natural stone sculptures by local Sculptor, Peter Randall-Page, in a series entitled 'Granite Song'.  This sculpture was formed from a large natural boulder which was cut into two, with a spiral pattern cut into each inside face - each one a mirror image of the other.  It was placed on the island in order that it should be seen by the public without any disturbance or erosion of the ground around the stone.  Unfortunately, the sculpture has been moved and rotated by the strength of the floodwater in recent years and is not now showing at it's best angle.  In addition, a huge pile of concrete-bound stones has been deposited on top of it.  It would be nice to see it back in it's original position, with the island also being cleared of all it's flood debris.  (Source: various internet sites).