Musings from Higher Downgate and Elsewhere: A walk up Tavy Cleave

Monday 29 March 2021

A walk up Tavy Cleave

We were probably stretching the definition of what 'staying local' means but we had a hankering for a walk on Dartmoor. The weather looked reasonable and the MOD website told me that the Firing Range was inactive, so it was off to Willsworthy for a walk up Tavy Cleave. It was not an easy walk, it was a 'serious' walk and, at the end of it, we both felt that we had accomplished something. As ever, a few images as a record of the day.

The route was quite straightforward: up the Tavy Cleave to Rattle Brook and from there to Hare Tor and Ger Tor. It came in at almost bang on 5 miles. If you look at the route profile, you'll notice that the first 3.5 miles was on an upward slope. After that, it was a relatively gentle descent back to our starting point at the Willsworthy car park. The red lines on the map show the limits of the Willsworthy Firing Range. 'On the ground' it is marked by red poles and, when the range is active, red flags on flagpoles on the high points. When walking in this area, it is always a good idea to check the status of firing on the MOD website.

Dartmoor ponies are commonplace on our walks and I don't often bother to photograph them. But this one by Nattor Farm was rather fluffy so 'click'.

Soon after we set out, we came across our portal into the Tavy Cleave - the Wheal Jewell Mine Leat. And Cleave? A local Dartmoor word for 'valley'. The leat is quite tranquil in places and rather more lively in others, as the video below shows.

After about 1.5 miles, we came across the point on the River Plym where the water for the leat is taken off. The leat dates from around 1800 and originally provided water, and power, to Wheal Jewell and Wheal Friendship in Mary Tavy. It contours its way to the mines and is around 6 miles long. Since 1937 or so, the leat feeds into the Wheal Jewell reservoir. From there, the water runs in pipes to a hydroelectric generating station at Mary Tavy. The leat is still meeting its original purpose - providing power. I think the efforts of the original labourers, who dug it out in horrendously difficult terrain, were well worth it.

There were not many birds around but we did see a few Meadow Pipits flitting from rock to rock. Oooops, I almost forgot that we heard our first Skylark of the year as well. A true sign that the seasons are moving on.

A cascade of shallow shelves in the Plym.

Mrs P in her natural element.

Looking up the Cleave, with Cleave Tor to the left. This is one of the few stretches, and it wasn't that long, where the footpath was quite obvious.

The first of a couple of reasonably deep pools which.............

....together with this one, are popular spots for wild swimming. I'm afraid I just don't get the attraction for immersing yourself in cold water, no matter how attractive or remote the surroundings. Out of curiosity I looked at a few websites dealing with wild swimming and I think some of them are quite irresponsible in the way they describe access to these sites. It is hard going getting to them and it would be daft to do it without proper walking kit. But look at the websites I mentioned and you'd think you could get there in a few minutes wearing sandals and with your towel over your shoulder. I'll admit to being an old curmudgeon and say that I would be mightily p***ed off if I came to this remote space to be greeted by people splashing about in the water. You have been warned.

Looking back down the Plym into the Cleave. Footpath? What footpath? Exactly. There really isn't much of one and getting to this point involves a lot of rock hopping and boulder scrambling.

The point where the Rattle Brook, coming from the left, enters the Plym. The Plym curves around to the right and, after a few hundred yards, dwindles to the Amicombe Brook.

Heading up the Rattle Brook to the next waymark, a stone pillar marked WD 21. This is one of twenty two such pillars which mark the boundary of the area purchased by the War Department around 1900. At this point, we turn left and head for Hare Tor.

Hare Tor reveals itself from this angle of approach rather slowly. Dartmoor feels different to Bodmin Moor but we can't quite fully articulate why.

Hare Tor stands at 531 metres and is a good place to 'tor spot'. To the north can be seen, from right to left, Sharp Tor, Chat Tor, Brat Tor and Doe Tor.

To the west is where we headed next, Ger Tor. And the name 'Hare' is thought to derive from 'Higher' rather than any fanciful resemblance to the said lagomorph.

The walk to Ger Tor was a fairly straightforward ridge trek, with a few boggy bits thrown in for added interest. Ger Tor stands at 422 metres and its name is probably derived from 'Great' or 'Gert'.