Dartmoor Walk: Widgery Cross and its surrounds

The weather is changing and we are heading into what are usually rather unpredictable autumnal and wintery patterns. As a  good day was promised, I thought it would be a reasonable idea to tackle some high ground whilst the going was still relatively dry and without high winds. In the event, it worked out quite well.

The route we completed was not the route I had planned. A few modifications had to be made to accommodate 'changes on the ground'. It came in at 5 miles but some would say that scaling Brat Tor added 6 miles of additional effort. Great views all the way around and enough features to keep everyone interested.

It's always a little disconcerting when where you are heading is obscured by mist. Luckily, it cleared fairly soon after I took this shot.

After negotiating the stepping stones of the River Lyd, our route took us more or less straight up the tor in front - shown on the OS map as Brat Tor, but also known as Bray Tor or, erroneously, Widgery Tor.

The view from the back marker - me!

Widgery Cross: this is so named because it was erected by William Widgery to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. Its location on top of Brat Tor means it is visible for miles around.
William Widgery himslef  was born in 1826 in North Molton and trained as a stone mason. He then moved to Exeter and took up painting in his spare time.  Apparently his pictures ere spotted hanging in a pub by a chap called Thomas Hex who persuaded him to give up his job to paint full-time. Widgery was successful and prolific, painting over 3,000 landscapes many of which featured Dartmoor.  He moved to Lydford in 1880 and built a house, now The Lydford House Hotel. Widgery died in 1893.

Some interesting moss-covered laminations of the granite on the leeward side of Brat Tor.

Widgery Cross from the way down to Doetor Brook. It felt as high to get there as it looks. Lots of granite clitter to pick our way around. I like the band of golden bracken - autumn is truly with us.

A granite post on the slopes of Doe Tor marked with TRDC. There are four such TRDC stones in close proximity to each other marking out an enclosure for a water intake for Tavistock Rural District Council. Water was taken from Doe Tor Brook into a leat to supply nearby Lydford.

 Doetor Brook/ Doe Brook/Doe Tor Brook was quite full and we had to walk up a fair stretch of it to reach a spot that was narrow enough for us to jump across safely. It's not a place for false heroics - or wet feet. It actually gurgles out of a spring which sits at an altitude of 504m. From there it tumbles down about 2.91km to meet the River Lyd, which awaits its waters a good 262m below. Admittedly, it's not one of Dartmoor’s most spectacular brooks but it does run through some spectacular moorland before being diluted into oblivion by the Lyd. Doe Tor Brook makes a brave but brief statement upon the vast landscape of Dartmoor and one, that in my opinion, is well worth experiencing. But keep your feet dry!

Sharp Tor to the left, Hare Tor to the right and Doe Tor in the foreground. Now that's what I call a panoramic view and it was pretty much the sort of vista we walked in all the way around. 

An ovine sentinel on one of the outcrops of Doe Tor.

Another granite post. WD16? In 1903 the War Department marked out Willsworthy Firing Range by placing 46 granite boundary posts inscribed with the letters 'WD' (War Department) and a sequential number (1 to 46) around this section of north west Dartmoor.

From the lower slopes of Great Links Tor looking back towards Brat Tor on the right and Doe Tor on the left. In the distance, the view extends to Cornwall.

Looking across old mine workings towards Arms Tor.

The extensive Tinners’ Streamworks and Openworks  of the Rattlebrook Mine. These could be the most impressive I've seen on Dartmoor. And, intermingled with all this are the remains of peatworks. For the latter, peat was cut, dried and then burnt to produce peat tar. It is yet another example of a failed venture on the moor.

Arms Tor, again, which we did not visit on this occasion. I could not persuade anyone to join me on the diversion to take it in.

Back at the Lyd stepping stones and Brat and Arms Tors basking in the sunlight. For those who don't want to use the stepping stones, there is a handy bridge on the left.