Synopsis: A challenging walk, not least due to late preparation. The start is near Hexworthy, a place as a family we’ve barbecued in the past. I’m a little concerned about my crossing of Foxtor Mire.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album) The start point near Hexworthy is a place where we barbecued as an extended family some time ago, and on this day it was difficult to find a spot to park my car. I needed to do this quickly as I had a long walk ahead of me and it was already past 12:30. I hadn’t begun planning this walk till the morning of the walk. First attempt came out at a walk of 15.5 miles, which I quickly cut back to 13 miles but hadn’t time to trim any further. I know from past experience that it’s necessary to add about 15% to a walk for estimate for actual mileage covered, so I knew at the outset I should be cutting it fine.
Track out of Hexworthy The walk started easy following a track providing a gradual incline onto the moor. This is a fairly remote central moorland and I soon lose sight of any other walkers. I came across a granite cross easily visible from the track I was walking. A little further on I come across my first signs of past tin workings. From here I climb up through one of the tin working gullies and head my first landmark, Petre’s (interesting spelling) Bound Stone on Ryder’s Hill. From here I cross to a cairn on Snowdon and break for lunch, although early into my walk it’s already 14:00. I allow myself just a 15 minute stop.
Heap of Sinners
From Snowdon I pick up a deep tin working gully named Gibby’s Beam which takes me down to Western Wella Brook which I cross. I can’t resist a little detour to “Huntingdon Barrow or heap of Sinners”. I don’t know quite what I was expecting to find, although I felt a certain affinity with the place for some reason 
There is a superb view of the Avon Reservoir from this vantage point.
Red Lake China Clay Works
From here I head for “Blowing House (remains of)”, which I have to confess to not knowing what that is. I crossed the River Avon by some waterfalls, and then climbed steeply until the large spoil tip of Red Lake China Clay Works came into sight. This is visible for miles around, and is instantly recognisable. I then headed out to pick up the Abbot’s Way just south of here, but have to detour around some marshy ground at Red Lake Mire (name should have given the game away). The Abbot’s Way is quite visible and could be worth a future walk (mental note). Within about 500 metres my course diverts from the Abbot’s Way north, along a bridle way for which there is no visible track.
Just the ponies and me
The going is good and I’m making excellent progress across a wide expanse of open moorland. It’s only when I get to Foxtor Mire that I experience trouble, which, from past experience, I well knew I might. A fair amount of clump hopping is required to cross this bog. I missed my footing once, for which I was rewarded with a boot full of smelly peat water. I console myself with thinking that perhaps it’ll act as a kind of soothing balm.
By now the sun is dropping in the sky but I’m confident I’ve broken the back of my walk and there will be no more serious obstacles between me and my car. The moor takes on a certain calm as evening draws on, a calm I share with the ponies and sheep, as there is no one else about, the day trippers all long gone.
I’m feeling tired as I reach my car, where my GPS tells me I’ve walked 15 miles, which isn’t bad for an afternoon’s ‘stroll’. The weather had been kind, just a little overcast at the start of the walk, but this soon passed to provide almost uninterrupted sun. The few clouds were just there to simply add interest to my photos. It had been some time since I’d last walked Dartmoor, and it felt good to have returned. It is a fantastic place, and I’m lucky to have it on my doorstep.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 15.0 m
Moving Time: 6hrs 00min
Stopped Time: 39min
Total Ascent: 610 metres
Maximum Elevation: 521 metres
Buses: None
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