Synopsis: The River Bovey was in full torrent on this day. Walk started from the pretty little village of North Bovey. Lovely views to be had from Easdon Tor of Hound Tor with Haytor in the background.
I thought it would be interesting to try and get some photos of a water fall as rivers were likely to be in full torrent as the recent snows and ice melt. This was the main motivation for this walk. I also stumbled upon some views from Easdon Tor that were new to me; it was nice to find after all these years walking on Dartmoor there are still places for me to discover.
North BoveyThe walk started from from the pretty little village of North Bovey. I sat on a bench in the square to put my boots on, looking over thatched cottages to the church.
It was my objective to cross the River Bovey near Horsham Cleave as I know the waterfalls here are quite spectacular. As I approached this point I could see the river was extremely fast flowing from all the water now draining off the moor. This was a little daunting, as I knew that I’d have to go out on rocks in the river to both take photographs and to proceed on my way. This looked like it could be something of a challenge.
River Bovey
When I got to the waterfalls I’m reminded it’s not so bad as it might seem. Somehow this mass of flowing water is directed under a range of massive boulders and crossing is almost as easy as if there were a bridge there.
The water is whipped up by the drop and splashes of foam were darting into the air. The sun was shining through the trees highlighting the waterfalls beautifully. I installed my camera on my tripod and precariously perched it on various boulders out in the river.
Hound TorFrom the waterfalls my path on the other side of the river wound up amongst trees in the direction of Water, most appropriately named village that this is. After Water it’s not long before I pick up a track ascending gently towards open moorland. I climb a tor just a little aside from Hound Tor and here I stopped, perched on a ledge sheltering from the wind, to eat my lunch and brew up. As I gaze out on Hound Tor I recall fun times of when I would bring Helen and Laura here when they were younger as they loved to scramble over the rocks of this tor.
Jay's grave
After lunch I set off in the direction of Jay’s grave. There’s a mysterious story of a young woman, Kitty Jay, becoming pregnant by a local farmer’s son and then taking her own life by hanging herself in a barn. The grave is clearly visible at an intersection between road and track. It’s almost as if this is meant to serve as a warning to passers by. Apparently ‘crossroads burials’ for criminals and suicides are documented as early as 1510. The gravestone always has fresh flowers and other offerings on it. On this day I discovered a necklace entwined around the cross, some coins and a bottle stopper, along with the usual flowers.
I followed the road from Jay’s grave until picking up a track that took me up towards Easdon Tor. I’d not previously been up this way and found that it offered a splendid view out towards Hound Tor and Haytor beyond. From here the path descends down through a small copse to the road which leads back into North Bovey.
I must have been a little unfit from lack of exercise over the Christmas holidays, as I was really quite tired on arriving back at my car. The nice thing about tiredness from walking is that it is such a satisfying form of tiredness. I always look forward to relaxing in my armchair after such a day as this.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 10.0 miles
Moving Time: 3hrs 59min
Stopped Time: 51min
Total Ascent: 490 metres
Maximum Elevation: 392 metres
Buses: None; parked in the square, North Bovey.
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