Dartmoor Two Tramways Hike Section 2 - Redlake to Haytor Quarry

Two Moors Way post near Redlake Mine Workings

The Dartmoor Two Tramways Route is a hike which links two of Dartmoor's more substantial disused tramways. This post covers the middle tramway-less section, linking the end of the Redlake Tramway so the start of The Haytor Quarry Tramway. There's an overview of the route in Section 1.

From Redlake this section continues to follow the Two Moors Way through remote and hilly moor towards villages of Scorriton, Holne and eventually to Widdecombe. Along the way is follows varying terrain and tracks, with varying levels of sign posting.

The Dartmoor Two Tramways route mapped on Kamoot

Shortly after the above the sign is a step descent towards Huntington Warren. It takes its name from the rabbit warrens, essentially man made mounds, used in the farming of rabbits for food an sport. The labourers, or warreners were at times defending their charges from hungry Redlake Tramway workers. As usual Legendary Dartmoor has all sort of fascinating info.

The River Avon meanders through

Huntingdon Cross

Clapper Bridge near Huntingdon Warren

Hickaton Hill Prehistoric Settlement, Dartmoor Submarine surfaces on the horizon

Millstone on Hickaton hill

The route ahead, viewed from Pupers Hill

Sheep, wiser than I, spend their day relaxing in the shade

Chalk Ford

Scorriton Farm

A Ransome's Crawler, a fine example of East Anglian engineering.

Dappled lanes between Scorriton and Holne

A very welcome sign - the Cafe at Holne

Holne has a friendly cafe, community shop and pub, it important to try them all after a long walk.

The Church House Inn

Promising signs

The route proceeds under New Bridge

There are plenty of wild swimming opportunities near New Bridge, including beach-like lounging at Spitchwick Common which is wrapped around a lazy bend in the river Dart. It's popular in summer and there is often a much needed Ice Cream Van. A few kilometres detour takes you to Sharrah Pool, generally quieter, set in luscious woods and strewn with boulders. Turns out the water in both spots is equally chilly.

Sharrah Pool, perfect for a quiet swim

Heading to Dr Blackall's Drive

Sunset over North Hessary Tor

After various detours and dalliances its dark when I reach Drywell Cross

Pitched in abundant air mat threatening gorse on Widecombe Moor, choose your spot wisely

Widecombe in the Moor is a charming village set at the bottom of the valley, with a pub, cafe and market some Saturdays. It's a fascinating place to mooch around and stock up ready for the steep climb to Haytor. Sitting outside the community center is a large Naval Shell presented after World War I for the local's extraordinary efforts collecting Sphagnum moss for wound dressings.

Widecombe Holy Well

The Church House

St Pancras Church, Widecombe In the Moor

The next section connects the two longer way marked trails. The most direct route is a straight forward case of following the lanes, but there are longer more interesting off road routes.

From the lane, Chinkwell Tor, Bell Tor, Bonehill Rocks

It's a steep climb out of Widecombe, the next stage follows lanes for a couple of miles until just after Hemsworthy Gate, and then follows a footpath over Saddle Tor to Haytor Quarry. As the route passes Top Tor there's an opportunity to take a tangent to the prehistoric site at Foales Arrishes.

Next is Section 3 - The Templar Way from Haytor Quarry to Newton Abbot

Trekkertent Stealth 1.5 Tarp Tent Review

Trekkertent pitched on Dartmoor, not entirely blending in. As I walked along it occurred to me that I should sing the praises of the Trekkertent Stealth 1.5 , a lightweight double wall tent hand made by a small outfit in Perth, Scotland. I brought the Trekkertent to replace another fine British tent, the Terra Nova Solar Photon . The Solar Photon was ludicrously light for a free standing tent, and incredibly easy to pitch. I was always conscious that the materials were both very expensive and very thin, not that I actually had any problems or damage, even after a sketchy moment when the outer transformed itself into an expensive kite one particularly breezy evening in the Pentland Hills. Primarily I wanted a simple, robust shelter that took advantage of the fact that I was already carrying poles.

The Abbots Way Walk. Possibly.

The Abbots Way winds from East to West across Dartmoor from the small village of Buckfast to the small town of Tavistock. It starts and ends with quiet country lanes, bookends for the longer part of the walk across open undulating, and somewhat soggy moorland.

The Lych (Wrong) Way Walk

As I walked along I considered the rather high proportion of dead to alive that had, over long centuries, completed this forlorn path across Dartmoor. For some it was their last journey. This path is the Lych Way, a corpse road along which bodies were carried from all across the ancient Dartmoor forest, ready to be buried on consecrated ground in Lydford Church yard. The Lych Way is a day long, twelve mile taste of the magic, and occasional misery, Dartmoor has to offer. In between gorgeous views it passes through ancient woods, scrubby moorland, army ranges, soggy bogs, prehistoric and modern relics, fords and stepping stones. A keen eye will notice boundary stones, hidden crosses, wild flowers and wildlife. It doesn’t need a keen ear to realise how quiet and tranquil some stretches are. All this is strung between two quintessential Devon villages replete with pubs, coffee and conveniences.

Speedster Spirit Stove and Pot Stand Review

Simmer ring, burner, lid, simples. This isn’t so much a review as an honourable mention. The simple, reliable things in life are often taken for granted, especially when they work well and do exactly what they are intended to do every time. I term these ‘door handle products’. Not necessarily exciting, but rather important and only likely to be noticed when they don't work or get snagged on a coat. The Speedster spirit stove is one such product. Brought four years ago for the princely sum of £5.40 it’s proven to be a reliable practical burner. Speedster Backpacking Products are a UK company who offer all sorts of useful gear for UK hiking, from tick removers to spirit refill bottles, their stock is clearly based on experience.

Lightweight camp coffee, how to get a decent brew on the go.

No coffee, no walkee as they say. How then do you get a good coffee in the middle of nowhere? Is it worth a five mile detour to get a lovingly crafted flat white or is there something you can carry to satiate cravings until you throw yourself upon the sympathy and dubious charm of the local barista? I’ve pondered these questions over long drudgerous miles, when all that keeps me going is imagining the most exquisite coffee known to humankind waiting for me at the end. What follows is a few solo coffee options for ultralight hiking and wild camping.

What on earth is re-wetting?

Isn't Dartmoor wet enough already? As I walked along I pondered the term I’d just heard, “they are re-wetting over there”. What on earth was that? A local version of hair of the dog? A second excuse to celebrate a new born’s arrival? I thought I was getting quite good at Dartmoor vernacular. Although it’s taken years I can just about deal with sentences like “I was at the Ringleshutes Mine Gert near the adit, in all that pixie wool, at first I thought it was clitter but it turned out to be a buddle”. Re-wetting was a new one on me.

The Dartmoor Two Tramways Hike: Section 1 - Ivybridge to Redlake

As I walked along the tramway stretched out for miles, I was walking for fun, pack lightened by decades of innovation, a stark contrast to the tough people who built and worked line, facing fickle Dartmoor conditions in heavy layers of cotton, wool and leather. This post is an overview of a point to point weekend route I tried between lock-downs. It was designed to be accessible by train, take in two of Dartmoor’s more substantial disused Tramways, a couple of nights wild camping and a brace of bracing wild swims.

As I Walked Along

Search This Blog