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.
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| St. Petroc's Church, Lydford. |
Traditionally the Lych Way ends here at St Petroc's Church, today though I was walking in the reverse direction, from Lydford to Postbridge. I’d love to claim this was because I wanted to share the sense of closure and reflection the ancient coffin bearing parties would have felt, or perhaps that I was concerned about walking in the wake of ghostly processions lest I be swept up and carried along. In reality it had more to do with earthly considerations like bus timetables and army range firing times.
Navigation isn’t too testing, there are some signs but not enough to risk the route without map and compass skills, especially in poor visibility. The path, although obvious on paper, is indistinct and, when muddled in with numerous human and animal tracks, easy to misplace. I chatted to the friendly proprietor of Postbridge Stores who said years ago the way was much clearer. They speculated that reduced grazing caused it to fade, because sheep were no longer dining on the constantly renewing gourmet grass shoots.
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| Wheel Stone at St. Petroc's Church in Lydford, |
St. Petroc's Church was apparently founded by a itinerant welsh monk during his 6th century perambulations around Devon.
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| Lydford Castle |
Lydford was historically far more significant than it's current population (less than 1000) would suggest. It was worthy of a viking raid and had it's own mint which churned out
1.5 million pennies. Representing a day's work, the pennies had a distinctive cross on one side to allow them to be cut into quarters, for part payment.
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| Saw this embedded in a wall, it's definitely one of those, could it be a Dartefact? |
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| Promising signs - along the route these are somewhat sparse. |
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| Following the line of a quarry seam through Indigo Brake |
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Possible range marker at Willsworthy - 629 seems an odd distance.
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| Willsworthy rifle range, still very much in use |
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| Crossing Mine Leat is a a neat stile footbridge Combo |
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| The only way is down. |
Willsworthy War Department Boundary Stone, there's a few visible from the route, it's nice not to have to go rummaging around to find them
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| Willsworthy Brook Clapper Bridge |
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| Path or stream? Yes. |
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| Stepping stones beside the track at Higher Willsworthy Farm, useful even after a dry spell |
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| Entering Coffin Wood |
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| Cataloo Steps |
When walking East to West (from Postbridge) the way becomes easier after crossing Cataloo Steps and a relatively short distance to Lydford remains. Apparently somewhere close, bodies would have been transferred from mules to coffin bearers, a kind of long wheeled stretcher. On some Lych ways a coffin stone would have been used to prevent the body touching the ground and contaminating it with evil spirits.
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| Incised Cross on Bagga Tor Summit |
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| View from Bagga Tor towards Tavy Cleeve |
Bagga Tor Gate Marks the entrance to Merrivale Range
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| A typical situation - at least two paths, all indistinct, roughly right direction. |
I set up camp just before the River Walkham, close to Cocks Hill. I like a little roam before sunset, it's a delight not to have my ironically heavy ultralight backpack and just look around. I stumbled upon the site of what I later learned was Wheal Prosper Tin Mine, which by most accounts appears not have been particularity prosperous. It ran for almost sixty five years, and since closing in 1854 has slowly dissolved into the landscape.
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| Hut remains at Wheal Prosper |
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| Sun set over Cocks Hill |
Slightly spooky not seeing anyone for a hours and then finding these, how close was the owner? What untold horror would cause someone to dis-guard such fine glasses?
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| Home for the night, Trekkertent Drift 1 |
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| Unidentified Leat or track foundations opposite Wheal Prosper |
The Lych Way after fording the River Walkham. There's a tendency for articles to focus solely on the route' as a way of the dead, but it would have been used to access the church for other occasions, such as births and marriages, and presumably fairly regular services. Its amazing to think that despite challenging living conditions people made the twenty four mile round trip across difficult ground in all weathers.
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| Bridge over Prison Leat |
Small clapper bridge over Prison Leat, deserves a mention simply because it's
three words are elevated.dumplings.abruptly
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| Guide Stone on Conies Down |
Close to the guide stone are stones marking the Lych Way - easy to miss as a modern farm track runs parallel.
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| Heading To Broad Hole, Lydford Tor in the distance |
Looking back (Westward) towards Lydford Tor and Wistman's Wood Ford. The OS map route appears to run through this gate, crossing the West Dart River, if it's dryish there are step stones, if not Devonport Leat is a more sensible option.
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| Heading up to Longaford Tor |
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| Obligatory sheep photo |
Gateposts overlooking Powder Mills and Bellever Forest
The breadth and depth of knowledge possessed by my fellow hikers never ceases to amaze me. Between the gates pictured above and Powder Mills the original route, close to a stone wall, is incredibly boggy, apparently almost waist deep in places. This obscure titbit was explained to me by a wise but oddly flustered hiker I met at the gates, who by some unfathomable coincidence happened to be absolutely soaked and covered in little bits of Sphagnum moss.
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| Path through Powder Mills |
Powder Mills, close to Postbridge, is the site of an extensive Gun Powder Factory which worked until 1897. The site is well maintained and their are plenty of ruinous buildings to admire. Like many Dartmoor ventures the operation was predominantly powered by water with a network of leats created to convey water to individual buildings. Both
DartmoorCam and
Dartmoor Explorations have excellent detailed pages on the site and manufacturing process.
Above is one of three incorporation mills used to incorporate the three main ingredients for gun powder; charcoal, saltpetre and sulphur. Given the risks associated with gun powder manufacture they are prudently situated into the moor away from the road and other buildings. The mills are spread apart to limit damage in the event of an explosion. They are all to the same pattern with a central wheel well. Elsewhere in the UK some mill designs featured a relatively weak wall intended to channel accidental blasts in the least damaging direction.
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| Cherry Brook Bridge |
Cherry Brook Clapper bridge, in the grounds of Powder Mills is often mentioned as part of the original Lych Way before it was re-routed due to boggy ground. Curiously the bridge is also a designated
Grade II listed building.
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Lower part of powder mills
The lower area (southerly, nearer the road) is thought to have been used for elements of the manufacturing process less prone to catastrophic explosion. This included charcoal making, which may have involved the chimney pictured above, what looks like a stone path leading up to it is actually a deep flue. |
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| Final Stretch towards Bellever |
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| Typical Bellever Forest Track |
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| Postbridge Clapper Bridge |
There's no official start to the Lych way, people used to begin their journeys from tenements all around the Bellever Forest and beyond. I decided a suitable end point would be
St Gabriel's Church, just beyond Postbridge. Originally designed as a School it quickly came to be used as a Church.
I hope you enjoyed this brisk walk along the Lych Way, for more reading there's a contemplative three part route walk blending history, beliefs and magic at
A Walk In English Weather and of course
Legendary Dartmoor is full of interesting facts.
Bagga Tor Gate Marks the entrance to Merrivale Range
