Meldon Hill and Nattadon Hill are both popular with walkers, with a circular walk enabling you to take on both hills or each one independently. Settling down on a flat slab of granite the wind died away to silence, no longer tugging at my collar. 8. Yes Tor is the one with the trig. The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. Fernworthy is a great place to Discover the Dartmoor Story. A vast dam wall rises from the floor of the West Okement Valley. Undaunted, 16 ramblers gathered at the start point There are the remains of extensive peat works to the southeast of Lyd Head including the evocatively named Bleak House. best route you can. Climb to the highest point on Dartmoor on this splendid circular walk in the Dartmoor National Park. This descent was fairly steep, we were aiming for the Southerly most point of the trees, skirting the edge of the wood, meaning that a substantial amount of Bouldering was required. Can you walk up high Willhays? This strenuous 12km circular walk on Dartmoor's north moor, takes in the highest point (High Willhays) once again as well as a selection of fantastic Tor's (West Mill Tor, Yes Tor and Rowtor) and views of Meldon Resrvoir. . I had seen the highest point on Dartmoor and had walked 151 feet above a river on a marvel of Victorian railway engineering. It really was that easy. All Rights Reserved. Find the perfect meldon reservoir stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. High Willhays Meldon Viaduct Meldon Dam, Okehampton Devon There is a large car park at Meldon Dam, with toilets and a map of the area. Sorry, but your browser does not appear to be accepting our cookies. High Willhays is classified as an English Mountain (Hewitt) (166th highest in England, 289th highest in England & Wales) High Willhays is also known as an English Nuttall (228th highest in England, 397th highest in England & Wales) and an English Marilyn (49th highest in England, 727th highest in the UK). The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. The military have been using Dartmoor for over 200 years and this walk is partly within a live firing range. Meldon Dam We parked in the Meldon Reservoir car park which had plenty of spaces. We paid 3 per car for the day Apparently there used to be a circular walk around the reservoir but now only the path along the southern shore is open. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching. We were now surrounded by clouds giving us the perfect opportunity to teach our eldest (who is hoping to achieve her Bronze Duke Of Edinburgh award) some highly important lessons in using a compass. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); See/ShowPassword Thanks to Malcolm Oakley of South Downs Walking. We were all walking roughly the same route but no doubt with very different stories to tell over a cup of tea later. Walking up to the reservoir is pretty straight forward. The undisputed highest point in Dartmoor and the South West. Across the river valley, on Corn Ridge the sound of a voice could be heard, shouting loud and clear. The difference in height between Yes Tor and High Willhays is a modest 2 metres, a little over 6 feet but if your quest is to walk to the highest point on Dartmoor then you need to go to the most southern of the tors at High Willhays, the OS Map shows which.Place a stone, make a wish, nod hello. Meldon Reservoir, Yes Tor, High Willhays, Black-A-Tor Copse and a dip in the West Okement. Last ditch attempt to save Meldon Gorge. View of north Devon from Yes Tor. The gorge is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology, flora and fauna. His instincts, his breeding told him this was something he could do, he understood this view. This email address is protected by JavaScript. Tracks across High Willhays to Yes Tor. 3.3 km/h. Ansum! point Meldon Reservoir This was a pretty 7 mile circular trail which began at Meldon Reservoir and included a climb to the summit of High Willhays before descending to the West Okement River. to the riverbank. High Willhays is the highest point on Dartmoor and in the UK south of the Brecon Beacons. 1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map(the ones with orange/yellow covers): 1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map(the ones with pink/magenta covers): Some Photos and Pictures from Walk de139 Yes Tor, High Willhays and Black Tor from Meldon Reservoir, The bridge at the southern end of Meldon Reservoir, West Mill Tor from Yes Tor with Okehampton and North Devon in background, Ascending Longstone Hill from Meldon Reservoir with Sourton Tors on the horizon, . Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Yes Tor at 619m (2031ft). I've been feeling rather overwhelmed this past couple of weeks with work and various life "stuff" so this camp was. untoward, do not touch it and report it. <> This National Nature Reserve of 170ha mainly consists of a model example of the upland heathland and has a wealth of moorland birds. High Willhays and Yes Tor are the only summits in England south of Kinder Scout in the Peak District to rise above 2,000ft. Meldon Reservoir2.85km from High Willhays Meldon Reservoir is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the northwest section of the National Park. We stopped here a while and I decided that it was still just about warm enough for me to take an Autumn dip in the West Okement. For the return from Highwillhays, once again Meldon Reservoir. Construction of the dam started in 1970 and was completed in 1972.The sight of the trig. High Willhays or, according to some authors, High Willes is the highest point on Dartmoor, Devon, at 621 metres (2,039 feet) above sea level, and the highest point in the United Kingdom south of the Brecon Beacons. RF2GJATBE - Panorama from High Willhays to Meldon Reservoir, Dam and Viaduct, Dartmoor Devon. reservoir car park. to the water (SX 562913).Take the left fork. Meldon Reservoir, or Meldon, is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the north west section of the National Park. You can safely say I was in aweCurving gently across thevalley and old mine workings, the Meldon Viaduct is a bold statement in an already strikinglandscape. s+-??|&xLj`wLpsQ!q~jJ&'y1}c89:g881i b50^y$8%!dTQ2$6{ Q% +*?q K.wmo$nR ( u(H:ZaRpS #[ ) ANA4SV,xJM2]FGVlP2#nD9mf@"Iv]>"0. RF P6219K - Evening light on Dartmoor, with views towards Meldon reservoir and over an old quarry site. Click It has an abundance of archaeology and is a haven for wildlife including some rare species. begin with, when I did the walk but I would not guarantee its presence long The time refers to a. Climb to the highest point on Dartmoor on this splendid circular walk in the Dartmoor . go4awalk.com and go4awalk.co.uk are registered trademarks of TMDH Limited. hiking equipment/clothing before your trip see the, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dartmoor-firing-programme. It's easy to get to the start of this walk as it's just off the A30, a major road linking Exeter to Cornwall and going over the top of Dartmoor. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-7197786497211981"; I was briefly thrown on arrival because it was a pay car park and the machine wanted actual coins. "From Meldon reservoir car park, climbed 400m peak directly south then headed on to climb Black Tor. Reservoir Car Park (Donations box). In a previous life I was fortunate to be able to work in a water treatment plant, so I have a good understandingof all that is hidden below. Route: Meldon Dam car park to High Willhaysand back. The highest point on Dartmoor is High Willhays Tor. #1 Hi, We want to walk to Yes Tor and High Willhays starting from the car park at Meldon Reservoir. The track becomes grassy and Trip.com 1 3392TWD Trip.com! The lichens and mosses that drape the trees are nationally important and grow here in this unique clean air woodland. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching. 3h 37m Moderate 4.6 (18) See this Tour and others like it, or plan your own with komoot! In fact Black Mountain (703m) on the border between Herefordshire (England) and Powys (Wales) is considerably higher than both Crowden Head (Kinder Scout) (636m) and High Willhays (621m). Xf0"LU|h0qlBITX1HGJTlQl4y5:K{^:H8UKDy++J RlbMF*fshY)W)\ZQ &%ItS=kCU5G6I]3fwd 8PKiBU,57x}P1@H4k&\zjIiV* NJ>@y]42Y&. High Willhays despite the howling wind was sporting a rather fine cairn. At the next fork (SX 568910), go left again. boulder field just before the large rock. A few hikers having a bite to eat out of the prevailing wind is normally a good clue too. The route is beautiful with stunning views over the county from Yes Tor and High Willhays (the highest point) before a welcome descent to Black Tor and down Homerton Hill to the finish at Meldon reservoir. If visibility is clear, you should have no Willhays and Yes Tor (Dartmoor), To YES TOR, HIGH WILLHAYS, BLACK TOR WEST OKEMENT VALLEY AND MELDON RESERVOIR START POINT: MELDON RESERVOIR CAR PARK GRID REF: 562917 DISTANCE: 8 MILES This 8 mile walk up to the highest point on Dartmoor was led by Fran Allen on 15th August 04 and despite the earlier rain in the Plymouth area and the grading of Heheard them too. The walk starts at the car park at Meldon Reservoir and takes you to the 621 metres (2,039 ft) summit via Longstone Hill and Black Tor. The reservoir sits behind this dam wall and extends to the foot of . In 1912, William Crossing, writer and documenter, said that the name High Willes had . 2 0 obj United Kingdom high willhays hike and camp Top recommended route Difficulty moderate. Nestled on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in Devon, is an idyllic location for a family day out, a special celebration, or a corporate event. Walking up Longstone Hill we saw our first signs of life. A short walk south of the car park brings you to the impressive Meldon Dam constructed in 1972. This is a great time to point out that though we'd all been fairly warm on our ascent we all got cold very quickly whilst sheltering from the rain and I can not iterate enough the importance of carrying extra layers and gloves. Maximum daytime temperature: 3 degrees Celsius; Minimum nighttime temperature: -1 degrees Celsius. % We would love to see your walk photographs and pictures walk de177 Yes Tor and High Willhays from Meldon Reservoir. Hisnose sniffed the calm air and his eyes scanned the distant valley slopes. [7] Each of the outcrops displays lamellar bedding.[6]. You can find more walks near these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select). Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Yes Tor at 619m (2031ft). If Please enable javascript in your browser preferences). It lies in some high moorland which can be bleak in bad weatherlovely in good. Only when beyond the false summit (the cairnvisible from the west) do you then see the trig point and radio mast. from. The geology of High Willhays, like most of Dartmoor, consists of granite intruded about 280 million years ago. function myFunction() { Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor Moderate 4.5 (183) Dartmoor National Park Photos (380) Directions Print/PDF map Length 7.6 kmElevation gain 272 mRoute type Circular Experience this 7.6-km circular trail near Okehampton, Devon. tedontour LIFE MEMBER A shepherd on a quad bike was commanding three sheepdogs. As you get closer to the top, there is a Meldon Reservoir, or Meldon, is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the north west section of the National Park. However, the first topographical survey of the area carried out by Ordnance Survey suggested that High Willhays was 12 feet (3.7m) higher,[4] although the difference has now been measured at just 8 feet (2.4m). Walking up High Willhays. Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk: The highest point of this walk is High Willhays at 622m (2041ft). reservoir covers some 57 acres. 1h 28m Moderate 3.8 (3) Ten Tors Circular Walk Dartmoor National Park Length: 11.9 km Est. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest as a motte and bailey castle with a stone keep, it was converted into a sumptuous residence in the 14th century by Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon, much of whose work survives. Gemma The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. . and we shall do our best to publish them. Dave watched, knowingly. venture on to open moors without a compass and the knowledge to use it. John Kelly photos. To our delight we discovered that it lies to the the West of Yes Tor and High Willhays beside the West Okement River, providing us with a delightful circular route encompassing the two highest peaks on the Moor (which many classify as mountains). (a pay and display carpark) we headed out of the carpark and turned left along the footpath towards the Dam. The track splits by some picnic tables next xY[kF~_![\53 )!7N&!s&ij43a kvF7VvyzU ~`c:fXHtA?z8GzL>: O_zj0 *C1Fucs{gb=L M:gvzl KGfgnD'!YHf9/vZ~QHp High Willhays - Wild Running High Willhays Distance: 8 miles (12.5km) Ascent: 541 metres Start/finish: Meldon Dam car park, EX20 4LU Cross the dam and turn R onto the Meldon Reservoir shore path to the far end and then up the West Okement River to the woodland (2.1 miles/3.4km). From there it was up to Yes Tor and High Willhays, where the wind really was blowing something. //--> The reservoir supplies water to north and west Devon, and is used for trout fishing. High Willhays is the highest point in Dartmoor National Park and and the highest point in the county of Devon. As mentioned in all the walking guides, Yes Tor is not actually as high as High Willhays but the view is much better, and the top is more, erm, interesting shall we say. Given the effort taken in constructionit would be a dishonour to not protect them for future generations to stand beneath and look ever upwards. The trees are gnarled and stunted growing through the moss covered boulders, which gives the woodland its magical appearance. The walk starts at the car park at Meldon Reservoir and takes you to the 621 metres (2,039 ft) summit via Longstone Hill and Black Tor. Start by crossing the dam wall and taking the initial zig zag path up the hillside ahead. Available for both RF and RM licensing. Oakhampton Military Firing Range. Once I had found the correct road to Meldon Reservoir the route was very straightforward. Now dont imagine for one moment this would be an easy walk in thick mist, pouring rain, ice and hail.