13th February
Wow! It was windy today!
We’re staying in Tavistock and our walk today is a short drive up onto the moor at Whitchurch Down. Getting out of the car the wind tugs at the doors, as if to compel us to get walking quickly. From the Barn Hill car park we take a brief detour to climb Cox Tor. The wind at the top takes our breath away and the clouds scud across the Moor, chasing pools of light across the hills. I don’t think our pictures do justice to the brooding, menacing atmosphere the weather creates.
Ten minutes enjoying the view and then we get on with our walk. Our route takes us around the bottom of the Tor, with views west towards Tavistock, before the long slow climb across the moors and between Great Staple and Middle Staple Tors. We end up at Merrivale by mid morning and it’s still blowing a gale. For most of our walk the distinctive profile of Vixen Tor has been in view and now our route takes us around the foot of the outcrop. By the time we reach Pew Tor the sun has broken through and the wind has dropped…a bit. In fact, as we come down off the moors at Moortown the wind all but disappears and it’s hard to believe how different the weather is down here. We walk along silent country lanes. It could be a summer’s afternoon down here!
Eventually we return to the moor by the mile long, slow climb back up to the car park. One of us complains all the way up but not as much as the cyclist we encounter at the top who’s cycled all the way up, the last half mile into the teeth of the wind…good effort! An enjoyable (no, honestly!) 9.5 mile walk…much more enjoyable than being at work.
Barn Hill picture gallery (more pictures on Flickr):
Distance: 9.5 miles ; Difficulty: Strenuous
Coordinates for Satnav: N50° 33.457′ W4° 04.497′
Where Angells Tread! 