Nine members of the Explorers’ walking group did a – not the – Ten Tors walk on 21st October, covering a relatively easy 6.5 miles.
The weather was fairly overcast, but dry, and the cloud base was high enough to give us some magnificent views over the moors and towards Plymouth.
Starting at Pork Hill car park, we first clambered up Cox Tor. There were interesting marks cut into the granite and stone pillars marked with B indicated where the Duke of Bedford stipulated stone removal was forbidden – an early recognition of the importance of preserving the landscape. Then crossing the saddle by the dewpond, we learnt that this was not natural but created during the Second World War by American soldiers practising their artillery firing.
We climbed Roos Tor, where we had a welcome cup of coffee looking back on the magnificent rocks on Cox Tor and continue the walk back down to the road, via three tors – Great Staple, Middle Staple and Little Staple. After crossing the road, we ascended up and then over Barn Hill Rocks, where we had lunch with some interested ponies gathering around us. We crossed the Grimstone and Sortridge leat and went to Feather Tor, Heckwood Tor, and Pew Tor.
A keen eyed member of the group spotted a Devil’s Finger fungus near Pew Tor. Number 10 was the little known, but beautiful, Prowtytown Rocks, just below the car park, before we arrived back at Pork Hill 4+ hours after we started.
