Meldon Reservoir is situated northwest of Yes Tor , and northwest of High Willhays . You shouldnt let the limited public access put you off exploring safely this part of Dartmoor as it is very bleak and atmospheric, drama and remoteness but easily accessible by road. I had found the perfect spot to take in all that is Dartmoor once more. 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. It is also possible to access the River Teign and surrounding area. Yes Tor is also known as an English Nuttall (237th highest in England, 412th highest in England & Wales). With the last of my lunch filling my bellyand a healthy dose of wellbeing filling my soul it was time to head back towards Meldon Reservoir via a path along the banks of the West Okement River. The city of Exeter is the county town. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Dave watched, knowingly. . disappointment, a freephone number (0800 458 4868) is available, which has a . Reaching the summit of High Willhays 621 meters above sea level, Black-A-Tor Copse is one of the best examples of. Thanks to Malcolm Oakley of South Downs Walking. 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. Yes Tor & High Willhays loop from Meldon Reservoir. best route you can. Although it is the highest point of the moor, it is relatively insignificant in comparison to most of the moor's tors, consisting of no more than a few low outcrops of rock along a northsouth ridge. Required fields are marked *. Meldon Reservoir on the northwest slopes of Dartmoor was the latest one, constructed in 1972. The dam at the lower end of the Meldon Reservoir. The trail is. Obvious paths on the lower slopes make pleasant walking but these become intermittent on the higher slopes, the wild ponies being the most likely creators of many. If you're coming from the south, the A386 brings you here too. It sits on the River Avon which rises just over four miles away NW close to Ryder's Hill. Wistmans Wood is in the Dart river valley and has views of wild Devon that you wont find anywhere else in the country. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-7197786497211981"; This Dartmoor adventure was far from over, I had one more ace up my sleeve; the impressive, the immense, the towering Meldon Viaduct. All information on this Do not follow this link or you will be banned from this site. }x;p}Tz}7n[~z};oV9o0vG`G'* )/~v^I~y|pz}q||Y9[{#oWC)?"6G0qM\:%k@p,rFo qmHAvNE#G$'}W/vopCn@C.;>C!HZlTgr\XlGXp]`?EC,p:kqq*h1 NmBz`%-XYl{KLzExs]+m u+:qiHJDJQ5iT$A gz Z 91O! Aj=KnS\QX^7|=i7N!doY0mRef2zc2s%zT26fa[qI Isv([&71amYny}^B h @E LQM'L>X7SUy,mOb1? Explore it on the map and plan your own route to High Willhays. . The trail is. Settling down on a flat slab of granite the wind died away to silence, no longer tugging at my collar. 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. Yes Tor, which for many years was thought to be the highest point, and has an O/S pillar to prove it, was recently demoted in favour of the less spectacular High Willhays. Proudly created with Wix.com. <> Where is Meldon dam? If visibility is clear, you should have no Discover the best hikes and paths to High Willhays in Okehampton Hamlets, West Devon. The reservoir supplies water to north and west Devon, and is used for trout fishing. Then cut across boggy marsh . 562917) located at the northern end of the dam containing Meldon reservoir. 3.4 km/h. Across the river valley, on Corn Ridge the sound of a voice could be heard, shouting loud and clear. Hisnose sniffed the calm air and his eyes scanned the distant valley slopes. High Willhays is the highest point in Dartmoor National Park and and the highest point in the county of Devon. meldon reservoir to high willhays. . 03:40. The start is the car park and toilets (Grid ref. View down to Meldon Viaduct. stream It really was that easy. You need to head for the left Once I had found the correct road to Meldon Reservoir the route was very straightforward. After the last Courtenay owner fell foul of Henry VIII in 1539, the castle declined into a ruin. The sharpness of the fractured rocks, the twists and turns of every footstep, water running from every crevice. You can also submit photos from walk de139 Yes Tor, High Willhays and Black Tor from Meldon Reservoir via our Facebook Page. The weather wasnt set to change any time soon, grey lead sky but no mist or rain forecast, so plenty of time to explore beyond High Willhays. Can you swim in Meldon Reservoir? Meldon Reservoir, Yes Tor, High Willhays, Black-A-Tor Copse and a dip in the West Okement. The weather forecast gave only a 10% chance of rain so we diligently packed our wet weather gear, extra layers and some sandwiches and looked at the trusty OS map. boulder field just before the large rock. Commercial quarrying (originally for limestone) started at Meldon around 200 years ago. feet have not always followed the same paths, so worn routes have not been The waterfall trail is a moderate circular walk of about an hour on a mostly one-way route. There was the very faint sign of previous passage to riverbank and turn right to follow the path along the right hand riverbank. recorded message giving availability. and we shall do our best to publish them. Can you walk up high Willhays? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The car park at the east end of Meldon Reservoir. (Guide Resolution = 300dpi. Wistman's Wood is an ancient forest that has largely been left to grow wild, free of destruction, or shaping by humans or large animals. See Help > FAQs - Logging On for details on how to enable cookies in your browser. Willhays, thanks to modern surveying methods. 12.1 km. [email address] (NB. However I was pleasantly surprised by a bright winters daywith very good walking and some wonderfullong distance views. I took a slight detour to High Willhays and came back via the more interesting Yes Tour. The highest point on Dartmoor is High Willhays Tor. Meldon Dam is now owned and operated by South West Water. Climb to the highest point on Dartmoor on this splendid circular walk in the Dartmoor National Park. I had seen the highest point on Dartmoor and had walked 151 feet above a river on a marvel of Victorian railway engineering. I walked west to Black Tor, hoping to find a nice spot for lunch. Fernworthy is a great place to Discover the Dartmoor Story. The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. UV: Low;. When was Meldon reservoir built? if (x.type === 'password') { The path now starts to get very faint and to Maximum daytime temperature: 3 degrees Celsius; Minimum nighttime temperature: -1 degrees Celsius. Ive been spoilt for choice lately with Dartmoor dams. High Willhays despite the howling wind was sporting a rather fine cairn. go4mailvariable=('walk_pics' + '@' + go4mailvariable) 2 0 obj As you get to the edge of the plateau, you will see three Your email address will not be published. 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. I slotted in behind some granite and got scoffing . % One of the beautiful reservoirs which is home to many water species and also the location is naturally beautiful for a picnic. 420 m. I took a slight detour to High Willhays and came back via the more interesting Yes Tour. At the next fork (SX 568910), go left again. Light snow changing to overcast by late morning. High Willhays We eventually left the moorland passing through a car park and then had to climb uphill again to an old railway line and the Meldon Viaduct, We crossed the bridge and then made our way back to the car tired and happy after a successful hill climb. The lichens and mosses that drape the trees are nationally important and grow here in this unique clean air woodland. . 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 ro. Meldon Reservoir2.85km from High Willhays Meldon Reservoir is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the northwest section of the National Park. Actually the top of Yes Tor was very pleasant for me, but if you want a quiet unspoilt area, then this isn't it. Expert Answers: Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor is a 4.6 mile loop trail located near Okehampton, Devon, England that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Please enable javascript in your browser preferences). Hiking info, trail maps, and 55 trip reports from High Willhays (621 m) in the Dartmoor of United Kingdom . Slowly and methodically sheep began to move from right to left, first just a few and then a few more, then perhaps twenty, now forty, must be a hundred. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The highest point on Dartmoor is High Willhays Tor. A walk from Meldon Quarry to High Willhays & return via Black Tor, Black-a-Tor Copse, The West Okement River & Meldon Reservoir Triangulation is basically a mathematical process of measuring angles to other locations that makes accurate map making possible. function myFunction() { It has an abundance of archaeology and is a haven for wildlife including some rare species. The dam is a concrete gravity structure 50.9m high, with a span of 201m. particular ignoring several bridges, until you reach the reservoir, then Nearby Dartefacts and Squares: 438 Less than 1 km High Willhays Ridge Ring/Bank (with Pool) SE, 136, 0.075 km SE, 136, 0.075 km The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); See/ShowPassword The weather was nice and we enjoyed the rare pleasure of sitting outside of our tent for a bit, rather than rushing inside to escape cold and rain as so often is the . Given the effort taken in constructionit would be a dishonour to not protect them for future generations to stand beneath and look ever upwards. Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor is a 4.6 mile loop trail located near Okehampton, Devon, England that features a lake and is rated as moderate. All in all a very pleasant few hours. The gorge is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology, flora and fauna. The Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society has seen 19 attacks in 2023 already Dog owners have been urged to keep their dogs under control on Dartmoor after a spate of attacks on sheep. There is a large cairn marking its summit. Yes Tor & High Willhays loop from Meldon Reservoir is an intermediate Hiking Tour. %PDF-1.5 All Rights Reserved. See Walking Time Calculator, For advice on .gpx files see 4. Willhays and Yes Tor (Dartmoor), To Dartmoor Driving Tour in iconic Land Rover Discovery. Stay on the right hand side of the river, in Construction of the dam started in 1970 and was completed in 1972.The reservoir covers some 57 acres. The undisputed highest point in Dartmoor and the South West. /* walks */ The reservoir is 900 feet above sea level and sits next to Meldon Quarry. load all 24 walk photos from Walk de177 Yes Tor and High Willhays from Meldon Reservoir, Send us your photographs and pictures from your walks and hikes. 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. A few hikers having a bite to eat out of the prevailing wind is normally a good clue too. The summit of Yes Tor is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point. Find new walk companions for walks in South West England, Get Directions to the start of walk de139, More easy-to-follow circular walks in Dartmoor National Park, More easy-to-follow circular walks in The South West, More easy-to-follow circular walks in Devon, See/ShowPassword As I walked across the dam, water and machinery could be heard rumbling away deep beneaththe concrete superstructure. Walking up Longstone Hill we saw our first signs of life.