At least = 660 pixels (wide) x 440 pixels (high).). The range is marked by red and white posts on the Moor. 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. rocky outcrops below, which overlook the valley with the West Okement River 420 m. <> When was Meldon reservoir built? Cookies must be enabled for you to Log On successfully. Parking at Meldon Reservoir SX561 918 (a pay and display carpark) we headed out of the carpark and turned left along the footpath towards the Dam. Proudly created with Wix.com. The trees are gnarled and stunted growing through the moss covered boulders, which gives the woodland its magical appearance. Commercial quarrying (originally for limestone) started at Meldon around 200 years ago. function myFunction() { 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. Railway stone. Black Tor overlooks the West Okement River and this view offered peaceful shelter from the inquisitive autumnal wind, I remembered that same wind at Bignor and Chanctonbury Ring. The summit of Yes Tor is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point. The walk starts from Meldon Reservoir. Our Journey back to the car from here was fairly easy, we followed the river and the right hand side of the reservoir all the way back to the carpark. To Unlike sunsets that donthold his attention for long, this working landscape captivated him whilst I watched and ate my humble lunch. go4awalk.com and go4awalk.co.uk are registered trademarks of TMDH Limited. Construction began in 1970 in response to increasing demand for domestic water supply. If However I was pleasantly surprised by a bright winters daywith very good walking and some wonderfullong distance views. The summit of Yes Tor is marked by an Ordnance Survey Trig Point. Yesterday we decided we needed a Dartmoor fix. #dartmoor #wildcampinguk #gotthekennylook #wintercamping To close this message click anywhere outside this window. For the return from Highwillhays, once again Given the effort taken in constructionit would be a dishonour to not protect them for future generations to stand beneath and look ever upwards. TMDH Limited 2000-2023. As the army use the section of Dartmoor which includes High Willhays and Yes Tor it is worth checking the free phone number (0800 4584568) to see if it is in use. Meldon Reservoir2.85km from High Willhays Meldon Reservoir is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the northwest section of the National Park. Home; About; Program; FAQ; Registration; Sponsorship; Contact; Home; About; Program; FAQ; Registration; Sponsorship . Just below Meldon Reservoir, the west Okement River flows down into Old Meldon Pond (also known as Meldon Pool), a glorious wild swimming spot secluded under the Meldon Viaduct. 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. To reach the trailhead for the High Willhayes and Yes Tor Circular Walk from Okehampton, drive west on West Street/B3260 for 3.2 km and make a left to continue on for 0.3 km. Do not head north of High Willhays, it is bleak and featureless. photos. Address: Meldon Reservoir, Okehampton, Devon. The Woodland lies next to the West Okement River and the ground here was particularly wet. Yes Tor is 2031ft (619m) and Meldon 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. document.write('' + go4mailvariable + '<\/a>') Discover the best hikes and paths to High Willhays in Okehampton Hamlets, West Devon. The odd shaped lumps of rock strewn across so many of the South West's tors are collectively known as 'clitter'. Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Yes Tor at 619m (2031ft). Sunrise: 06:51; Sunset: 18:05. 6500 trig points were constructed and many still survive today though modern technology has rendered them obsolete; just a folly now; a nod to the 1930s map makers. summit. One of the beautiful reservoirs which is home to many water species and also the location is naturally beautiful for a picnic. I've been spoilt for choice lately with Dartmoor dams. 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. running through it, which feeds the Meldon Reservoir. 4. The reservoir is surrounded by steep sided banks covered with trees and gorse bushes. It's 621 metres or 2,039 feet above sea level. IntroductionThis Dartmoor walk to Yes Tor and High Willhays takes place to a large difficulty in orientating yourself but just in case, head just north of west and we shall do our best to publish them. A shepherd on a quad bike was commanding three sheepdogs. } 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. Photos cannot do the location justice. % {YwEc_P!''6G/b,U8G-EI_P//i\6}2,dO1}zIu80Adh)9#-Sy4VI+a4:.d site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any Hiking info, trail maps, and 55 trip reports from High Willhays (621 m) in the Dartmoor of United Kingdom . 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). There was the very faint sign of previous passage to DICE Dental International Congress and Exhibition. You can find more walks near these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select). Work your way to the right of this 400 m. 410 m. Intermediate Hiking Tour From Parking. }. If visibility is clear, you should have no 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). United Kingdom high willhays hike and camp Top recommended route Difficulty moderate. Find the perfect meldon reservoir stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. 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. 13.6 km 4:05 h 410 m 410 m meldon reservoir carpark, up to high willhays, camp, down to the car park again in a loop. Settling down on a flat slab of granite the wind died away to silence, no longer tugging at my collar. [email address] (NB. The National Trust's Lydford Gorge, Devon, is the deepest gorge in the South West and has a spectacular 30m waterfall. The River Lyd rises at Lyd Head by Corn Ridge to the north of Woodcock Hill. My first activation (last year) was using a 2m HT which does seem a bit like "cheating" so with good weather forecast this morning I drove for an hour from home to the Meldon Reservoir car park near Okehampton, Devon. 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). My Walks page. For anyone unfamiliar with firing ranges, I settled there for 10 minutes and enjoyed the views over North Devon. Once I had found the correct road to Meldon Reservoir the route was very straightforward. . It is part of South West England, bounded by Cornwall to the west, Somerset to the north-east and Dorset to the east. The Minister's decision letter backing the Meldon reservoir was published in November 1968. Over 151 feet high in placesand now part of the Granite Way, a recognised cycle route. There is a warning out for the land to the west of the reservoir as it is now private so I therefore enjoyed an up and down over Longstone Hill. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching. 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. to the water (SX 562913).Take the left fork. It has an abundance of archaeology and is a haven for wildlife including some rare species. The reality on this grey but dry day was a walk around the edge of Longstone Hill, take an obvious path due west of Yes Tor summit and walk eastwards up to the top and take a photo or three. Cookies must be enabled for you to Log On successfully. Meldon Reservoir, or Meldon, is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the north west section of the National Park. The Reservoir has a surface of more than 730 acres and is more than 130 feet deep, making it one of the largest inland waters in the South West. There is a large car park at Meldon Dam, with toilets and a map of the area. See this Tour and others like it, or plan your own with komoot! Peaks, Summits and Tops reached on this walk: The highest point of this walk is High Willhays at 622m (2041ft). relevant compass bearings. . . It has an abundance of archaeology and is a haven for wildlife including some rare species. The reservoir once a natural now flooded valley and the awesome (yes I will use that word) viaduct is very much man-made over nature. A vast dam wall rises from the floor of the West Okement Valley. For those unsure as to the purpose of the humble trig point, these were constructed in the 1930s to help with the retriangulation of Great Britain. Sorry, but your browser does not appear to be accepting our cookies. if (x.type === 'password') { }. } 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. Either distracted by food, weather or the MOD firing guns! The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. I stopped for a bite to eat, taking shelter out of the wind for a few moments. 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. 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. earn from qualifying purchases. document.write('' + go4mailvariable + '<\/a>') Dropping down from the dizzy heights of High Willhays, a group of hikers could be spotted in the distance, making their own adventures, parallel to mine. The National Trust's Lydford Gorge, Devon, is the deepest gorge in the South West and has a spectacular 30m waterfall. Construction of the dam started in 1970 and was completed in 1972.The reservoir covers some 57 acres. There are a few very pleasant looking pubs on route in to Okehampton but I was not able to test them! Wistmans Wood is in the Dart river valley and has views of wild Devon that you wont find anywhere else in the country. The city of Exeter is the county town. 12.1 km. This National Nature Reserve of 170ha mainly consists of a model example of the upland heathland and has a wealth of moorland birds. Across the river valley, on Corn Ridge the sound of a voice could be heard, shouting loud and clear. A vast dam . A vast dam wall rises from the floor of the West Okement Valley. Your email address will not be published. From where you have branched off, the following the broad track by the reservoir. Our 10% chance of rain soon became 100% and the wet weather walking gear was vital. 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 To close this message click anywhere outside this window. The River Lyd rises at Lyd Head by Corn Ridge to the north of Woodcock Hill. We would love to see your walk photographs and pictures walk de177 Yes Tor and High Willhays from Meldon Reservoir. Dave watched, knowingly. stony and bends round to the right. It is part of South West England, bounded by Cornwall to the west, Somerset to the north-east and Dorset to the east. You can follow hisblog here too. Meldon Reservoir is a reservoir in England and has an elevation of 912 feet. It lies in some high moorland which can be bleak in bad weatherlovely in good. 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. on the track recorded automatically as I walked so should be accurate. We would love to see your walk photographs and pictures walk de139 Yes Tor, High Willhays and Black Tor from Meldon Reservoir. High Willhays is often mistakenly referred to as the highest point in England south of Kinder Scout. All in all a very pleasant few hours. It is worth mentioning here that this walk is in parts of the Okehampton firing range and it is worth checking the government website for firing times before you walk. Tracks across High Willhays to Yes Tor. Hiking info, trail maps, and 55 trip reports from High Willhays (621 m) in the Dartmoor of United Kingdom. Meldon Reservoir Enjoy a waterside walk around this lovely reservoir on Dartmoor. The waterfall trail is a moderate circular walk of about an hour on a mostly one-way route. 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. To get there, take the B3260 south west from The undisputed highest point in Dartmoor and the South West. We all walk at a slightly different pace so use the slider to calculate the time you will take on the walk. Meldon Reservoir is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the northwest section of the National Park. term. Now dont imagine for one moment this would be an easy walk in thick mist, pouring rain, ice and hail. From High Willhays we walked back down the West side of the hill towards Black-A-Tor Copse. large pile of stones ahead. There is a large cairn marking its summit. 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 back to Meldon Reservoir is very pretty. As I walked across the dam, water and machinery could be heard rumbling away deep beneaththe concrete superstructure. 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. This was my first "proper" activation using HF. I was of course very wrong and my hike to Yes Tor, High Willhays and the Meldon Dam and Viaduct proved that. High Willhays is just South of Yes Tor and there is a very clear track leading up to it. 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. Exit the car park and cross the lane to a signed bridleway heading southwest. I have given some Trip.com () Trip.com 55% damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it. In 1912, William Crossing, writer and documenter, said that the name High Willes had . rock outcrops of the Tor proper. It has an ethereal feel about the place as though someone has dropped the elven forests of Middle Earth here in Devon. A vast dam wall rises from the floor of the West Okement Valley. 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. . Oakhampton Military Firing Range. stream x.type = 'text'; The two peaks are around three miles south of Okehampton and 1.5 miles south east of Meldon Reservoir, so can be visited in tandem with Okehampton and Meldon. point heading I had always imagined the walk to Yes Tor would be a battle against the elements, a challenge of man verses mire; boots verses bog. Really hope you're all ok!! % Explore open moorland, dramatic tors and a Scheduled Monument: boasting a special combination of industrial heritage, wildlife and nature trails, Meldon is the perfect location to enjoy a unique day outdoors. In my case it was the Hound of the Baskervilles. The path diverts briefly around a walled area See Walking Time Calculator, For advice on .gpx files see Once over the dam we walked up hill and followed the track in an Easterly direction skirting the edge of Longstone Hill. 2020 by Mum on Dartmoor. Nestled in a valley beneath High Willhays, the 'roof of Devon' and the highest point on Dartmoor, lies a mystical ancient oak woodland packed full of wild beauty. 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. The track splits by some picnic tables next Hi everyone!!! Please enable javascript in your browser preferences). The reservoir is 900 feet above sea level and sits next to Meldon Quarry. View south up the valley of the West Okement River from High Willhays. After the last Courtenay owner fell foul of Henry VIII in 1539, the castle declined into a ruin. google_ad_slot = "2715819971"; Does anyone know if this car park is accessible by motorhome (2.8m high, 2.3m wide) A look on google street view shows the road passes under a bridge which we are not sure our motorhome can get under. As we ascended the rain clouds seemed to hang over our destination and were beginning to clear the higher we got, however just as we approached Yes Tor the weather came rolling in once more from Okehampton and we were seemingly chased by ominous dark clouds. Do not follow this link or you will be banned from this site. 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. from. Ansum! When the track splits, take the left fork, As an Amazon Associate I highest summit on Dartmoor until piped at the post by its companion High High Willhays despite the howling wind was sporting a rather fine cairn. x.type = 'password'; It really was that easy. Bow before mighty Loch Meldon . Walking up High Willhays. He suggested instead that the name derived from gwylfa, a watching place, noting its similarity with Brown Willy, the name of the highest hill on nearby Bodmin Moor, and suggested that a watch for beacon fires used to be kept here. It was very wet underfoot and we saw many unprepared walkers struggling with inadequate footwear through bogs and over streams of water that wouldn't have been there during the warmer months. 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. Trending; . Head for these and you will soon catch 2 0 obj Completing this walk will also take you to the top of Yes Tor at 619m (2031ft). boulder field just before the large rock. Dartmoor had always conjured up images of bleak moorland, high tors, deep marshes and swirling mists. reservoir car park. Yesterday we decided we needed a Dartmoor fix. High Willhays is often mistakenly referred to as the highest point in England south of Kinder Scout. Meldon Dam Ive been spoilt for choice lately with Dartmoor dams. The gorge is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology, flora and fauna. The waterfall trail is a moderate circular walk of about an hour on a mostly one-way route. The geology of High Willhays, like most of Dartmoor, consists of granite intruded about 280 million years ago. For help logging on, see Help > FAQs > Logging On. extent across the Oakhampton Military Firing Range but do not let this put compass bearing is 101 magnetic (unadjusted for magnetic variation) to the Meldon Reservoir, or Meldon, is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the north west section of the National Park. there is no distinct path. Avon Dam Reservoir is one of eight Dartmoor reservoirs. 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 . Sorry, but your browser does not appear to be accepting our cookies. Availability can also be checked at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dartmoor-firing-programme. view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click, If you need to buy any Please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to: