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The footpath (SX 625612) leading north towards Watercombe Gate
from New Waste.
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The lane that leads to Coombe Hill.
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The SW view towards Cornwood from the side of Coombe Hill.
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Another view from Coombe Hill. This one is looking towards
Plymouth. You can see Plymouth Sound in the distance.
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In a short distance our
view has turned from the edges of the moor into the grassy hills
of Stall moor.
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The Bledge brook just before it joins the Erme in the valley
below.
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Approaching the Dancers' stone circle (SX 635644) from the south.
The story goes that 26 girls came up here one Sunday to dance and
party.
For their
sins
they were turned into stone in case others were tempted to do the
same. From the other side of the ring starts a long stone row that
stretches over 2 miles and ends up at a cairn on Green
Hill. The purpose of this row is quite unclear.
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The south view down the Erme valley from the Dancers' stone circle.
Staldon Hill on the right and Sharp Tor on the left.
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Rollo approaches a group of walkers at the Dancers'. He hopes
that they have some food for him.
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Near the start of the longest stone row in the world - SX 635645.
Over 2 miles long it ends at a cairn on Green Hill.
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One of the knarled stones of the long stone row. Did it look
like this when it was erected all those thousands of years ago?
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The south view from the cairn at SX 635650.
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Remains of a blowing house near Erme Plains and Green Lake Foot.
The stream of Hook Lake lies over the other side.
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Erme Pound - SX 638656. This Bronze age circle has been used as
an animal pound for a long time. There are 2 huts built outside the
pound that
acted
as
shelters for the herders. One of them has substantial seating inside.
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The Meadows (SX 637657) with the Erme meandering through. In the
mid distance on the right is where Red Lake stream joins the Erme,
on
the left
is Stingers Hill beyond which the path of the Erme continues
upstream.
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Red Lake where it descends to meet the Erme.
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The view of the upper Erme valley. In the mid distance lie the
characteristic mounds of Erme Pits.
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The Erme below Stinger's Hill.
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Hortonsford Brook. |
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A ford pool of the Erme near where Dry Lake meets the Erme - SX
633663.
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The Erme with Wollake Hill straight ahead. Slightly to the right
is the valley of Blacklane Brook.
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Walking beside the Erme.
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The edge of Erme Pits. These are the remains of medieval (and
later) tin workings. There are heaps of stones and large gulleys
that pass between large mounds of granite. At one time this must
have been an industrial eyesore, but time has weathered the rocks
and the Pits now support a good population of rabbits. No doubt the
old tinners would have appreciated this!
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One of the mounds of Erme Pits (SX 623669). |
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The upper Erme valley from Erme Pits. |
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The edge of Langcombe Hill (SX 620665) as we walk up from Erme
Head. In a short distance we have travelled from the calm isolation
of the Erme valley onto the austere plateau. |
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Another north view from Langcombe Hill looking over towards
Princetown way. This is a pretty bleak and isolated place. |
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A bit of water on Langcombe Hill. The photo was taken after
a dry couple of weeks - in the winter this place would be very
wet underfoot. |
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Walking across the soggy grassy plateau of Langcombe Hill.
It's a lovely May afternoon, but in misty weather this would be
an isolated
and
a slightly strange place to be. |
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This is where the plateau begins to dip down into the upper
Yealm valley. The wet ground of Yealm Head lies to the right (out
of view). |
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The upper Yealm valley. |
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The south view from Yealm Steps - SX 617636. On the left in
the mid distance is the west slope of Combe Hill. The start of
Dendle's
Wood is
in the centre. |
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Another view from Yealm Steps. |
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A tin mould stone with two moulds from the blowing house on
the left bank of the Yealm just below the Steps. In 1879 the only
surviving tin ingot from Dartmoor was discovered and it has been
traced to this mouldstone. The undersized ingot was probably an
illegal one that was smuggled out. |
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The pellucid water of the Yealm. |
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Heading SE at SX 621625. Straight ahead lie the trees of Harrowthorn
plantation. |
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A line of trees near Watercombe. New Waste car park is nearby. |