Combeshead Tor

The excuse for this walk is to go and see the Down Tor stone circle. On the way we go past the remains of the Eylesbarrow Tin mine. We end up walking near the Devonport leat.

Approach from the southern road out from Princetown. Just before the road turns to Whiteworks there is a handy car park (SX 603708). Head southwards along an easy track to Nun's Cross Farm. Carry SW along the track to Eylesbarrow Tin Mine. Now leave the path and walk NW over the hill. After a short walk the view over Burrator and Combeshead opens up and you can make your way down to Combeshead Tor by crossing the Narrator Brook. From Combeshead head north for the stone row and circle. Then walk along the ridge in an easterly direction to take you back to Nuns Cross.

An easy walk of about 3.5 miles. The ground is straightforward and there are no boggy parts. No restricted military areas - but the army does use this area for exercise so don't be surprised to see soldiers looming out of the mist.

	The start of the walk near the car park (SX 603708). In the background lies the misty hills of the southern moor with Fox Tor Mire in between.
	On the track heading down towards the ruins of Eylesbarrow Tin mine. In the far distance lies Plymouth.
	Flatrod supports - Eylesbarrow. These were part of an ingenious system that transmitted power to waterless parts of the mine via a set of interconnected rods that were attached to a waterwheel.
	SW view from Eylesbarrow. Sheep Tor on the right and there's a rain squall approaching us directly straight on from the west.
	SX 595684 looking wet towards Combeshead tor. Sheeps tor on left and Sharpitor on right
	Remains of tin streaming in the upper Narrator brook valley
	Combeshead Tor - SX 588688
	View over Narrator brook and the west side of Eylesbarrow Hill from Combeshead Tor.
	Combeshead Tor - SX 588688. Sheeps Tor and Burrator reservoir are in the background.
	Another view of Combeshead Tor.
	Combeshead Tor.
	Down Tor (or Hingston Hill) stone circle and row at SX 587694. There are about 150 stones along this row with the nearest one being 9ft tall. Inside the circle there are remains of a cairn.
	Another view of the stone circle and row. Apparently, all these stones were renovated last century so as to repair the damage done to them by stone topplers in previous centuries.
	It's getting close to dusk in October and as you can see the shadows nearly align to the direction of the row. Is this evidence for one of those astronomical alignments - maybe with sunset at Halloween?
	Cairn at SX 591695
	The Devonport leat.
	A memorial cross set up in 1968 from a son to his mother (Mrs S.L. Hutchinson) - SX 599699. The cross lies beside the leat and has a good view over the west.
	The Devonport leat emerging from the Nuns Cross tunnel at SX 602699.
	An old shelter near to the leat tunnel at SX 602699. This is in a sheltered position and since there was a fair bit of tin streaming in this area it was used to accommodate tinners during their stint of work. Subsequently it was used as an equipment store for the leat company and finally as a shepherd's shelter for Nun's Cross Farm. This shelter is also known as Old Farm.
	Siward or Nun's Cross with the farmhouse behind. This cross dates from the 13th century. It was vandalised and repaired in 1846. Crane Hill is on the horizon.