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Fox Tor Mire

Fox Tor Mire is famous for being the atmospheric place that probably inspired Conan Doyle to write about the Hound of the Baskervilles. It can be intimidating in misty weather and is certainly a place to be careful about crossing owing to the wet and boggy ground. The mire is contained within a large shallow amphitheatre where the feeder streams pass slowly through the peaty ground to emerge at the NE corner as the river Swincombe. It is a very quiet place - even by Dartmoor standards. Herons, skylarks and black cattle are the main inhabitants. 
Park offroad near Whiteworks (SX 603708). Head down the road towards Whiteworks and go into the tin mine remains. There's a ridged path that takes you to an open gatepost. Take the path across the mire. Depending on the season this may be obvious - or less so. There is a wooden footbridge across a stream that gives you a marker. Head due south across the wetter part of the mire. Once over then head east over easy ground for Childe's Tomb. Carry on east over the Swincombe to the remains of Fox Tor Farm. Then north to the Boiler - where the Swincombe stream exits the mire down the valley. Usually this is crossable - but after rain it may not be. Once over the head west back to Whiteworks.
This is a 2 mile walk part of which goes over the mire. We did it in high summer when the water table was low. In wetter times you may not be able to do it. Other than wet ground it is an easy walk. No problem with access or Army firing times.
 
Looking over the eastern part of the mire from the road (SX 609708) that leads down to Whiteworks. The waterway is the Devonport leat.
A south east view over part of the mire from Whiteworks. On the left horizon is Ter Hill while on the right are the unobtrusive rocks of Fox Tor.
The gateway that leads to the mire (SX 615708).
A wooden bridge over one of the streams of Fox Tor mire.
A stream that crosses the mire.
The southerly track leading across part of the mire. (SX 616706)
Looking back at the path across the mire. In the background are Whiteworks cottages.
The cross of Childe's Tomb (SX 626703). Fox Tor is on the left horizon.
Childe's Tomb. This cross was vandalised by the original builder (Thomas Windeatt of Totnes) of Fox Tor Farm in 1812, but largely repaired by 1885.
The Swincombe stream.
The remains of Fox Tor farm (SX 629705). These date from 1820 or so but the farm was abandoned in 1863 after a lot of effort was made in trying to build a viable business. Cattle was the livestock, but a fair bit of land was used for arable crops and potatoes. The farm was rather small but at one point managed to house a family with over 10 children!
The view over the mire from Fox Tor farm.
An old enclosure with Fox Tor farm. On the horizon appears the scarred trench of Fox Tor Gert which was dug out by tinners a long ago.
A NE view from the Boiler over the Swincombe at SX 624711.
Remains of a tinner's house near the Boiler. A farm labourer - Samuel Parr - used this as a squatter's dwelling around 1840.
Looking east back over the upper Swincombe valley. You can clearly see the trackway that follows the old Wheal Emma leat. On the horizon lies Ter Hill.
The shallow ford across the Strane stream (SX 615711).
One of the old flooded tin mine shafts at Whiteworks.
Back at our start point some 2 hours later.
 


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