All | Little | Shorter | Standard | Longer | Tors | Relics | History | Links | Panoramas | Home

 

Green Hill

Green Hill is the centre of the southern moor. It is topped by a small cairn and provides some of the best pasture on the southern moor. The north and east sides fringe the southern fen of Fishlake (there's always something a bit lugubrious about Fishlake). Green Hill takes a few hours to walk to and so you have to commit yourself for this walk.
Park at Cross Furzes (SX 700666) and follow the path of the old Abbot's Way (or Jobber's Path) over Lambs Down, Water Oak Corner and then head NW along the ridge to Puper's Hill. Carry on past Snowdon and thence to Ryder's Hill. Then walk down the grassy SW slopes of Ryder's Hill until you get to the sloped Avon valley. You then cross the river and folow the contours around the wet ground of Fishlake Mire until you get to Green Hill. Ascend the hiil and head for the diminutive cairn (you might need a compass for this). Then walk over to Red Lake, climb the tipheap to admire the views and then proceed due east until you get to the Avon valley. Head on down to the clapper bridge, croos the river and proceed to Huntingdon Cross. From there you follow the Abbot's way back to Water Oak corner and so to Cross Furzes.
This is a substantial walk of about 12 miles. The worst walking ground are the grassy slopes of Ryder's Hill although Fishlake is very boggy if you try to take a short cut across it. However, this part of the moor is very exposed and isolated and it would be easy to get confused if the mist came down. No military anywhere near.
 
Near Cross Furzes at SX 700666.
The gateway to the moor near Water Oak corner.
On the ridge halfway between Puper's Hill and Water Oak corner.
A Ten tor team leaving the Puper's Hill checkpoint.
The cairn at outer Puper's Hill - SX 673674.
The Army checkpoint at Puper's Hill. This is one of the Ten Tor's checkpoints. Today (13th May 2006) is one of the days.
The cairns of Snowdon.
Ten Tor teams walking towards the Puper's Hill checkpoint.
The summit of Ryder's Hill. The short pillar is inscribed with an "H" (for Holne) and is also known as Petre on the Mount. The taller one has a "B" for Buckfastleigh and is also called Petre's Bound stone. The tubby shape is the OS triangulation point.
The SW slope of Ryder's Hill. Straight ahead lies the shallow depression of Fishlake mire.
The path of the Avon as it emerges into Fishlake mire. The river is hidden by the grassy ridges that are the remains of tin streaming. View taken from SX 649684.
Red lake from the edge of Fishlake mire.
Looking SE towards Red Lake from the side of Green Hill at SX 641678.
A closeup of the stony and peaty ground that makes up the edge of Green Hill.
Fishlake Mire as seen from Green Hill.
The cairn on Green Hill - SX 637678. This place is just about the centre point of the south Dartmoor wilderness. It's exposed, isolated and takes a few hours to walk to. The black shape in the distance is the spoil tip of Red Lake. This cairn is the end of the longest stone row in Europe.
Here's a view of a couple of the stones in the stone row. They're pretty small and are easily hidden by the grass.
Red Lake from the eastern edge of Green Hill.
Red Lake from the side of the big lagoon.
The two smaller settling lagoons as seen from the top of Red lake.
Looking north towards Ryder's Hill from the top of Red Lake pyramid. The walkers down below are one of the Ten Tors teams that is heading off to their next checkpoint. There's a surprising number of tracks criss-crossing the marshy ground.
The SW view from the top of Red Lake pyramid. This lake was where the main excavation of the ill fated china clay operation took place.
The causeway that divides the two settling lagoons.
Looking back at Red Lake.
The Avon valley. You can see the line of the leat that leads from Broad falls towards Petre's Pits.
The Avon as it appears from near Stony Girt at SX 654665.
Looking downstream beside the Avon at SX 662662. The oval shape on Hickaton Hill is Biller's Pound. It contains a number of ruined houses and remains of a tin mill.
A view back over the Avon from the Abbot's Way as the stream begins to collect into the Avon reservoir.
The small plantation at Water Oak Corner (SX 685660).
 


All | Little | Shorter | Standard | Longer | Tors | Relics | History | Links | Panoramas | Home