Henchertraw

Henchertraw is one of Dartmoor's not so well known places. Hardly a secret but not so many people go there. Henchertraw is a delightful series of small waterfalls in a secluded wooded valley. Red Brook is the water. Henchertraw is the location of one of Dartmoor's more romantic stories about Garth the Tinner - one of Crossing's stories. One day Garth found a baby girl left alone beside the stream. He took her home, called her Melys and raised her together with his son. As they got older the youngsters fell in love and planned to marry. But one day Garth was accosted by a stranger who was the girls's long lost father. He reclaimed his daughter so Garth's son was beside himself and committed suicide in the snow beside the brook. Melys was distraught and returned to her lover the next day. But she was too late. Sadly the father was returning to offer his daughter in marriage to Garth's son.

Park at Shipley Bridge (SX 681629) 3 miles north of the town of South Brent. Climb up the NW slopes above the filtration plant and once past then descend the slope down to the Bala Brook. Straight in front is the steep valley of Red Brook, cross over the Bala and climb beside the rocky waterfalls of Henchertraw. When at the top of the valley contour around Old Hill until you get to Middle Brook. Remains of tin mining appear and at the top of the valley you'll come to Uncle Ab's house. Just up from here the terrain suddenly changes and you are on to fairly rough featureless terrain. You may need to set a compass course for Knatta barrow, and then take another (due north) from there for Western White Barrow. You'll come to the wet ground of Petre's Pits, cross over the dam and then you join the Zeal Tor tramway. From the tramway it's easy to get back to Shipley Bridge.

This walk is a moderate one which will take a few hours. Not one to do in misty weather. Lots of rocks beside Henchertraw and some wet boggy ground around Petre's pits. No military areas.

	The car park at Shipley Bridge (SX 681629). The building behind is the remains of a Victorian drying shed of a clay works. The clay was dug out at a bleak moorland place called Petres Pits. It was transported down to Shipley Bridge and left to dry out. The clay was then heaped up ready for dispatch exactly where the car park now is.
	Here are the outlines of the clay settling pits just above the Shipley bridge works.
	Heading down the valley towards Bala Brook. You can see Henchertraw on the opposite hillside.
	The Bala Brook. Beautiful stream - maybe not so beautiful to cross. The word Bala may come from the old English word 'baele' meaning stream from the hill. Hemery favours 'bal' the old Cornish name for a mine ie. bal-a-brook.
	Henchertraw - SX 670629. A small waterfall at Henchertraw. Garth's tiny shelter is situated on the left bank at the foot of the falls amidst the remains of a couple of medieval tinners' houses.
	Henchertraw
	Henchertraw
	The steep sided valley of Henchertraw from the side of Old Hill.
	The Middle Brook valley - SX 664633
	Remains of what was the winding gear for a now filled in mine shaft. It was powered by the nearby wheelhouse.
	Remains of a Victorian wheelhouse at Middle Brook. Probably involved with the tin industry that was active around here in past centuries. SX 662635
	Another view of the wheelhouse. This was partly powered by a leat that leads around the hillside from Bala Brook.
	Uncle Ab's House - SX 656639 - at the head of Middle Brook. This would have provided stabling for the working horses up on the moor. It was built about 1809. The paddock lies behind the house.
	The silhouette of a cairn appears as we head northwards from Uncle Ab's House. This cairn is not the great cairn of Knatta Barrow.
	Knatta Barrow pool (SX 655645). This isolated pool is a flooded clay pool that was created in the 19th century. This is a lonely place on the top of Quickbeam Hill. In sudden mist this is a place to be careful of.
	On the left side is the mica pool at the head of the clay pits of Petre's Pits - SX 659648. It may look innocuous but you'd be foolish to step into it. There's a dam with a path that takes us safely across. The old workers would know this as a "mikey dam".
	We're now on the track of the old Zeal Tor tramroad and heading down towards Shipley Bridge.
	Difficult to read but this marker stone beside the tramway track reads "2 Miles". SX 661649. 2 miles from Shipley Bridge. This marker stone was discovered quite recently.
	The 3/4 mile partly granite marker stone at Broad Rushes. Means 1.75 miles from Shipley Bridge. SX 665647
	Still on the tramway on the side of Zeal Hill - not far from Shipley Bridge. On the opposite hillside you can see the snaking line of Henchertraw. SX 672635