Mardle Head

Mardle Head is a surprise. In fact the upper valley of the Mardle is a surprise. Although it is only a couple of miles from the town of Buckfastleigh this Dartmoor valley seems many more miles away from a Devon town. Part of the reason is that the land rises up quite steeply and gives the valley a rugged sort of beauty as well as effectively hiding it away from the nearby lowlands. Mardle Head is just 500m away from Ryder's Hill - the highest point on southern Dartmoor. The Mardle valley is a place of great beauty. Lots of nature and lots of quiet. In the past there was a fair bit of tin streaming along the stream bank but today all the walker sees are the overgrown rubble tips.

Park at the eastern car park at Venford - SX 688709. Then head due south and take the fairly obvious tracks that lead you up onto Holne Lee. There are a number of old tin workings and cairns scattered around but the tracks across the moor are quite clear. You'll come across the bigger trackway of the Sandy Way so take it up to the brim of Holne Ridge and from there head SW towards Ryder's Hill. From Ryder's head 500m eastwards and you come to the Mardle valley. Follow it down (bestways on the NE side) until it begins to level off. Look for the Wheal Emma leat and then follow the leat path until you see the Venford reservoir and the carpark. Legendary Dartmoor gives an excellent description of part of this walk. Check out at Holy Brook.

This 5 mile walk is not difficult but does involve a reasonable ascent up to Ryder's Hill and once there you are isolated and at the mercy of the elements. Mardle Valley is best walked on the NE side. Strongly advised to not do this walk from June to October since the bracken will ruin a lot of the lower valley walking. No military areas to be concerned about.

	The eastern car park at Venford SX 688709. This is a very popular car park in season - not least of all because of walks to nearby Bench Tor - a very accessible and very impressive Dartmoor tor. However, today we are going in the opposite direction and on a slightly more challenging walk.
	SX 688699. Looking back northwards towards the Venford Reservoir from the slopes of Holne Lee.
	SX 685701 - this is part of the Holne Town gutter which flows from near Ringleshutes down to the Holne village. It provides water to a number of places and is particularly evident as it flows through the centre of Holne.
	SX 674697 - this is the edge of the Ringleshutes Tin workings as seen from the Sandy Way. Although the records for Ringleshutes are poor this area has been prospected for tin for 7 or 8 centuries. All forms of tin working can be found here starting with the original streamworks, then pits and openworks and finally underground shafts and adits.
	SX 668697 - up on the higher eastern edges of Holne Ridge.
	SX 667694 - this overgrown rubble is the remains of tin streaming along one of the upper tribituary streams of the Mardle.
	SX 661691 - approaching Ryder's Hill from the north.
	SX 660690 - the southerly view from Ryder's Hill - 515m high. 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 squat stone on the right is an OS marker. On the horizon lies the unmistakeable pyramid of Red Lake.
	Another view of the marker stones on top of Ryder's Hill.
	SX 663692 - Mardle Head. The view is looking eastwards and shows the whole of the upper Mardle valley. On the horizon lies the outskirts of Torquay.
	SX 665692. A boundary stone just below Mardle Head. This is known as Rounder's Hole and is a Holne parish boundstone.
	SX 669693. The upper reaches of the Mardle river.
	SX 674693 . Looking down the Mardle valley. You can plies to tin streaming rubble beside the stream. The ground on the right of the river (ie. the SW bank) gives difficult walking.
	SX 678687 - the Mercer memorial marker stone at Sitting Down End. Inscribed with a H for Holne and just below with I and M (Ian Mercer). Erected in 1990. Check out Legendary Dartmoor's description about Holy Brook for much more information.
	The granite bridge over the Emma Wheal leat at Sandy Way - SX 686691. The Sandy Way is an old moorland track that runs between the hamlet of Michelcombe and the moorland wastes of Aune Head and Ter Hill. The Sandy Way provides a good way up to the higher reaches of Ryder's Hill - the highest point for South Dartmoor.
	SX 697697. This is the edge of the enclosure below which Wheal Emma emerges to continue down towards the Mardle. Ideal place to take a break and admire the view.
	SX 691704. Heading back towards the car park across the grassy sward. We're pretty close to the road.