Ugborough Beacon

Ugborough Beacon is nearly the most southern outcrop of Dartmoor. It overlooks and dominates the small town of South Brent. The views from the beacon over south Devon and parts of the southern moor are excellent. There's a lot of prehistoric and historic remains up here - cairns are particularly common. Partly this is because these slopes are very accessible and easy to walk on, the ground gives good grazing and the aspect is south facing.

Park at Harford Gate - SX 643595. Walk due east over the brow of the hill and make for a small ford over the Butter Brook. Then carry on in the sam direction until you get to the top of the plateau between Piles Hill and Butterdon Hill. The trackway of the Two Moors way snakes along here. Head on down to Spurrell's Cross and then walk over Beacon Plain towards Ugborough Beacon. There are good views all along here. From the beacon head SW over the Lud brook, pass by the old monument of Cuckoo Ball And then walk up to Western Beacon. From here head due north along the track past Butterdon Hill to the obvious point of Hangershell Tor. Then back to the carpark.

This is a straightforward - almost easy - walk with no rough ground to worry about. About 4 miles. Although you are quite high up you are never very far from safety. Nonetheless, be aware of poor weather and mists. No army grounds anywhere around. This area is very popular with local people.

	The car park at Harford gate - SX 643595.
	The SW view from the Butter brook ford at SX 651598. The trees are those that surround the reservoir.
	Approaching a cairn at SX 656599. This one lies beside the Two Moors way.
	Part of the Two Moors way. This is the trackway of the"Puffing Billy" railway that went from Bittaford to Red lake.
	Spurrell's Cross - SX 659 599. This medieval cross marks where the Monks’ route from Buckfast Abbey to Plympton Priory met the Wrangaton to Erme Pound track. The cross has been repaired.
	Another picture of Spurrell's Cross with Ugborough Beacon on the right and the small town of South Brent in the left distance.
	Looking over towards Ugborough Beacon from Beacon plain (SX 662597)
	The north view from Ugborough Beacon. The valley is the West Glaze brook, Three barrows is on the left horizon and Corringdon Ball is on the right just beyond the green fields around Corringdon Wood.
	One of the rocks of Ugborough Beacon - SX 668591
	A closer look at another of the rocks of Ugborough Beacon.
	Ugborough Beacon from the tumulus.
	One of the cairns to be found near Eastern Beacon.
	The Neolithic monument of Cuckoo Ball - SX 659582. This is one of the oldest human structures to be found on the moor (3000 BC). Originally these rocks would have formed part of a big (20m long) barrow, the remains of which still exist.
	Another view of Cuckoo Ball. You can see the shape of the barrow around the stones.
	Looking over towards Eastern Beacon from the side of Western Beacon.
	Overlooking the Moorhaven Hospital housing development at Bittaford with the lowlands of the South Hams stretching out behind..
	The southwards view from Western Beacon - SX 655575. Just down below is where the Red lake Puffing Billy track ended and you can see the sheds of what used to be the clay processings buildings of Cantrell.
	The start boundary stone at Western Beacon.
	Looking north from one of the cairns of Western Beacon
	Black Pool - SX 655581. This is a shallow, muddy pool of no great attraction apart from providing water to livestock.
	The Longstone boundary stone - SX 655583 with Western Beacon behind.
	Western Beacon from Butterdon Hill. Butterdon probably derives from the medieval word Buter or Botar meaning good pasture.
	The north view from one of the cairns on Butterdon Hill. On the left are the slopes of Wetherdon Hill. The name Weatherdon probably refers to the old name for castrated rams (wethers) - and so means the place where wethers were pastured.
	Looking back to the cairns of Butterdon Hill.
	Hangershell Rock - SX 655594. In the 15th century this was known as Hanger's shiel. Shiel can mean shelter.
	Hangershell Rock. There is a lot of clitter around this isolated rock which suggests that it was once a large tor.
	The green stream of Butter Brook. This is a delightful place to visit.