Dartmoor CAM Walks

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This walk: 2013-4-24. Norsworthy Bridge, C (County) stone, blowing houses (Norsworthy tin mills), wheel-pits, sheep creep, Leathertor Farm, potato cave, Leather Tor Bridge, Riddipit Steps, Riddipit Farm, Riddipit Tin Mill, mortar stone, spring (with movie), adit, Riddipit gert, Keaglesborough Mine, Classeywell Far, Nosworthy Farm.

Walk details below - Information about the route etc.

Link to Google Satellite view of the area

Norsworthy Bridge, at the "far end" of Burrator Reservoir (from the dam), over the River Meavy.

An unusual feature, the letter "C" inscribed on a boulder instead of on a proper "boundary" stone at SX 56689 69346, signifying a County stone, about 100 metres (meant to be 100 yards) from the bridge. These date possibly from the 1600's when the County took responsibility for maintaining bridges and the roads approaching from 100 yards in each direction. The concept dates from Henry VIII and the dissolution of the monasteries, when the Statute of Bridges was introduced in 1581. The Dartmoor C stones are listed on Legendary Dartmoor - The County Stones.

The inscribed letter "C" in close-up: the stone is now covered in moss.

Remains of a blowing house at SX 56737 69548 (Norsworthy Mill B) one of several in the area:

From Legendary Dartmoor - Tin Mills page .....

Norsworthy Bridge Mill	SX 5673 6938	Pre 1750
Norsworthy Bridge Mill (B)	SX 5687 6942	Pre 1750
Norsworthy Mill* - most easily visited	SX 5687 6958	Pre 1750
Norsworthy Mill (B)	SX 5674 6954	Pre 1750

Somewhere I noted another at SX 56720 69770.

Another view, of the dilapidated wheel-pit.

The well known blowing house (Norsworthy Mill, SX 5687 6958) on the main track after turning left up the track from Norsworthy Bridge (the access stile, at SX 56787 69590, is seen at top right in this photograph) .....

Another view, with the access stile at top left. Mortar and mould stones can be seen on the floor. This site is described by Eric Hemery, High Dartmoor, page 126.

Prseumed sheep creep at SX 56653 69686, I say "presumed" because there is little head room for an upright sheep .....

Through view.

Leathertor Farm, at SX 56686 69809, first mentioned 1362, first recorded 1511 (maybe earlier), last used 1924. Some occupants were also tinners. Source: Paul Rendell (2007) Exploring Around Burrator, The Dartmoor Company, Okehampton, pages 20 and 55.

About 50 metres down the road towards Leather Tor Bridge, at SX 56717 69812, is this man-made vooga (fougou) or potato cave (32 x 7 x 8 ft high). Source: Eric Hemery, High Dartmoor, page 126. It would have been used for storing root crops, including potatoes and swedes - no doubt for their pasties!

Leather Tor Bridge, at SX 56885 69960. Walkhampton Parish Council decided on 20th June 1833 to build a bridge over Riddipit Stream at this spot (this is the site of the Riddipit Steps stepping stones crossing place). The next meeting the following month (25th July) it was resolved to accept a tender from George Worth and Wm. Mashford for �26.10s. The seven stepping stones of the old Riddipit Steps are still to be seen, four in situ and three displaced by floods. Alongside the steps is the even older, overgrown ford. Source: Eric Hemery, High Dartmoor, page 126. Apparently, this was the last clapper bridge to be built on Dartmoor (Johnies Meanderings, 20th August 2012).

The ruins of Riddipit Farm longhouse, beside the track. First recorded 1564, abandoned by 1871 when the enclosures were incorporated into Leather Tor Farm. Source: Paul Rendell (2007) The Dartmoor Company, Okehampton, pages 31 and 57 ......

Riddipit Farm, the stile is at SX 56989 70090 .....

Zoomed view into the Riddipit site.

Another enclosure beside the track .....

Reddipit Tin Mill (blowing house) right beside the track, at SX 57020 70162 .....

Presumed mortar stone, with a shallow depression from a tin stamp?

Walking back down the track - a lot of water, still! .....

An up-welling spring IN the track. Click the image to see a movie of the spring.

The big potato cave at SX 57104 70336. RN Worth (1967) Worth's Dartmoor, David & Charles, page 417, describes it as a potato cave (always dug into growan) but Eric Hemery (1983) High Dartmoor, Robert Hale, London, page 129, argues that it shows signs of corbelling (as used in beehive huts, never seen in potato caves) and is in fact a cache (or vooga / fougou) for miners' tools from the Keaglesborough (Kekelles Burrowghe) Tin Mine .....

The entrance .....

View from the rear of the cave, natural light .....

As previous photograph, manipulated flash light.

White-topped post marking the adit in Riddipit Gert (of Keaglesborough Mine), at SX 57212 70065 .....

Adit entrance, this seems to be partially blocked by a fallen stone .....

Another view .....

Internal view, gated for safety reasons to keep casual explorers from entering this slightly dodgy hole in the ground!

Wheel-pit (filled-in), at SX 57287 70092, below the main wheel-pit of Keaglesborough Mine. Hemery discusses the whereabouts of a blowing house in this area although possibly further up the hill somewhere - I must try to sort this out another time!

Keaglesborough Mine wheel-pit .....

Leat bank just above the wheel-pit.

Classeywell Farm, SX 5809 7005, first mentioned 1565 (recorded 1575), abandoned by 1873. Last used 1910-1914 (several farms were used again around the time of WW1). Click the image to see a larger version.

Classeywell (alternatively, Claceywell) Farm .....

Classeywell Farm .....

Classeywell Farm, looking up the entrance track with the top corner of Raddick Plantation visible in the background.....

Approaching the ruins of Kindsett Farm .....

Kingsett Farm, SX 5768 6992, recorded in 1333 as Kingsette and paying taxes, The farm was bought from the Maristow Estate by Plymouth City Council, after which the farm was prohibited from keeping animals (a measure against polluting the new reservoir, opened in 1898). Sam Pearse and his family were given notice to quit, which they eventually did in September 1924, without compensation or any other help. Source: Source: Paul Rendell (2007) Exploring Around Burrator, The Dartmoor Company, Okehampton, pages 17 and 55.

Kingsett Farm, the main dwelling house .....

A huge beech tree for shade - check this?

Kingsett Farm, panorama taken from in the farm yard, with the top corner of Raddick Plantation visible in the background (similar to the view from nearby Classeywell Farm). Click the image to see a larger version.

Kingsett Farm.

Ewe missing her lamb that had escaped into the Nun's Cross lane through the large mesh wire fence (or under the gate). My efforts to catch the lamb attracted a lot of noisy sheep - the whole flock turned up! The lamb ran around the odd gorse bush etc. but I was not to be beaten! It suckled immediately after I dropped it back into the field and the flock then dispersed.

Abandoned feather and tare rock splitting attempt at SX 56982 69494.

Nosworthy Farm, SX 5685 6948, first recorded in 1384, abandoned between 1891 (occupied at that time by Thomas & Elizabeth Creber) and 1894. There are two dated stones nearby: (1) on a small island in the River Meavy, bearing 1840 and (2) on a large upright stone behind the buildings, bearing 184[1]. Source: Paul Rendell (2007) Exploring Around Burrator, The Dartmoor Company, Okehampton, pages 29 and 56.

Nosworthy Farm, showing the track to Crazy Well Pool and Nun's Cross .....

Nosworthy Farm, another view .....

Nosworthy Farm, a bit of an overview .....

Nosworthy Farm, a building on the left of the track where it turns off towards Leather Tor Bridge.

Walk details

MAP: Red = GPS satellite track of the walk. This map is larger than is normally offered on this web site, so as not to clutter some of the items of interest that occur fairly close together.

This walk was reached by driving to Dousland, turning at the Burrator Inn crossroads towards Meavy, then left to Burrator Reservoir, continuing past the dam to the top end of the reservoir, over the small bridge (Norsworthy Bridge) and parking in that area, indicated on the map by the yellow cross.

Statistics
Distance - 7.51 km / 4.67 miles.