Lowery Cross CP - Burrator Plantations - Crazywell

Dave Pawley

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Lowery Cross car park is easily accessible from the main road linking Dousland and Princetown. The walk takes a you through woodland, planted at the turn of the 20th Century shortly after the Burrator Reservoir was built. Imagine what the area was like before the dam, when there were plenty of farms and lots of open moorland where the plantations are today. Initially you walk down through Yennadon Plantation to cross under the line of the old Plymouth to Princetown railway, closed in the 1950s and down to the side of the Devonport Leat. After a period of leatside walking you descend along an old trans-moorland track, which once linked two monasteries at Buckfast and Buckland, to cross over the Lether Bridge. A relatively long uphill section follows through more plantations to bring you out onto open moorland. Once out on open moorland, it is quite a surprise when you come to Crazywell Pool. Fables claim that it is extremely deep, in fact a it is less than 20 ft deep and is now used by military personnel for training purposes. Leaving the pool, you make your way across Devonport Leat once again and then across Cramber Down, where you may see the military since it is a dry training area. (All that means is that there is no live firing, so it is never closed to access). You reach Cramber Tor and then your route takes you across to a number of other tors, namely Hart Tor, Black Tor, Leeden Tor, Sharpitor and Peak Hill rocks and finally to Lowery Tor. Between Hart Tor and Black Tor there are some interesting artefacts, a double stone row and a little further on, Black Tor Falls and old tin-mining blowing houses. Nestling by the River Meavy just below the falls is a lovely sheltered spot to have a break. There are three good uphill sections after you have left the falls with a short steep climb up to Black Tor, a longer climb across to Leeden Tor and finally the steepest climb of all up to Sharpitor. There are some excellent views from all of these high spots. When making your way from Leeden Tor across Walkhampton Common, as you descend to cross the main road you pass close by a Bronze Age settlement where there are some good examples of old hut circle outlines to be seen. On the final open moorland section of the walk, you look down on the reservoir which feeds Plymouth, that of Burrator; on a fine day it is a truly lovely sight, surrounded as it is by trees. The last tor you visit is Lowery Tor, the only tor on the walk that you walk downhill to visit. The circular walk shows you a number of facets of Dartmoor and is particularly popular with locals.

England - South West England - Devon - Dartmoor