xY[kF~_![\53 )!7N&!s&ij43a kvF7VvyzU ~`c:fXHtA?z8GzL>: O_zj0 *C1Fucs{gb=L M:gvzl KGfgnD'!YHf9/vZ~QHp A vast dam wall rises from the floor of the West Okement Valley. I dont think these intrusions detract from the beauty of the moors. High Willhays is just South of Yes Tor and there is a very clear track leading up to it. %PDF-1.5 Cookies must be enabled for you to Log On successfully. High Willhays We eventually left the moorland passing through a car park and then had to climb uphill again to an old railway line and the Meldon Viaduct, We crossed the bridge and then made our way back to the car tired and happy after a successful hill climb. The views from Yes Tor and along the ridge to To our delight we discovered that it lies to the the West of Yes Tor and High Willhays beside the West Okement River, providing us with a delightful circular route encompassing the two highest peaks on the Moor (which many classify as mountains). Once I had found the correct road to Meldon Reservoir the route was very straightforward. Meldon Dam is now owned and operated by South West Water. There is also a wonderful stretch that is great for swimming in the summer, pictured left. load all 24 walk photos from Walk de177 Yes Tor and High Willhays from Meldon Reservoir, Send us your photographs and pictures from your walks and hikes. The walk also follows routes which are Just below Meldon Reservoir, the west Okement River flows down into Old Meldon Pond (also known as Meldon Pool), a glorious wild swimming spot secluded under the Meldon Viaduct. Now back at Meldon Dam, I followed a finger-post sign directing me north-east towards the viaduct. The difference in height between Yes Tor and High Willhays is a modest 2 metres, a little over 6 feet but if your quest is to walk to the highest point on Dartmoor then you need to go to the most southern of the tors at High Willhays, the OS Map shows which.Place a stone, make a wish, nod hello. Descend to the right of Black Tor to the Construction of the dam started in 1970 and was completed in 1972.The reservoir covers some 57 acres. Hisnose sniffed the calm air and his eyes scanned the distant valley slopes. 6. This site was designed with the . sight of the trig. 1. High Willhays (/wliz, wlhez/ WIL-eez, WIL-hayz), or according to some authorities High Willes,[3] is the highest point on Dartmoor, Devon, at 621 metres (2,039 feet) above sea level,[1][2] and the highest point in Southern England. x.type = 'text'; He also posited a possible link to the word gwili meaning winding or tortuous, but said it was unlikely this was where it originated from. . UV: Low;. 1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map(the ones with orange/yellow covers): 1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map(the ones with pink/magenta covers): Some Photos and Pictures from Walk de177 Yes Tor and High Willhays from Meldon Reservoir, West Mill Tor from Yes Tor with Okehampton and North Devon in background, High Willhays from the trig point on Yes Tor, The bridge at the southern end of Meldon Reservoir, . The gorge is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology, flora and fauna. The trail is. High Willhays is often mistakenly referred to as the highest point in England south of Kinder Scout. Our eldest wasn't looking where she was going and ended up kneed deep in a bog, to our great amusement and bless her, she took it with good grace. Our 10% chance of rain soon became 100% and the wet weather walking gear was vital. . Settling down on a flat slab of granite the wind died away to silence, no longer tugging at my collar. To . The two peaks are around three miles south of Okehampton and 1.5 miles south east of Meldon Reservoir, so can be visited in tandem with Okehampton and Meldon. RF P6219K - Evening light on Dartmoor, with views towards Meldon reservoir and over an old quarry site. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High_Willhays&oldid=1082121237, Pages using infobox mountain with grid ref, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 April 2022, at 12:52. Hiking info, trail maps, and 55 trip reports from High Willhays (621 m) in the Dartmoor of United Kingdom. Detailed maps and GPS navigation for the hike: "Yes Tor & High Willhays loop from Meldon Reservoir" 03:40 h 12.1 km komoot Discover Route planner Features Discover Xf0"LU|h0qlBITX1HGJTlQl4y5:K{^:H8UKDy++J RlbMF*fshY)W)\ZQ &%ItS=kCU5G6I]3fwd 8PKiBU,57x}P1@H4k&\zjIiV* NJ>@y]42Y&. Unlike sunsets that donthold his attention for long, this working landscape captivated him whilst I watched and ate my humble lunch. Ascent: Meldon Reservoir is situated northwest of Yes Tor , and northwest of High Willhays . With that in mind, it is worth remembering that one should not xYK7h*ZffwLr98^qmlHSil3;zT}z? A|.6ba5WN,Ws=za?]nAk5aZU8aBRWG7J'juQ]:^uO2vQ{wprdKTz*q(Ebk QGrSsH:>#?O| WJ^)j`Y( One of the beautiful reservoirs which is home to many water species and also the location is naturally beautiful for a picnic. IntroductionThis Dartmoor walk to Yes Tor and High Willhays takes place to a large The track eventually becomes more Yes Tor was for years thought to be the This was my first "proper" activation using HF. 2 0 obj Which is exactly why I love it. The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. Meldon Dam We parked in the Meldon Reservoir car park which had plenty of spaces. You can find more walks near these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select). The only remaining recourse available to the objecting amenity societies was an appeal to the Parliamentary Ombudsman that an injustice had been done. TMDH Limited 2000-2023. The city of Exeter is the county town. Overview 6500 trig points were constructed and many still survive today though modern technology has rendered them obsolete; just a folly now; a nod to the 1930s map makers. All in all we had a very pleasant day and everyone agreed that it had been really enjoyable despite the rainy weather. Climb to the highest point on Dartmoor on this splendid circular walk in the Dartmoor National Park. Yes Tor & High Willhays loop from Meldon Reservoir. Very much part of the attraction for me; what the eye doesnt see, the mind starts to imagine.The plan was to walk from Meldon Reservoir in an easterly direction up to Yes Tor, a location for years I had always wanted to visit. I'd seen a photo of Black-A-Tor Copse SX566 890 on Instagram and thought it'd be a lovely place to take my camera. . large pile of stones ahead. High Willhays is the highest point in Dartmoor National Park and and the highest point in the county of Devon. View down to Meldon Viaduct. All information on this The dam at the lower end of the Meldon Reservoir. Once I had found the correct road to Meldon Reservoir the route was very straightforward. Expert Answers: Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor is a 4.6 mile loop trail located near Okehampton, Devon, England that features a lake and is rated as moderate. initially until, as you get higher up (from SX 578902), a relatively clearer For help see Help. The Reservoir has a surface of more than 730 acres and is more than 130 feet deep, making it one of the largest inland waters in the South West. 3.4 km/h. Wistmans Wood is in the Dart river valley and has views of wild Devon that you wont find anywhere else in the country. Where is Meldon dam? In fact Black Mountain (703m) on the border between Herefordshire (England) and Powys (Wales) is considerably higher than both Crowden Head (Kinder Scout) (636m) and High Willhays (621m). Maximum daytime temperature: 3 degrees Celsius; Minimum nighttime temperature: -1 degrees Celsius. The walk starts at the car park at Meldon Reservoir and takes you to the 621 metres (2,039 ft) summit via Longstone Hill and Black Tor. x.type = 'password'; The weather wasnt set to change any time soon, grey lead sky but no mist or rain forecast, so plenty of time to explore beyond High Willhays. YES TOR, HIGH WILLHAYS, BLACK TOR WEST OKEMENT VALLEY AND MELDON RESERVOIR START POINT: MELDON RESERVOIR CAR PARK GRID REF: 562917 DISTANCE: 8 MILES This 8 mile walk up to the highest point on Dartmoor was led by Fran Allen on 15th August 04 and despite the earlier rain in the Plymouth area and the grading of Stay on the right hand side of the river, in The reservoir is surrounded by steep sided banks covered with trees and gorse bushes. boulder field just before the large rock. The views from Yes Tor and along the ridge to High Willhays are very good and the West Okement River valley you follow back to Meldon Reservoir is very pretty. It's easy to get to the start of this walk as it's just off the A30, a major road linking Exeter to Cornwall and going over the top of Dartmoor. If The River Lyd rises at Lyd Head by Corn Ridge to the north of Woodcock Hill. As an Amazon Associate I Your email address will not be published. The geology of High Willhays, like most of Dartmoor, consists of granite intruded about 280 million years ago. From Meldon Viaduct I retraced my steps back towards the car park at the reservoir. Meldon Reservoir and Black Tor is a 4.6 mile loop trail located near Okehampton, Devon, England that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Dartmoor Driving Tour in iconic Land Rover Discovery. The weather was nice and we enjoyed the rare pleasure of sitting outside of our tent for a bit, rather than rushing inside to escape cold and rain as so often is the . Obviously if you do exceptionally come across anything High Willhays 6 miles (9 km) Climb to the highest point on Dartmoor on this splendid circular walk in the Dartmoor National Park. MELDON RESERVOIR TO HIGH WILLHAYS VIA A ROUNDABOUT ROUTE START POINT: MELDON RES GRID REFERENCE: 562917 John Skinner had planned a route from Meldon Reservoir going upto the Moors via Okehampton Station but F&M restrictions put paid to that and he had to rejig the walk to avoid restricted areas. I had an idea what to expect but until I stood directly beneath the towering superstructure I really didnt know justhow awesome it would be. Dropping down from the dizzy heights of High Willhays, a group of hikers could be spotted in the distance, making their own adventures, parallel to mine. Dartmoor had always conjured up images of bleak moorland, high tors, deep marshes and swirling mists. Meldon Reservoir - West Okement River Circular Dartmoor National Park Length: 5.1 km Est. {YwEc_P!''6G/b,U8G-EI_P//i\6}2,dO1}zIu80Adh)9#-Sy4VI+a4:.d site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any A very satisfying walk in my book. RF2GJATBE - Panorama from High Willhays to Meldon Reservoir, Dam and Viaduct, Dartmoor Devon. William Crossing stated that High Willhays was the highest point in England south of Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales,[4] but since then surveys have shown that Kinder Scout is also higher (albeit less prominent). To get there, take the B3260 south west from Bow before mighty Loch Meldon . Sent to us by Andrew Ross, a viewer, this walk was a great day on Dartmoor. Explore open moorland, dramatic tors and a Scheduled Monument: boasting a special combination of industrial heritage, wildlife and nature trails, Meldon is the perfect location to enjoy a unique day outdoors. A walk from Meldon Quarry to High Willhays & return via Black Tor, Black-a-Tor Copse, The West Okement River & Meldon Reservoir on the track recorded automatically as I walked so should be accurate. It's 621 metres or 2,039 feet above sea level. One of the highlights of a landscape with an abundance of rock is the making of cairns, small monuments of stones, dedicated to long forgotten causes. go4mailvariable='go4awalk.com' google_ad_width = 120; Leave a comment. Take the turn off to Meldon and follow the signs for the The more impressive, but slightly lower, Yes Tor is about 1km (58 mile) north along this ridge, which is known as "the roof of Devon".[6]. top of page. Trending; . This email address is protected by JavaScript. Although it is the highest point of the moor, it is relatively insignificant in comparison to most of the moor's tors, consisting of no more than a few low outcrops of rock along a northsouth ridge. There was the very faint sign of previous passage to 13.6 km 4:05 h 410 m 410 m meldon reservoir carpark, up to high willhays, camp, down to the car park again in a loop. With the last of my lunch filling my bellyand a healthy dose of wellbeing filling my soul it was time to head back towards Meldon Reservoir via a path along the banks of the West Okement River. Please send them as email attachments (configured for any computer) along with your name to: The reservoir is 900 feet above sea level and sits next to Meldon Quarry. (Guide Resolution = 300dpi. Head for these and you will soon catch Ah, the penny drops, so this will be the summit then. 12.1 km. We paid 3 per car for the day A short walk south of the car park brings you to the impressive Meldon Dam constructed in 1972. } He suggested instead that the name derived from gwylfa, a watching place, noting its similarity with Brown Willy, the name of the highest hill on nearby Bodmin Moor, and suggested that a watch for beacon fires used to be kept here. Address: Meldon Reservoir, Okehampton, Devon. This email address is protected by JavaScript. Meldon Reservoir is a reservoir in England and has an elevation of 912 feet. High Willhays and Yes Tor are the only summits in England south of Kinder Scout in the Peak District to rise above 2,000ft. The weather forecast gave only a 10% chance of rain so we diligently packed our wet weather gear, extra layers and some sandwiches and looked at the trusty OS map. from. The highest point on Dartmoor is High Willhays Tor. We would love to see your walk photographs and pictures walk de139 Yes Tor, High Willhays and Black Tor from Meldon Reservoir. RM 2BCCM52 - The spillway of Meldon Dam (1972), showing overflow of the West Olement River from Meldon Reservoir, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, UK. s+-??|&xLj`wLpsQ!q~jJ&'y1}c89:g881i b50^y$8%!dTQ2$6{ Q% +*?q K.wmo$nR ( u(H:ZaRpS #[ ) ANA4SV,xJM2]FGVlP2#nD9mf@"Iv]>"0. This descent was fairly steep, we were aiming for the Southerly most point of the trees, skirting the edge of the wood, meaning that a substantial amount of Bouldering was required. We put on our spare jumpers and pulled our coats about us as we ate our sandwiches huddled together beneath our granite shelter. It didn't dampen anyone's spirits, indeed the children seemed to be happier in the rain than they had been on the warmer days out in the summer.