Monday 14 March 2011

Dartmeet, Hound Tor and the Ink Blot Test.

 Dartmoor National Park can look idyllic at any time of year. Miles and miles of what seems like wilderness.    


Lots of Thatched Cottages and stone walls.

Ponies, sheep and cows that roam around freely.
 

This guy has some road sense as he is walking on the path.
We normally stop at Haytor. On energetic days we even climb to the top, Haytor is higher than it looks from this view.
There are so many Tors on Dartmoor they dominate the sky line.
 East and West Dart rivers meet high on the moor at Dartmeet. This is a Medieval Clapper Bridge. I won't mention "one of us" nearly over balanced while posing for the photo ! .

The 18th Centuary Bridge  beside the clapper bridge is a better and safer way to cross.



For a change we took a different route around the moor and found ourselves near Hound Tor. It's said that Hound Tor was the Inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. The Tor was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as Hundatora. There are so many myths and legends that surround this Tor, stories of ghosts and ancient graves and dwellings. On the North East side there is an old Medieval Settlement. It's also said that everyone who looks at the Tor will see different shapes, a bit like the ink blot test. What do you think ? 
This Hound is enough for us.
Amie did have a bit of a sniff around. Good to get out and about again after the Winter.  So much for gardening today then !  

12 comments:

WoolenSails said...

I would love to walk there with you, such beautiful and old landscapes. I did see some faces in there, I tend to have a vivid imagination.

Debbie

Christine said...

Absolutely beautiful! So good to be able to enjoy the fresh air and roam...

Mary Ann Tate said...

Lovely pictures...I'm reading Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - 2 volumes...it was given to me as a gift. I haven't got to the Hound one yet...probably Vol 2:)

Sod the gardening...it's nice to take a ramble every so often.

Victoria said...

What beautiful pictures! I wish I could take my morning walk out there:)

Janet said...

What a lovely walk about. Thanks for taking all the lovely photos. It's nice to see a little green. I'm looking forward to some green here--eventually. Lots of mud today.

Caroline B said...

The garden will still be there tomorrow - best make the most of the good weather. Looks like you had a lovely outing.

Old Kitty said...

Beautiful!! Wonderful pics of such a magical place!!! Thanks for these pics and the info too!!!

Yay for Amie!! Glad you went out and visited this most alluring and legendary of places. The gardening can keep for tomorrow! :-) Take care
x

Sue said...

I've so often read of Dartmoor, but never seen it before. Thank you for showing me what it actually looks like. How I'd love to wander there.

WendyCarole said...

very nice

Beyond the Dog Dish said...

EEK!! Amie is no hound!! Cavaliers are Kings *snickers*

On a serious note I loved reading this and seeing the photos. I can't believe thatched roof tops still exist? So beautiful!

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Your world gets more beautiful and beautiful with all the photos you share.
Our world does not look like yours,,, yours looks magical to me
love
tweedles

Houseelf said...

What a fab walk. I'd love to see Hound Toor one day. It does sort of look like a laying hound with the head at the right of the pic.