White Moor Stone Circle Stone Circle View all content for White Moor Stone Circle

Whilst not criticising the directions given by previous contributors, as someone who nearly always manages to misread even the simplest of OS maps and doesn't go in for GPS-type devices, I thought that I could share my experience of visiting this wonderful circle last Saturday in the hope that future searchers might be aided in locating it. Even though I've driven all the way from London to visit the sites on Lewis and Orkney, somehow arriving at this site after trekking across what seemed like three or four miles of moorland struck me as a much greater endeavour. Ok, the weather was blissful and the ground underfoot mostly dry, but there were still some tricky sections requiring careful navigation around boggy patches where the path seemed to disappear. The main thing for me was locating a suitable starting-point for the walk. A local recommended parking in a layby near the entrance to Olditch Farm halfway between two bridle-paths both of which lead up to the moor. A note about the layby; it's on the left as you drive up from the south to Sticklepath but you could go by without seeing it; you have to reverse into it ('you turn in on yourself' the local had helpfully observed). The southerly bridlepath (ie the one behind you as you park which we came back on) leads up to a point not far from Cosdon Hill stone rows from which the path then goes all the way to the circle, with necessary diversions round the boggiest bits. Even though it had been dry recently, sections of the initial path up to the moor were still very wet whereas the northerly bridlepath was much drier and it brings you out on to a path which leads up to the top of Cosdon Hill from which you can go straight down to the circle (in theory; we missed the top, following some other walkers, and ended up going down the side of the hill to the stone rows and thence to the circle). Both bridlepaths involve steady uphill climbs, not too strenuous but with stops and diversions it was about two/two and a half hours each way, echoing what others have said. The first sighting, coming over the shoulder of Little Hound Tor ( after another unplanned diversion off the path to avoid some bogs) and seeing the outlier first, was a genuinely exhilarating moment and if like me you're a bit misanthropic about sharing your visits to sites like this with others (apart from your own companions) then you're unlikely to be too worried about intruders at this place. Magical, everything I wanted and more.

Posted by ironstone 9th July 2013ce Edited 9th July 2013ce

Comments (5)
Nice one. Hard to choose a better site for the first field note.	Posted by GLADMAN 9th July 2013ce
Seconded. Good innit?	Posted by thesweetcheat 9th July 2013ce
Definitely worth the hike. You might want to consider this one next: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1420/stall_moor_stone_circle.html	Posted by Mustard 17th September 2013ce
Yep, if you like your circles remote, that's a great one. Also this one, if you haven't been: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1367/down_tor.html	Posted by thesweetcheat 17th September 2013ce
Aaarghhhh! Now I'll have to go and visit these two and further risk getting lost..... just as well that Dartmoor's one of my favourite places in the UK.	Posted by ironstone 26th September 2013ce
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