Eleven months ago Eric and I came to Dartmoor for just one long day of stoning with a list of places that I wanted to see, I would have had time to see them all as well but Eric insisted on having something to eat, right in the middle of the day, half way through the list. How rude.
To Direct you.....
Coming south from Brisworthy to Cadover bridge, immediately after crossing the bridge turn left onto dusty track and follow it all the way to the end. It ends right next to the quarry, there is a restored medieval cross near by. It should have been easy to get there from here, but I didn't have my compass with me and the famous Dartmoor fog covered everything, visibility was down to about a couple of hundred yards. In truth I wasn't holding out much hope of finding the stone circle we'd come so far to see. My map was, as it turns out, too old and outdated, the shape of the Clay works quarry had changed shape, a lake disappeared. We guessed our way round the quarry, which is large to say the least, you've never seen such a sight of utter devastation, and prepared to climb the hill, but just then out of the mist I saw a line to my left, as we moved on the mist cleared enough to realise we were just about to go the wrong way, our destination was but a few hundred yards to our left. So we went that way.
Crossing a stream or two presented not but a little problem and suddenly we were at the south end of the stone row. Success.
There are two parallel stone rows, the south end has a kind of rounded boat shaped quality to it, the stones go up hill from there towards the stone circle, a reave? Leat? cuts through it, jumped, further up hill a large stone lies across the rows, passed by, the rows just kind of end right next to the stone circle. I wonder if it is known whether they are both of the same exact date, or did one come before the other?
Shorter (but less attractive) access arrangements (from those given in the link) are to park at Blackaton Cross (SX570632) and follow the track NE past the clay works.
The two alignments here are unusual in that they have different orientations. West runs E/W and East runs N/S.
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