The Twelve Across and Two Down Walk 2002

Commemorative badgeThis long awaited event, organised by the Plymouth Section of the Dartmoor Rescue Group, eventually took place on Sunday 24th February 2002. It was originally planned to take place 12 months earlier but had to be postponed at the last minute, due to the Foot and Mouth epidemic.

It was an interesting start to the day, driving across the moor past the Warren House Inn, to see everything covered in a layer of snow. We had to negotiate the car through all the sheep, who were crowded onto the road licking up the salt that had earlier been put down by the road-gritter. However, when we reached Princetown, to leave a car at the end of the walk, there was no snow but a persistent drizzle, that was to stay with us and plague us for the whole of the morning.

A total of 58 teams, comprising of 247 eager walkers, assembled in the car park near the Vennford Reservoir for the 9 o’clock start of the walk. The idea was to follow the Monk’s Path across Dartmoor to Princetown, visiting all the crosses that were erected many centuries ago as waymarkers on the route. These would have been used to guide the monks on their journey between the Abbey at Buckfast, on the eastern side of the moor, and those of Tavistock and Buckland, on the western side. Our walk also took in a few modern crosses, which have been erected within the last hundred years.

After getting all togged up in wet weather gear and checking in at the start tent, we set off across Holne Moor to our first target, Horn’s Cross. We soon realised that we were set for a day of walking into a driving wind and rain that would have no let-up. The first check point was sited next to the O’Brook, just upstream from Horse Ford. The guys there had thoughtfully rigged up a rope to help us across the brook. However, my (light-hearted) suggestion that they raise the rope and rig up a pulley system for us to swing across did not seem to go down too well!

Next came the two crosses on Down Ridge, the Horse Ford and Skir Ford Crosses, before the ascent of Ter Hill. Walking on Down Ridge and Skir Hill always seems hard work to me due to the fact that you are constantly wading through trusses of thick, long and dead grass. However, Ter Hill was much easier walking and we soon came across the two crosses on the summit, Ter Hill N.E. and Ter Hill S.W. The interesting point about the first cross, Ter Hill N.E., is that the arms are set in line with the cross, instead of across it, thus making it harder to recognise as a cross from a distance.

From the Ter Hill S.W. Cross it was only a short distance to the second checkpoint at Mount Misery Corner. Have you ever wondered why Mount Misery is so named? If so, you should have asked the poor chap who had been allocated to man this checkpoint. There he was, crouched down behind the wall, to gain as much shelter from the wind and rain as he could, but nevertheless he did manage to maintain his smile and good humour, whilst anxiously waiting for the last team of walkers to pass through.

The next three crosses were straightforward and more or less in line, Mount Misery Cross, Childe’s Tomb and Goldsmith’s Cross. Up to this point it had all been easy; Too easy! Leaving Goldsmith’s Cross and following everyone else, we crossed the style over the Newtake wall and set off for the Headless Cross, at Whealam Bottom. On climbing the higher ground, the mist got very much thicker and all the other walkers, that a couple of minutes ago were all around us, had suddenly disappeared. Needless to say, we missed both the Headless Cross and Northmore’s Cross, before picking up the track from Eylesborough Mine leading down to Nun’s cross. With hindsight, we should have taken a bearing off Goldsmith’s Cross and followed it, rather than blindly following everyone else. (With the admission that we missed two crosses, does that mean we get our certificates taken away from us? I hope not, as we probably walked further looking for them than we would have had we been able to walk straight to them in good visibility).

Dartmoor Crosses teamWe then walked on to Siward’s Cross, where a kindly chap took our team photo and we checked in at the third checkpoint. As the rain had then just eased up, we decided to make a stop for lunch amongst the tinners’ spoil heaps, next to where the Devonport Leat emerges from its underground tunnel. I think nearly everyone else on the walk had the same idea, with the result that we had a mass picnic in all the hollows sheltering from the wind.

Just around the corner from our lunch spot was the modern Hutchinson’s Cross. Although the wind was still quite strong, the sun came out in the afternoon and it was then a pleasant stroll along the banks of the Devonport Leat to pick up our last two targets, Newleycombe Cross and Crazywell Cross. The latter also provided our last moorland checkpoint. It was then a simple trip across the moor to South Hessary Tor, where we picked up the track to our final destination at the Plume of Feathers, in Princetown.

I would like to express our thanks to the Plymouth Section of the Dartmoor Rescue Group, especially Sue Britten, for their hard work in the organisation and control of this well-run event. Although the weather put a literal damper on proceedings, I can say that we all made the most of it and really enjoyed getting out for this walk. It also gave us the opportunity of measuring three of the crosses that we visited to fill in a few more gaps in our website data.

It was nice to see the display board, at the start and end of the walk, showing photos of how good all the crosses look in sunshine, rather than the murky conditions we had on the day. Thanks also for the advert for our crosses website; all publicity is always appreciated. 

We now look forward to walking the Lych Way, from Bellever to Lydford, on 22nd September 2002. Click here for further information and an entry form for this event.

Team: dartmoor-crosses.org.uk Maurice Daniel
Glenn Bearne
Beverly Bearne
Bob Denning
Cliff Evans