Clapper Bridge, Dartmoor

Today we were walking the third stage of the Two Moor Way and it was the longest stretch, 13.5 miles.  We started at Ivybridge and ended up at Holne. Fortunately the weather was dry but it was incredibly windy as you can see from the extra photo from the horses mane.  

Such an incredible walk from spending hours surrounded by yellow straw grass colours and featureless hills, you almost think its late summer and then you emerge off the edge of Dartmoor into the colourful green and yellows of spring on the surrounding Devon Hills.  

We started by taking the ridge top option with far reaching views following a long stone row.  Signs of previous tin mining including spoil heaps, old pieces of machinery and old settlements were spotted.  We looked down on one of the three oldest upland Oak Woodlands on Dartmoor, Piles Copse which is shown behind the extra photo of the two horses.  We crossed the River Avon via a Clapper Bridge, see main photo.  This 19th century bridge is formed of large granite slabs on low piers and is typical of moorland bridges in the south west.  I have also included extra photos of the main moorland and then the colourful landscape as we came off the moor.

A great days walking, now time to recover.