Part of this route follows one of the rides described in Kevin Presland's book On Your Bike - Devon.
Tom Pearce, Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare. All along, down along, out along lee. For I want for to go to Widecombe Fair, With Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.
The folk song refers to Widecombe Fair which is still held annually in early September.
Widecombe, or Widecombe in the Moor as it is more correctly known, is a very small town on the southeastern flanks of Dartmoor.
It nestles in the East Webburn Valley under the great bulk of Hamel Down.
Dartmoor, and its near neighbour Bodmin Moor, are sited on outcrops of granite in the south west of England.
I started my ride from the National Trust car park. Leaving Widecombe behind you immediately plunge into a narrow, granite-wall lined lane which follows the Webburn Valley southward.
After passing through the distributed hamlet of Dunstone I turned to climb over the southern flank of Bittleford Down. The scenery changes rapidly with increasing height ... and you soon find yourself on open moorland.
There are few enclosures alongside the road ... and sheep are free to wander more-or-less where they like.
Sheep seem to be more troubled by bikes than by cars ... they will ignore motorised transport but on the approach of a bike will disperse ... or more likely trot up the road ahead of you ... often for a mile or more.
The few enclosed areas are surrounded by dry-stone walls labouriously built from boulders of granite.
Sheep and cattle ... and the occasional walker ... are often to be found sheltering from the elements in the lee of these walls.
On this late September ride the gorse was in full flower and bushes and trees were laden with berries ... supposedly a sign of a hard winter ahead.
Along this section bracken encroaches on the road ... some of it beginning to turn brown. With changing agricultural practices bracken is becoming more prevalent on Dartmoor and the Park Authorities are concerned that its extensive root systems are causing damage to archaeological sites across the Moor.
Travelling northward the road continues to climb steadily ... to the right is the bulk of Hamel Down ... and on the left Challacombe Down.
As you climb ... Hookney Tor appears on the horizon ahead. It's not clear which way the road will go with Downs on both sides and the Tor dead straight ahead.
Climbing higher you pass the turn off to Headland Warren Farm on the left which at this point is slightly above you.
On the right ... but just out of sight above you ... is Grimspound.
Grimspound is a large Bronze Age enclosure containing over twenty stone walled huts dating from around 1,600 years ago. I wonder how the inhabitants got up here before bicycles were invented?
Climbing further ... the road turns sharply right ... but continues to climb. You then are able to look down onto Headland Warren Farm.
The slopes around the farm are littered with the shafts of old tin mines and their associated spoil heaps.
The slopes also contain a number of stone circles.
After more climbing you eventually reach a col with views opening out ahead to Meldon Hill and the northern slopes of Dartmoor.
Once over the top there is a fast descent to the east-west B3212 road linking Moretonhampstead to Princetown. This is where you have to be particularly wary of sheep .. which are apt to wander into the road.
All too soon you arrive at a T junction with the B3212.
A right turn here leads to a swooping descent with expansive views on the left hand side over the upper Bovey Valley and the hamlet of Lettaford.
A left turn off the main road leads down a wooded lane and over the infant River Bovey.
During the descent the nature of the landscape changes completely ... from open moorland ... to sheltered valleys.
As you approach Chagford the built landscape also changes ... from stone cottages ... to large rendered mansions.
Chagford nestles on the north eastern edge of the moor and is somewhat isolated ... having no main roads or routes nearby.
The town has developed a certain degree of self-sufficiency - with a number and range of shops that is unusual for a settlement of its size.
Particularly surprising is to find not one ... but two ... admittedly small ... department stores.
Chagford was a Stannary town ... these were selected towns where miners brought their hard won tin to be weighed and valued.
The octagonal building in the central market square originally housed the old Stannary Court.
In Market Square is a thatched bank ... the solid walls of which look particularly secure ... but the roof looks rather vulnerable to a determined rat.
Chagford also houses a range of cafés ... given the hills I'd ridden over ... and those still to come ... I stopped for refreshment.
This proved to be a good idea ... as on leaving Chagford you have to climb the steepest hill of the ride.
The route then returns to rejoin the Moretonhampstead - Princetown Road at Lettaford Cross.
I then turned south and followed a hedge lined single track road towards Heatree Cross.
At Heatree Cross the road becomes tree lined and starts to climb.
Leaving the trees you arrive at a crossroads where you find a small burial mound. This is Jay's Grave which is believed to be the last resting place of an orphan called Kitty Jay.
Kitty became pregnant by the son of a landowner and was then rejected. She took her own life and ... as was then the custom ... could not be buried in a churchyard.
Fresh flowers are always to be found on top of the mound ... some think they are placed there by pixies.
Beyond Jay's Grave you emerge onto open moorland.
Ahead you can see the rocks of Hound Tor.
Just before the Tor at Swallerton Gate is a classic granite walled thatched cottage.
Passing a herd of cows I fetched up at the tea wagon below Hound Tor.
Clearly time for another tea .... and some cake.
Relaxing alongside the tea wagon you can watch the steady stream of motorists arrive and walk the few hundred metres up to the rocks.
From Hound Tor I climbed higher onto Bonehill Down.
A short diversion took me to Bonehill Rocks with a view back down to Widecombe where I started.
Once you've climbed up on top of the moor the slopes are nothing like as severe.
From Bonehill Rocks a relatively flat run takes you eastward towards Haytor.
From the top ... weather permitting ... you can see right down the Teign Valley to Teignmouth and the English Channel.
Haytor is one of the Moor's honeypots ... the Tor is easily accessible from the road and ... in clement weather ... you can find ice cream and tea vans serving queues of customers.
From the Tor I turned northward over Haytor Down.
Much of the gorse on the Down was burnt. At this time of year this fire was almost certainty accidental ... or malicious.
In the winter months gorse and heather are burnt in a controlled fashion to remove the woody stems and to encourage new growth. This process is called swaling.
In recent years swaling has become less common and parts of the Moor are being overwhelmed with gorse and bracken.
From the edge of Haytor Down you can see the white tower of Manaton Church in the distance ahead.
A steep twisting descent ... which must be tackled with care ... takes you down off the Moor to Becka Brook.
After crossing the old bridge over the brook I wound through the village of Manaton.
Manaton's 15th century church is sited in a prominent location north of the village.
There used to be a local custom of carrying coffins three times around a granite cross in the churchyard before burial. This superstition was frowned on by one of the vicars in the 19th century who stopped it by destroying the cross.
From Manaton quiet lanes lead back towards Heatree Cross.
On the way you can catch glimpses of the Bowerman's Nose ... a rock formation that looks like a human face in profile.
At Heatree Cross I recrossed my outward course for the second time ... and then began the final climb part way up the eastern flank of Hamel Down.
On the way you pass an Adventure Centre ... so you can't really walk up the hill.
At the top of the rise a bridleway turns off to continue the climb over the Down towards Grimspound.
I then followed the infant East Webburn River back town to Widecombe.
The clock on the tower of Widecombe's church was indicating 4 o'clock ... the tea shack was still open ... definitely time for more tea and cake.
Kirby James
