Walk 2908 - printer friendly version

Great Links Tor & Widgery Cross from the Fox & Hounds Walk

Author - Jake Robertson

Length - 5.0 miles / 8.1 km

Ascent - 1000 feet / 303 metres

Grade - easy/mod

Start - OS grid reference SX524866
Lat 50.660319 + Long -4.0896563
Postcode EX20 4HF (approx. location only)

This is a pleasant short walk up Great Links Tor, at nearly 1930ft the fifth highest hill on Dartmoor. It's a bit of a climb but nowhere hard and the rewards are great, one of the most impressive tors and viewpoints on the moor. Great Links Tor lies outside the firing range boundaries so this walk is "safe" at anytime of the year.

Park you car in one of the lay bys just south of the Fox and Hounds Inn on the Sourton-Tavistock Road (SX524866). Walk up the road to the pub and take a stony track running between the pub buildings, ascending steadily up to Nodden Gate (SX530863). Arms Tor and Widgery Cross on Brat Tor dominate the scene with Great Links Tor high above to the left. Drop down to the River Lyd, which is crossed at a ford (SX534863). If the river in spate a detour may be necessary to the footbridge half a mile to the south.

Once over a clear path heads up between Arms Tor and Brat Tor and you should soon fork left and ascend through the bracken and clitter to the top of Arms Tor on the many paths and sheep tracks. The view from the tor stretches away into Cornwall whilst Great Links Tor looms temptingly behind. Drop down from the tor and follow the clear grassy path up to the summit rocks of Great Links Tor (SX552867), a steady plod of about 450ft ascent.

Great Links Tor dominates the north western side of Dartmoor, it's magnificent tors a prominent landmark for many miles and they provide many entertaining scrambles. The actual highest point is the huge tor next to the trig point and gaining it involves a tricky move from the trig point but the rest is easy. There are splendid views over to Bodmin Moor and over the moor to Yes Tor and remote Cut Hill and Fur Tor.

Scramble down from the tor and head south west, picking up a clear path which descends to Brat Tor (incorrectly spelt Bray Tor on the OS maps) with Widgery Cross on it's top. The cross was built up to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1887. Descend slightly west of north, picking up a wide path which heads back to the ford crossed at the start of the walk. It is now an easy walk down the track back past Nodden Gate to the car and a pint in the Fox and Hounds.

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