A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
March 7, 2025
Nine Mile Hill and the ‘P / M’ Guidestone
The straight and long downhill section of the B3212 into Postbridge from the south west is known as Nine Mile Hill, as recorded by Mike Brown in volume 38 of his field guides and by Reg Bellamy in his book Postbridge – The Heart of Dartmoor. The name is doubtless so labelled because it is a further nine miles to Moretonhampstead from here as indicated by the turnpike milestone on the north verge confirming this fact, inscribed ‘Tavistock 11 Miles Moreton Hampstead 9’.
This hill is shown on the 1675 by Ogilby map, when it was part of the an ancient Trans Dartmoor Packhorse Track between Chagford to Tavistock before being was superseded by the Turnpike Road constructed in 1772 just under 100 years later. The stretch of road from Yelverton to Princetown and from Princetown to Moretonhampstead is known as the ‘Trans Dartmoor Route’ and was built and maintained jointly by the Tavistock and Moretonhampstead Trusts. The boundary of the Trust was believed to have been close to the ‘Warren House Inn’.
At the turn of the 18th Century and into the early 19th century, this area as with many parts of the moor, through land grants provided by the Duchy of Cornwall, allowed certain estate holders to begin to expand the size of their holdings. This period of Dartmoor history is usually referred to as the ‘improver period’ and resulted in much drystone wall building. This section of the road is bounded on both side by drystone walls, which no doubt were constructed around this time. On the south east side of the road, close the aforementioned milestone is a gateway in the drystone wall with two extant granite posts, which do not appear to be that remarkable. However, on closer inspection, the south westerly post appears that it might have been a former guide stone as it has a ‘P’ inscribed on its north west side and a ‘M’ on its south east side.
The proximity of this granite post / guide stone to the road gives a clue as to its original purpose. The Dave Brewer archive records that it is a guide post pre turnpike (therefore at least pre 1772) and was one of 15 originally placed along a route between Plymouth and Moretonhampstead. The markings ‘P’ (Plymouth) and ‘M’ (Moretonhampstead) being similar to the ‘T’ and ‘A’ for the Tavistock – Ashburton packhorse track further south.
The area around Nine Mile Hill is not devoid of other historical features, such as the Powder Mills Leat, the Lych Path and the forest around Lakehead Hill, all of which have a mention here.
Bibliography
Postbridge – The Heart of the Dartmoor (1998) – Reg Bellamy
Dartmoor Field Guide, Volume 38 (Dunnabridge / Bellever / Postbridge / Riddon Ridge / Cator Common – Mike Brown
Tim Jenkinson – Pers. Con.
Dave Brewer Archive (information through Tim Jenkinson)
Tim Jenkinson (2006) – Milestone Survey from Barnstaple to Crediton (Report – Survey)
Moretonhampstead History Society, 2001-2018, Moretonhampstead History Society (Website).
Sketch map showing the key features covered in this post, adjacent to the B3212 former turnpike road. Note that, there is a small ‘pull-in’ between the Lych Path and the milestone, should safe access to visit the ‘P / M’ stone be sought. Of interest on the Moretonhamptead History Society website is a record about the road, which states : “In 1772, the Moretonhampstead Turnpike Trust was responsible for 13 miles of new road between Cherrybrook on Dartmoor and Reedy Gate at Dunsford, where it joined the Exeter Turnpike. This road became known as Carter’s Road, after the contractor who built it. The building of the road was violently opposed by Okehampton and Launceston, who feared a loss of trade”.John Ogilby was one of the finest mapmakers of his day. The above map is part of the first Ogilby survey of the roads of England and Wales, which comprised of 102 copper plates and 200 pages of text. His maps were engraved on strips representing bands of ribbon of about 2.5 inches in width. On most plates six strip maps are given; but in some cases (like the Exeter to Truro) one there are seven. Nine Mile Hill between Higher Cherrybrook Bridge (aka Hairy Hands) and Postbridge is shown on this map – the second column from the left (near the top)Close up of Nine Mile Hill area (number 23) on the Ogilby map from 1675. Note that Higher Cherry Brook bridge is labelled ‘Stone Bridge’ and the East Dart crossing may well refer to the clapper (3 arches). However, a much older crossing (than the modern road bridge) approx 100yds upstream is not shown. Regarding this older bridge some of its large stepping stones still remain in situ, though much disturbed by centuries of floods. The eastern approach to the crossing is now totally obliterated and its course is indistinguishable from the rest of Greyhound MarshThe journey for this post starts at Arch Tor just above and to the north of Gawler Bottom. This small yet diminutive outcrop is worth visit as it too has a mystery inscribed upon it. The picture shows Higher White Tor beyond under the ‘lip’ of the tors logan stoneArch Tor looking east with the forest on Assycombe Hill visible. The logan here still rocks. On the north face of the tor in an inscription ‘PC’. But to what does this refer?Some Dartmoor observers suggest that ‘PC’ may refer to Powder Mills Cottages, but if so the inscription would only date from 1844. The ‘P’ may relate to Princetown or Postbridge and the ‘C’ to Chagford or the nearby Chittaford Down or even Cherrybrook which flows nearby. The reason for this inscription has never been found by the author and he is ever hopeful of finding out one day!Descending the hill (south west), this earth work is crossed which was once the leat for the nearby Powder Mills Gunpowder Factory, which was operational between 1844 and 1897. More information can be found here: Powder Mills – Gunpowder Factory – Dartmoor ExplorationsThe Powder Mills Leat is around 5km long and only drops around 9m along its whole length from its take off point on the East Dart riverThe walk across Gawler Bottom (near Gawler Brook Head) has much improved over the last 25 years with a causeway having been constructed. This carries the (slightly) redirected Lych PathThe author has walked the Lych Path (Widecombe to Lydford – overnight) on two occasions. On the first occasion in 1998 the route required walking along the Cherrybrook between Higher Cherrybrook Bridge (Hairy Hands) and Powder Mills, which was very soggy in November. The second occasion was across this causeway, a much improved albeit longer routeSignpost next to the B3212 indicating the public bridleway across the Gawler Bottom causewayLich or Lych? A LICH from the Old English or Saxon līċ, means ‘corpse’ and relates to modern German leiche or modern Dutch lijk, both also meaning ‘corpse’. The word LYCH is the more modern English version but is also derived from the Old English or Saxon word for “corpse”, mostly as an adjective in particular phrases or names, such as lych bell, the hand-bell rung before a corpse; lych way the path along which a corpse was carried to burial (as in the case on Dartmoor). This sign recognised the hard work of the Moorland Group Ramblers Association in providing a dryer and more pleasant crossing of Gawler Bottom which up to 1999 was not possible.This map from 1809 shows the walls which had already been built around Nine Mile Hill as well as showing the milestone being extantNear the milestone on the forest side of the road is this rather unassuming gateway with its two posts. The forest leads from here over much of Lakehead Hill towards Bellever Tor. On 29th September 1931, the Duchy of Cornwall conveyed this area of the Forestry Commission and some of the first trees were planted by a Mr Harry TrudeThe south westerly of the two gateposts is larger that its compatriot and has evidence that it once had iron hangers. Just about discernible in the photograph is an inscribed ‘P’Contextual view of the gateway in relation to the road. The gateway is located at SX64049 78073Close up of the inscribed ‘P’. Of note, is that the inscription is facing the road. As this gate post had once been a guide post, it must have been moved, otherwise the inscription would have been on a different face (ie in the same orientation as the road). ‘P’ for Plymouth on this recycled gate post On the reverse side of the gatepost it is inscribed with an ‘M’. On this former guide stone, ‘M’ is for Moretonhampstead.Tim Jenkinson gave a talk to Princetown History Club in 2021 about the Dave Brewer Archive and the above is on of the slides he created, reproduced here with permission and thanks. The milestone, from which the name Nine Mile Hill is doubtless so labelled……because it is a further nine miles to Moretonhampstead. The milestone is inscribed: ‘Tavistock 11 Miles Moreton Hampstead 9’. Surveyed in 2003 the milestone was measured at 73 centimetre high at a slight angle and is microchipped. The milestone is located at SX64086 78161Close up of the milestone, which neatly provides a ‘full stop’ to this post on Nine Mile Hill
