A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
July 4, 2021
Walkham Hanging Stones, Peter Tavy Granite (PTG) Stones and Whitchurch / Peter tavy Parish Boundary
This post was inspired by the Dave Brewer Dartmoor Boundary Markers (second edition) book, where there is a sketch similar to that shown below. The book details three points of interest in the area shown in the sketch, namely: the Hanging Stones, the Peter Tavy Granite Sett stones and the Peter Tavy / Whitchurch parish boundary. A Dartmoor Exploration can easily couple these items with a visit to other points of interest in the area such as the Grimstone / Sortridge Leat, the Roos Tor granite boundary stone and markers and the Upper Merrivale Blowing House making for a great hike.
This map shows the area covered in this post.Peter Tavy Granite 1 stone engraved “PTG1”, which was recumbent until the late 1980’s. This stone marks part of the northern boundary of a sett which relates to a licence granted by Duchy of Cornwall in November 1847 for two Tavistock men to take granite from within the commons. The two men were Joseph Edgcumbe, a chemist and druggist and John White, a wine and spirit merchant. This stone can be located at SX54726 78057.Probable PTG2, which marks the northern boundary of the aforementioned sett from 1847. A full description of this rock is given in the second edition of Dave Brewer Dartmoor Boundary Markers book, as follows: “6’ earth fast boulder, split naturally, with the letters “PT” on the side of the larger piece, the former well formed but the latter more poorly executed due to the nature of the rock together with what appears to be “TO” on the side nearest the river”. This naturally split rock can be found at SX55554 77687.Walkham Hanging Stone. It can be located at SX55595 77663. The northern boundary of the sett licenced to Edgcumbe and White was described as a “straight line from a post marked “PTG1” placed by the boundary of the commons at or near Wedlake (Peter Tavy) to a stome post marked “PTG2″ on the west bank of the Walkham at or near Hanging Rock”.Grimstone and Sortridge Leat Take Off Point on the Walkham. The leat extends almost into Horrabridge to the two manors, Grimstone and Sortridge.There is another stone near the Walkham which at some point have been known as a Hanging Stone. This stone is at Shillapark at SX55116 76292. The stone was mentioned in 1923 in a Peter Tavy account of their bounds (approaching from the north). Reported in Tavistock Times on 22 June 1923: “from Whitebarrow, over Cock’s Hill, through Didlake Wells to Didlake Foot, down River Walkham on to Hanging Stone, where we claim half of the river. Up the hill by the right hand side of Parks Hedge, outside boundary of Shilla parks….” Up hill and near the reave which extends down from Roos Tor is Shillapark Boundary Rock. This rock is located in the bank of the dry Wheal Fortune leat, and is inscribed with a “P” (Peter Tavy) and with a “W” (Whitchurch) defining the boundary between the parishes. The boundary rock can be located at SX54814 76374.On the col between Roos Tor and Great Staple Tor is a set boundstone on the parish boundary, which is appropriately inscribed on two faces with a “P” and a “W”. It can be located at SX54277 76310.Heading towards Beckamoor Lake is a large conspicuous rock known as Picket Rock. It to is inscribed with a “P” (Peter Tavy) and with a “W” (Whitchurch) defining the boundary between the parishes. The boundary rock can be located at SX54090 76273.A final parish boundary rock in the area (called Flat Rock or Black Rock) can be found at Beckamoor Brook Head. Also inscribed with a “P” and a “W” it can be found next to the path at SX53453 75952.
