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| Moss on Torrycombe (Whitehill) Tor lower |
I'll admit that Crownhill Tor was something of an irritant; not even within the national park and surrounded by the awful china clay works that scar the landscape. I expected little of the walk to bag this one, possibly there, back, job done. I'm pleased to report I was wrong!
I pulled in at the car park a short distance from Whitehill Tor, opposite the Lee Moor Clay Works. Prepared for a quick twenty minute bag, I went east along the busy road, crossing the open access field, south, towards Crownhill.
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| Open Access to Crownhill Tor |
Through another gate, the tor stands above you. A collection of scattered granite across the hill, with a low outcrop on its summit, it was proving to be as disappointing as I envisaged it.
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| Crownhill Tor |
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| View from Crownhill Tor |
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| Top of Crownhill Tor |
Its summit views were dominated by the clay works on Lee Moor, but if you can blot out the glare from the exposed pits, you'll notice that Whitehill Tor has a lot more to offer than can be seen from the road. It was then I decided to make this walk a circular.
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| Whitehill Tor from Crownhill |
First, I took a quick look further south, to the top of the hill, but the view had been decimated by Headon China Clay Works.
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| Headon China Clay Works |
I started down towards Whitehill Tor, a little uncertain as to how I was going to get there. The route enters the Torycombe Valley and crosses a brook. This is right on the edge of some clay works and access wasn't obvious on the map.
Stepping into Knowle Wood, the walk took on a different feel. Whilst the clay industry was still a few metres away, there were pockets of this combe where you could be a million miles away.
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| Knowle Wood |
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| Lee Moor China Clay Works |
I could hear the rushing of water and gravitated to the steep banks of Tory Brook where I discovered a wonderful scene of tumbling water. I later found there is a waterfall marked on the map, this is further upstream and I didn't visit it, but the falls I found were good enough.
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| Waterfall on Tory Brook |
The sheer drops of the brook, here, meant I couldn't cross so I descended to the valley floor where I encountered a good place at the base of a leat.
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| Knowle Wood |
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| Tory Brook |
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| Leat tumbling in Tory Brook |
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| Knowle Wood |
I followed the leat up to a works track, the other side of which I could see a lot of exposed granite hidden within the woodland. Encountering Whitehill Tor much lower than expected was exciting.
Also known as Torrycombe Tor, a name I prefer and will hence call it from now on, I had previously bagged the tor in the height of summer when the bracken hid its extent well. On this occasion I felt I was visiting a new tor!
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| Torrycombe Tor Lower |
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| Torrycombe Tor Lower |
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| Torrycombe Tor Lower |
Occasionally, when the outcrop has forced a clearing of the woodland canopy, there is a sharp reminder of your location, surrounded by the works. This little green valley is a real oasis.
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| View of the clay works from Torrycombe Tor Lower |
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| Torrycombe Tor Lower |
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| Boulder on Torrycombe Tor Lower |
Clambering over the top of the lower outcrop, I came to the major works road to the pits below. The other side of this road, Torrycombe Tor upper appears.
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| Torrycombe Tor Upper |
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| Torrycombe Tor Upper and Lower split by a road to the clay works |
At first glance you could argue that, considering the distance between the two outcrops, this could be two tors, but I expect they had been parted years ago when clearing for the road.
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| Torrycombe Tor Upper |
Climbing up to the top of the tor and over was a simple affair without the barrier of bracken. Its summit popping out of the woodland, it possessed a pleasant view over the Torycombe Valley, Knowle Wood, and further to Crownhill Tor.
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| Torrycombe Tor Upper |
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| View from Torrycombe Tor Upper |
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| Trees below Torrycombe Tor Upper |
Once over the top, you have in front of you a short footpath leading to the busy road and the car park. This is the route I had taken when I had previously visited the tor and had been unimpressed. Now, just before spring had begun to cloak the scene, I could really appreciate Torrycombe. I suggest other tor baggers to do the same.
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| Torrycombe Tor Upper |
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