Monday 30 July 2012

Uncle Ab

Concluding our July focus on Dartmoor houses, today's walk included a visit to the remains of a pit pony residence near the head of Middle Brook: Uncle Abs House.  

Our walk took us from Shipley Bridge up the Zeal Tor Tramroad to Petres Pits, and on up to Eastern Whittaburrow.  Affectionately known as the Sub, due to its resemblance to a surfacing submarine with a conning tower.  At 472 metres, EWB is one of the highest points on the South moor, and provides impressive views across the South Hams.

WITC met fellow letterboxers 'Slow Going' and 'Cornish Lady'.  They helped kick start the box finding, which up to this point had been tough, thanks to iffy weather and the LBT.  From Eastern Whittaburrow to Western Whittaburrow, with Petres Cross affixed in it's cairn.  

We descended from here to Quickbeam Hill, Knattaburrow, and Middle Brook.  Pausing to look around Uncle Abs House.  The shell of this property stood as late as the 1950's, as a photo on the Dartmoor archive shows here.  Today, just a solitary corner remains upright, alongside the ruined foundations.  A geocache is hidden among the ruins, but letterboxes keep their distance.

The house used to be split level, with the ground floor used to store the horses for nearby pit work, and the first floor for the staff.

A quick crossing of the hill to Bala Brook, and we found ourselves just a short stroll around Brent Moor from the Avon Dam track and Shipley Bridge.

8 miles walked.  15 boxes found.

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