Bennett's Cross to Grimspound and the Golden Dagger mine

The starting point is Bennett's Cross >>>

(S/E) Heading in a northeasterly direction to the top of the hill, which is part of the Two Moors Way (A), where it will level out, and the route will veer more toward the east.

(1) Cross the moorland lane. Keeping on the Two Moors Way, as it again veers right and south, gain height, and follow right, and south-westerly to Hookney Tor. The trail leads south towards Grimspound (2). Leave the Two Moors Way, across Grim's Lake (a stream) to Grimspound. The route enters the settlement to explore.

(2) Leaving Grimspound heading westerly and down the hill, there is a used trail crossing the country lane, continuing down to the moorland farm access track. At the track, turn right and follow north to the farm buildings.

(3) The route follows around the farm complex to the opposite side. The route will be in a mainly westerly direction.
This next section is through the old mined site, with twists and turns, ups and downs around and over workings/ spoil heaps.

(4) Reach a linear feature (enclosure), a point of reference. The route heads north back to (S/E).

Before the walk

1. Ensure the walk matches your needs, skills, and abilities
2. Check the weather forecast.
3. Be prepared with suitable clothing and footwear
4. Personal medication
5. Consider something to eat, and always keep hydrated; take a drink.
6. Use the Visorando app, download the walk to your mobile. Consider a battery backup and or a printed route.
7. Let someone know where you are. The app has a share route function, ‘Share my Location’.

• Parking: Vehicle parking - There is a small pull-in, layby near the start
• Timing: The estimated time allows for extra time, when appropriate, for exploration and personal pace.
• Accessibility: This route has been assigned "Easy" for distance, but consideration should be given to open moorland walking.
• Facilities: The nearby local Public House.

Start: This walk's starting point, by the Bennett's Cross- W3W >>>

During the walk

• The Route: Follows some well-used trails, with occasional crossed paths. Follow the app to keep on track
• The Countryside: Respect its inhabitants, and other Countryside users
• Leave no trace: leave only footprints, but take away great memories
• Farmers do have special powers regarding dogs worrying, even on open-access land.
• Dogs: Keep under control, and bag it and bin it, don't sling it.
• Self-care: Know your own limitations; walking is an adventure and can involve risks. Be responsible and know when to turn back, rather than get into difficulties
• First Aid: Treat blisters before they occur,
• Groups: Walking within a group? Start together, keep together, end together.
• Do not enter any of the old mine adits (horizontal passage leading into a mine)
• Where sheep roam, and bracken grows. There is a remote chance of picking up 'ticks'. It is advisable to check oneself and the dogs after the walk for tics. Be Tick aware >>>

Enjoyed the walk:

• Where you can: Support the local economy: have a pint, a pasty, or a cuppa.
• Feedback from this walk: Please leave your thoughts

Report any findings; see app ' ! '

Along the route

• Bennett's Cross, at the start. It is thought that this cross, unlike many other waymark crosses on the moors, is not of religious significance, but was a boundary marker - Bennett being a mine owner.
• The Two Moors Way, a 117-mile coast-to-coast route across Devon through Exmoor and Dartmoor >>>
• Grimspound, the Bronze Age Settlement on the hill, is understood to have mined for Cassiterite (Tin) along the riverbeds. It isn't easy to envisage, given the topography of the land as we know it today, but during the Neolithic period, rivers were deeper and wider, the Grimspound settlement would have been near the river bank, and not on the side of a hill >>>
• Headland Warren, Birch Tor - Warrens where rabbits were farmed for meat and fur.
• Vitifer and Golden Dagger Mines, two of the mines, were still worked up into the 20th Century.

Nearby

Warren House Inn >>>