The Remotest Point on Dartmoor

Acknowledgement: Dave Martin has done a sterling job trying to work out where the furthest point from any road on Dartmoor is. There are two criteria that need to be considered: are we including army roads that the public have access to drive or public highways? Dave writes: “If you ignore the Army road completely there is a spot to the west of the north end of the Black Ridge peat pass which is 4.1 miles from the nearest road. If you include the public section of the Army road that reduces to 3.9 miles from a spot at the extreme south end of the pass. It also happens to be the most remote inland spot anywhere in England south of Northumberland. Fur Tor is only 3.0 miles from the road at Bagga Tor.”

Dave has kindly supplied the NGR for the 3.9-mile distant location as the army roads while not specifically public highways, are nonetheless driven by the public to gain easier access to the North Moor at West Mill Tor and Hart Tor.

To stand at this NGR is to be as remote as one can get in southern England, in truth almost all of England as stated above. No walk here will be easy, it will require strength and determination.

Pinswell Ford

Reference:

Sandles, T. (undated): Legendary Dartmoor, Gazetteer.

Black Ridge Cut Peat Pass Marker, South

Black Ridge Hut Circle

As identified by Dr. Tom Greeves. The remotest hut circle on Dartmoor.

Reference: Heritage Gateway

Pinswell Cut (Peat Pass)

Hemery, on p.972, says: “Rising above the left bank are the twin humps of Little Kneeset (1663 feet), the entire hill usually referred to by the moormen as ‘Pinswell’, which name properly belongs to the good pasturage on its western slopes, and part of the ‘Preda de Vurtorre’.” Because the peat pass on this hump is called ‘Pinswell Cut’, it has been decided to call this ‘Pinswell Top’ for peak baggers and the other as ‘Little Kneeset’, although, as explained, both names appear to be used interchangeably.

Reference:

Hemery, E. (1983): High Dartmoor – Land and People