West Okement Head

Okement Watershed

The following feed into the West Okement: Vergyland Combe Stream, Jackman’s Bottom Stream, Brim Brook, Broad Amicombe Hole, Lints Tor Brook, Vellake, Fishcombe Lake or Water or Brook or Homerton Brook, Red-a-ven Brook (Snipers Gully Stream, Mether Brook).


The head of this river is thought, by some, to be at Cranmere Pool, but others believe it is elsewhere, possibly to the north-west for a short distance. Max Piper, on an on-the-ground visit in August 2021, found running water at SX 60353 85827, which has to feed into the river at some stage, even if it goes underground first. Whether this water flows year round is unknown.

Cranmere Ridge

Reference:

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

Cranmere Pool Top

Notes: The NGR (National Grid Reference) was kindly supplied by Peter Freeman on the Dartmoor Bog Hoppers Facebook Group. There are actually two tops here, north and south, at SX 60360 85496 and SX 60526 86159 respectively. Both are 568m above sea level and contain little interest in themselves.

These photos were taken at the South Top.

Wet… wet… wet…

Cranmere Pool, Sacred Pool – Lake of Cranes

Acknowledgement: This sacred pool was mentioned by Tom Greeves in Dartmoor Magazine, Issue 137, Winter 2019 with an NGR. The ‘pool’ in question is small but quite deep. The head of the West Okement River is here, too, or extremely close by depending on the source (no pun intended!) you read.

Cranmere Pool is the site of Dartmoor’s first letterbox, put here by James Perrot in 1854. From there it took off to become one of Dartmoor’s most well-known and celebrated activities.

Reference:

  • Sandles, T. (undated): Legendary Dartmoor, Gazetteer (for the Lake of Cranes name).