By: Blonde Two
The Two Blondes went out on another Dartmoor adventure after work on Tuesday and it turned out to be pretty near perfect. Tors visited include Bell Tor, Shilstone Tor, Honeybag Tor, Bonehill Rocks and Mystery Tor. We have given Mystery Tor that name as despite the fact that it can be clearly seen at SX ??????, it is not on either of our OS maps. I say either because we have different versions of the same map. This sometimes leads to bizarre conversations during which neither of us knows what the other is talking about. Actually I think that might happen any way.
I have two theories about Mystery Tor. The first is that this Tor only appears at dusk on the first Wednesday after a full moon. We are planning to go back sometime and find out. It was too dimpsy to take a photo of it by the time I had navigated our way across the moor via a wide spur (lump) which turned out to be next to the car park. I spent a lot of time standing on it whilst looking for it (told you I hate contour features). We also had to back-track to avoid a quaking bog (bouncy and horrid). I am kind of glad that I didn’t take the picture because by now, if my theory is correct, the photo would be blank and I would be refusing to go back there at any time of day let alone in the dark.
Another theory I have about Mystery Tor (it probably has its own perfectly good name) is that it belongs to Prince Charles (lots of Dartmoor does) and that he has put a wall and fence around it and paid OS off so that no-one will disturb him when he visits it. He has picnics there on pure wool tartan rugs and eats scones with clotted cream underneath the jam whilst drinking Duke of Cornwall tea (is there such a thing?) I wouldn’t blame him if this was true – maybe we should call it Charlie Tor.
As I am writing, I am wondering if anyone else has ever seen Mystery Tor. It could be that no-one else is mad enough to venture out across a quaking bog in fading daylight. It would be fabulous if that were true because we could claim it for our own. We could stick a Two Blondes flag in it and call it Blonde Tor. Now that has a certain ring to it – and if it turns out that it is on the map and we are “duffers” to quote Arthur Ransome, well we could still call it Blonde Tor couldn’t we!
I have just been looking at a spot called Higher Piles near Sharp Tor on Harford Moor. This is a s
great name! Was it called this by someone who spent too much time sitting on the cold rocks and developed this affliction? I doubt we will ever find out.
I like your idea of naming Mystery Tor Blonde Tor. In years to come people would speculate and wonder how it came by its grand name but that knowledge would only be possessed by a privileged few!
A couple of years ago I bought dad “the A-Z of Dartmoor Tors” by Terry Bound (http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/terry+bound/the+a+to+z+of+dartmoor+tors/8557465/). He then set himself the challenge of visiting and photographing his dog on top of every Tor, Barrow, prominent point on Dartmoor. He initially did this just using the OS map, but then when he started cross referencing his book with the map he realised there were several tors in the book that are not named on the map. I will have to ask him if he has a tor listed for that grid reference!!! Maybe a good little investment for the bargain price of £5.95 and free delivery!!!!
He now has a map similar to mine which is covered in coloured dots according to Dartmoor 365’s visited or not!!! Except his is the vast number of Tors etc. Think it might be a busy year for him!!!
Right, Dad had been investigating and no there is no named Tor at that grid reference. There is apparently another Sharp Tor at 729780, between Chinkwell and Bell Tors, but not at your location. So get the flag out and plonk it there!!! It will be forever more known as “Blonde Tor”. I might even write it on my map!!!! x
I am having a dilemma and I need your help. Its a sort of identity crisis!
You see I was born blonde and stayed that way for 2-3 years. Then suddenly my hair changed to dark brown. I have never been able to understand this and feel cheated!
However last week it was explained to me.
Apparently its down to a gene which has the link to hair colour and sometimes after a couple of years it suddenly remembers it hasn’t done its job and flicks the switch which decides your hair colour.
So the question I want to ask is do I qualify for blonde status?
If you were born in Wales and your.
parents suddenly moved to another country because you hold a Welsh birth certificate you can call yourself Welsh. Does that apply to my case?
Consider the facts:
1. I hold a blonde birth certificate.
2.I often have blonde moments.
3.I have lots of fun.
4.I am drawn towards things from Ikea
You would be amazed who qualifies as blonde these days! There are some key questions:
1. Have you ever got your foot stuck down a hole? (yes)
2. Do you like Jelly Babies? (yes)
3. Do you like walking around in the rain? (you are Welsh so it must be yes)
So I guess the answer must be a resounding YES!
I have often felt ‘raydavieswalks’ that we had a lot in common. I think it is your enthusiasm for my Haribo jacket! I vote yes, you are definitely blonde!
Further to my post I await your decision!
You would be amazed who qualifies as blonde these days! There are some key questions:
1. Have you ever got your foot stuck down a hole? (yes)
2. Do you like Jelly Babies? (yes)
3. Do you like walking around in the rain? (you are Welsh so it must be yes)
So I guess the answer must be a resounding YES!
To make their work understandable map makers have to use an occasionally subjective process of selection, sometimes leaving things out or even rearranging features (Occasionally they may even add or subtract detail for the fun of it…). As your tor is close to a road it might be that putting a name there simply makes the map too cluttered, or that it may not be a sufficiently outstanding feature in what is a quite ‘busy’ area.
Exeter or possibly one of the more local libraries will have smaller scale (1:2500) surveys that may put a name to it.
I was reading some bits about maps the other day and it said that sometimes the mapmakers hid their names in maps e.g. what looked like the detailing for a cliff actually was writing!! I thought that was quite clever!!
Now that is really quite exciting – I now have an excuse to spend even more time looking at maps!
There’s a very long history of that. Not that I would have done such a thing in my past 😉
There’s a naval chart from the 18th century with three hills around an African bay named ‘Niatpac’,’Uoy’,and ‘Nmad’. It’s only when you read it backwards that you find out the young midshipman leading the shore party wasn’t happy traipsing around a malarial coast…
Will now spend even more time pouring over maps!
It would be good to look at a more detailed map but if we find a name for it, we may not tell you. We like it being called Blonde Tor …