By: Blonde Two
On Dartmoor, the name Sharp Tor can be a bit confusing. There are several for a start plus a couple of Sharpitors which sometimes insist on also being called Sharp Tor. This, to put it bluntly (couldn’t resist that), is one of many reasons that everybody should be taught to locate features via six figure grid references. You can use eight digits if you are being fussy but that would give you ten metres of tor possibility, most tors (not all), especially the ones called “Sharp” are much bigger than that.
Think of the confusion that could be saved, take this text conversation as an example:
Blonde One: Has silver group passed you yet?
Blonde Two: No – can’t see them up the road, hot here, sunbathing! B-)
Blonde One: Not on road, coming via forest. Put your top on! :-#
Blonde Two: No forest, just road 🙂
Blonde One: Where are you!!!
Blonde Two: Sharp Tor – you said Sharp Tor
Blonde One: Which Sharp Tor???!?!?!?!??!
The Sharp Tor that I visited today is lovely and often ignored as people drive past to higher and more wild places. It can’t be missed and suits its name as it has a pointy shape in the witches hat kind of mode. There are lovely views from its easily (even for me) climbable heights, down the Upper Dart Gorge. If the wind is in the right direction, you can hear the river thundering past below you.
For those that don’t know, the Upper Dart Gorge is where kayakers and canoeists (plus the odd lunatic in a rubber dinghy) face a run of thundering rapids with rather off-putting names like Pandora’s Box (abandon hope) and Euthanasia. They put in at Dartmeet and then (most of them) get out again at Newbridge. I am imagining that they found themselves at Newbridge a tad quicker yesterday than is usual, the Dartmoor rivers are quite full at present. This might also explain the vast numbers of neoprene clad, flappy skirted gentlemen wandering round Newbridge car park. Don’t be afraid to say hello if you see one, they may dress oddly but are generally quite friendly types.
I am going to visit Sharp Tor again, not least because a marvellous view is gained from the minimum of Bimbling. A few of you may understand my fascination with this field system. Next time though, I am planning to wear gloves. This particular Tor of Sharpness lived up to its name and cut my finger!
