• Bearah and Kilmar in the autumn mist

On one of my favourite walks, this time with two friends who’ve not been on it before, past the ‘faery’ glen of oaks and boulders strewn across the middle reaches of Shales Brook, then through the sometimes impenetrable mist lying between Bearah and Kilmar Tors, and round via the old quarry railway track, past startled cattle, to the far left-hand side of Kilmar, overlooking Trewortha Farm (invisible in today’s weather).  Up to our right loomed the unmistakeable profile of West Turret (see one of last year’s posts Stupendous Pile).  Altogether very atmospheric and wet.IMG_8014 copy

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• Pond on the Moor

Between Bearah and Kilmar Tors there is a watering hole that never dries up.  Here it is a few days before Christmas, looking north-west.

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• The big rains (Bearah Valley)

In two days’ time I leave for a 16-week perambulation up, down and across France.  I shall save my photographs from this trip until a future time.  But the signs of a dry start to my expedition are not auspicious.  Today – the first of 2014 – I went up towards Bearah Tor to see the state of the early stretches of Shales Brook.  The water was streaming through boulders and across the grass in furious torrents.  Rather impressive!

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• Mill and Boundary Stones

In a couple of months’ time I’m leading the final section of the beating of the boundary of North Hill parish.  It’s the longest section at around 9 miles, and starts at the crossroad at Blackcoombe over to Clitters.  It’s all across the south-eastern part of Bodmin Moor, involving the crossing of streams, an abandoned railway track and marshy areas.  The route is marked by boundary stones, most of which are marked on the OS map.  Some are easy to spot, like the vertical granite posts.  Some are existing rocks on which the inscriptions have been carved.  So today it was a case of scouting the first few BSs.

En route up Shales Brook south of the track to Bearah Quarry, we found a couple of abandoned mill stones, one of which looked perfectly fine but the stonemason must have realised that it was flawed in some respect.

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A little further up the slope, you could easily pass this boulder without spotting the inscription, especially if the light was dull.  (And I did clear away a bit of moss to expose it all.)

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This is clearer: boundary rock ’12’, ‘RIL’ [= Rillaton Manor], ‘1846’.

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No.’11’, ‘RIL’ ‘1846’ is carved on the largest slab of granite at the eastern end of Bearah Tor, from where you follow the toothed line of small granite stones to the east and by the modern stock-fence you will find an upright carved stone: ’10’, ‘RIL’, ‘1846’.IMG_3121 copy

If you then follow the eye towards the leaning cheesewring on Kilmar Tor to the north, you will see the old quarry railway embankment.  Just the other side of it is another upright boundary stone: ‘9’, ‘RIL’, ‘1846’.

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