Dartmoor Photowalk 23 Sourton and Shelstone Tors

Dartmoor Photowalk 23 Sourton and Shelstone Tors

This week I was back on the North Moor at Sourton Tors plus Shelstone Tor on the West Okement Valley just South of Meldon Reservoir. Once again I had my Fuji GFX 50S along as well as my X-T2 for the shots on the move. I have not been to Shelstone Tor before, it isn’t a very big one but like many Tors on Dartmoor it has a “Lone Tree”.

Shelstone Tor.




Sourton Tors on the other hand is a big set of Tors with its own Trig Point.




I parked on Prewley Moor and set off up to a track junction where I needed to go left or right, Shelstone or Sourton first. On the way up I was already noticing just off the track, that indicator of wet ground, Cottongrass.




Sourton to the right?




Or Shelstone to the left?




I decided to go left. I have been up Sourton Tors before but I have never been to Shelstone Tor although I have seen it from the other side of the river (last week) so I knew it to be a very rocky Tor with the potential for a great shot up the West Okement Valley.

As I walked over to Shelstone Tor I had some good views of Yes Tor and High Willhays with Shelstone and Black Tors in the foreground.




Once I got to the top of the Tor I found out just how rocky it was and wherever it wasn’t rocky it was boggy.




I found a spot with a good view up the valley so I set up the GFX for a panorama.




The shot.




Although a small Tor there are quite a few interesting rock formations on Shelstone.







And it does have that Lone Tree.




I had lunch before heading off over to Sourton Tors, again there were some good views as I made my way across keeping to the high ground.

Near ground is Corn Ridge and Sourton Tors, far ground is Great Links Tor, Arms Tor and Brat Tor.




There is also a good view of Meldon Dam.




Once I reached Sourton Tors I explored for a while, there is a lot to see up there and it is probably worth a trip just to there in order to do it justice, another day maybe.







It is very steep sided, I tried not to lose elevation unless I knew for sure I wouldn’t need to regain it.




Since Sourton Tors is on the very edge of Dartmoor there are good views of the small village of Sourton.




That’s all for this week folks, as always, comments welcome.

Tags: Dartmoor Photowalk Sourton Tors Dartmoor Shelstone Tor Dartmoor West Okement Valley Dartmoor