Featured image of post Cadover Bridge to the Dewerstone
South Dartmoor

Cadover Bridge to the Dewerstone

A 4 mile walk from the popular picnic spot of Cadover Bridge out to the impressive Dewerstone, taking in several thousand years of history.

A medium 4 mile walk by Keith Ryan on  Jun 25, 2018.   Added on  Jan 03, 2025

Information

Map

Map of Route - Crown Copyright - Ordnance Survey Licence number 100047373

Introduction

Cadover Bridge is a popular riverside spot and within easy distance of Plymouth so attracts a lot of visitors on nice days. Many won’t be aware of the rich history surrounding the area, and the peace and quiet that can be had just a few minutes walking away from the road. Our walk takes you over Wigford Down to The Dewerstone with its commanding views. We visit a Bronze Age Walled Enclosure, hut circles, cairns, a neolithic wall, rock inscriptions and many other items of interest.

From the car park, head towards the bridge and cross over, turning left when you can towards Cadover Cross

Cadover Bridge

Cadover Bridge

Cadover Bridge was known as Cadworthy Bridge in the 1840 Meavy Tithe Map. The nearby farm is Lower Cadworthy Farm where “worthy” is from the Saxon “worthig” meaning a one-family smallholding and “Cad” being a local word for the River Plym. Cad is also a Celtic word meaning conflict or strife, but it’s thought the former is the more accurate meaning.

“In the charter of Isabella de Fortibus, 1291, the river is called Plymma from its source downward, and the confluence is thus referred to, “locum ubi Mewy cadit in Plymma”. The bridge, probably then a clapper, is called in the same charter “ponte de Cadaworth.” This name is taken from the Saxon worthig close by now called Cadworthy, and which was apparently formed on the site of a British battle - cad being a Celtic word meaning conflict or strife.” – William Crossing, 1912

How many little hands have made and remade dams here over the centuries?

View downstream from Cadover Bridge

Small ford over a shallow stream as we head towards the cross

Cadover Cross

Cadover Cross

Also known as Wigford Down Cross. In 1873 the original section of the cross was found lying flat on the ground by a group of soldiers who were on an exercise from their camp on Ringmoor Down and, working with the then Vicar of Shaugh Prior, re-erected the cross.

By 1901 the cross had fallen again, and in 1915 a subsequent vicar arranged its restoration, including a new shaft:

In seeking a more secure site in which to erect the cross, he came across a green sward in the heather which he thought would make an ideal spot. Whilst digging a hole in the ground for the cross, he came across a large granite boulder which turned out to be the original socket stone for the cross, still in situ. – Dartmoor Crosses

This tall cross is a waymarker on the Monastic Way between Priory and Tavistock Abbey.

The medieval track ran from Plympton to Stony Cross aka Shaden Moor Cross, which is near the summit of Shaugh Moor on the Plympton-Cadover road, following the line of the modern road to near Cadover Bridge.

Close to the modern bridge was a ford, Cad-a-ford, (ford over the Cad) perhaps fifty-metres upstream. From here the track would go straight uphill from the ford to Marchant’s Cross, for Meavy. A sidebranch turned left for Wigford Down, up past Cadaford Cross as an alternative route over the Down.

There is a second, faint inscribed cross centered between the arms of the main cross

Not only is there a second cross carved inside the main cross, but there were also another cross centered on each arm itself, and possibly more that have eroded from weather.

Leaving the cross, follow the hedge NorthWest and around to the West for about a kilometer

Wigford Down Cairn Cist

Wigford Down cairn cist at SX 54420 64424

This was a Bronze Age Burial Cist. Later farmers, still from the Bronze Age, built a field division across the eastern half of it. A rare thing, as they are known to have respected the Old Men’s artifacts and normally avoiding disturbing them.

Second View

View of the Capstone and Stone box of the grave cist itself

Looking down into the cist itself

Image Copyright J Butler 1994. Reproduced by kind permission (ref. 29 Sept. 2012)

Cadworthy Tor

Cadworthy Tor, SX 54182 64160, elevation 238 metres (780 feet)

Cadworthy Tor is also known as Cadover Tor and, on the 1840 Meavy Parish Tithe Map - Oxen Tor.

Dewerstone Hill Fort

This promontory is the site of a Neolithic Hill Fort, dating back around five thousand years. It’s easy to see that a well stocked force here would be difficult to attack, with a high defensive wall to the Northeast, and the steeply sloping gradient in all other directions.

View to The Dewerstone from Cadworthy Tor

Closer View

Ruins of a double-walled structure across the end of the Dewerstone promontory

Looking along the structure

This low mount of rubble is a Neolithic (Circa 2,500 BCE) defensive structure which would have been much more imposing almost five thousand years ago and a formidable obstruction to any attackers.

Image Copyright J Butler 1994. Reproduced by kind permission (ref. 29 Sept. 2012)

The single walled structure on this map, closer to The Dewerstone, is Bronze Age and is around two thousand years younger than the outer Neolithic double wall.

The Dewerstone

“Dewer” is an ancient Celtic word for the Devil.

The Devil, riding a gigantic black horse, gallops across the Moor each night and leads a phantom pack of black hounds to chase weary or foolish humans over the Dewerstone to their deaths. – Dartmoor legend

Approaching The Dewerstone. Elevation 219 metres (708 feet) SX 53775 63903

The higher flat rocks are incised, see below.

Before reaching the hilltop rocks, there are other rocks on the left that bear a small plaque that can be seen above

Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots. SX 53792 63898

The phrase is from a Chinese Proverb. It is unknown who put this here or why.

There are more inscriptions on the flat rocks up on the left

CARRINGTON - OBIT - SEPTEMBRIS MDCCCXXX (1830) In memory of Noel Carrington, a Dartmoor poet

W FORD F WIDGER F DODRIDGE

F WIDGER

W FORD. There are at least two other inscriptions nearby but they are very faint

View from the Hilltop showing Bickleigh Viaduct with the redundant piers of the original Brunel Bridge

When ready to leave, head back out over the double walled structure to the Northeast as per the map

The main gap of the double-walled structure, possibly the main gated entrance

Cadworthy Tor in the distance

The L Stone

L stone at SX 54415 64550 (140 metres north of the cist)

There are perhaps eight of these “L stones” running across Wigford Down.

These are boundary stones between the lands of Sir Ralph Lopes (of Maristow Estate to the north-east) and Mr Scobell (holding enclosed land at Urgles / Goodameavy, to the south-west), settled after a meeting on the Down as described in a letter by the Maristow steward and land agent George Giles.

On 18th February 1841, George Giles, the steward and land agent of the Maristow-owned manors, wrote to a land surveyor by the name of William J Stentaford, thus: “I have been with Sir Ralph Lopes & Mr Scobell on Wigford Down this day they both returned to my office … and ultimately agreed on an equal division of the 393a 3r 15p, the boundary to be shown by Granite posts, when the line has been traced — and that Mr Scobell’s portion shall be that moiety next adjoining his inclosed lands of Urgles and Good-a-Meavy beginning north from the corner of outher Diamond park … across towards Oxen Torr — or somewhere in that direction, wherever the line of equal division may fall … the line … must be taken up from Sir Trayton Drake’s boundary of Greenwell Down — and should it fall upon Shaugh Prior Boundary it must not be carried across it … This is a matter that requires your earliest attention. Sir Ralph and Mr Scobell will again meet on the locus in quo when you are prepared to shew the divisional line. This Job is to be at the joint expense of each party.” – Mike Brown

  • Ralph Lopes (1788-1854) was MP for Westbury, a pocket borough controlled by his uncle, Manesseh Masseh Lopes, until his uncle’s death in 1831.

  • He then inherited his uncle’s Baronetcy and his estate of Maristow - and the right to nominate future MPs at Westbury. A right removed in the Reform Act 1832

  • In 1841 there was a boundary disagreement between Lopes and his neighbour, Mr Scobell, which culminated with them formally reaching an agreeing on where their lands met. A formal letter was drawn up and these stones were placed to mark the boundary.

  • Wikipeadia - Ralph Lopes

  • Mike Brown - Dartmoor

  • Dartmoor Explanations - Wigford Down Standing Stones

Showing the inscribed L

When ready, walk uphill across open moorland to the Wigford Down Summit, North-Northeast of the L Stone

Image Copyright J Butler 1994. Reproduced by kind permission (ref. 29 Sept. 2012)

The above image might help make sense of the various features that you encounter as you cross the down towards the Summit Cairns.

Summit Cairns

Two Summit Cairns. SX 54652 65080

These two cairns would have been much more imposing once, but they have been robbed for road building over the centuries. The near one was almost completely removed, leaving a depression caused by the weight of the stones above it. This formed a dew pond which has deepened as livestock erodes it in the search for water.

The larger Summit Cairn

There are remains of five summit cairns in this vicinity, all of which have been damaged in various ways.

This one was once an Observation Post during World War 2, and remains of the concrete which topped it may still be seen.

Another view of the larger cairn

When ready, walk a short distance Northeast to the corner of the stockfencing

BA Stones

The first BA stone. SX 54780 65155

Closer view

So what does BA mean? Unlike many marked stones on Dartmoor, that’s not clear.

Possibilities are “Buckland Abbey” or “Brisworthy Arrishes” (Arrishes means Fields) - or something else entirely.

The second BA stone a few meters Northwest of the first. SX 54715 65233

When ready, head back to the Summit Cairns and then a ways south

Kerbed Ring Cairn

Kerbed Ring Cairn. SX 54700 64955

Called a Kerbed Ring Cairn because the inner circle has a ‘kerb’ of 6.3m diameter to mark its position.

Although the Ordnance Survey maps have marked this as a kistvaen, there is no evidence of a kist or grave here.

Another view, showing the remains of the kerb circle

Image Copyright J Butler 1994. Reproduced by kind permission (ref. 29 Sept. 2012)

When ready, continue eastwards towards the lakes

Fishing lake

One of the small lakes carved into the landscape by the Wigford Down (Later Brisworthy) China Clay Works from 1870 to 1937.

A dry leat runs left to right at the front of this picture which would have been used to run water for clay works.

There was once a water wheel in the central area between the two largest lakes where a wheelpit can still be seen. It was built between 1886 and 1904.

The lakes are now managed and fished by the Plymouth & District Coarse Angling Club

Return down the road and over the bridge to complete this walk

Cadover Bridge

Parking

There is good parking at Cadover Bridge. If the posted car park is full, there are several other areas nearby where parking can be had on all but the busiest days.

There’s sometimes an ice cream van here in the Summer!

References