Brat Tor

We have had two very busy days and yesterday time ran out to send my blip.

Mrs M and I had a nice day in Tavaistock (without Jinxy) and had a lovely lunch before driving back to Morton via Okehampton Feeling full of food we pulled up the lane behind the Dartmoor Inn and and walked over to the River Lyd where we had a lovely walk along the river. Across the river, and way above you, is Brat Tor and on top of it you will see this cross

This is 'Widgery's Cross' or the 'Jubilee Cross'. For 118 years the granite cross has stood looking over the western expanse of moor. The cross was erected by William Widgery to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. Widgery's Cross holds three distinctions amongst the realms of Dartmoor crosses, firstly it is the only cross constructed of blocks of granite as opposed to being hewn from a single slab. Secondly it is the most visible of the crosses as it can be seen from many places on the moor. Thirdly the cross is the tallest of the all the Dartmoor granite crosses which stand outside of a cemetery. The cross stands on a tor commonly known as Brat tor, and stands at an altitude of 452 metres.

Widgery's Cross is constructed from 10 courses of granite blocks and is capped with a rough slab. It has been suggested that the reason for this method of construction was to give the structure a greater stability which when one considers the exposure of the site would help the cross withstand the elemental forces imposed on it. The cross reaches a height of 12.99ft and has an arm span of 4.5ft, the words "W. Widgery, Fecit, Jubilee VR" are inscribed on the eastern side of the base stone. Widgery's Cross is orientated on a east - west alignment which assists in its visibility from afar.

On arrival back at Dartmoor Base we were taken out for a another lovely meal at Lustligh so we spend the evening feeling very "Stuffed" and well watered but no time for my blip. However I already had my pictures in the camera

(William Widgery (1822-1893) Painter)