Blackaton Brook, Throwleigh, Dartmoor National Park
Rising in one of Dartmoor's most dangerous places and flowing down to a popular local wild swimming pool, Blackaton Brook runs across Throwleigh Common on the side of Cosdon Hill in the north section of Dartmoor National Park.
We've positioned Blackaton Brook on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location.
The headwaters of Blackaton Brook at Raybarrow Pool are on Dartmoor's north moor. It drops down to a useful upper ford on Throwleigh Common as marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map before flowing to another crossing place where it meets Cheriton Combe. Both the upper ford and this crossing place are visible on Google's satellite imagery.
From there, it cuts a steep-sided valley to Shilley Pool. There's are paths on either side of the water here. The path on the south bank of the brook takes you to another crossing place and lower ford on the edge of the moor. A finger of moorland then stretches to the road by Moor Farm where there's also parking available. The path on the north bank of the brook climbs beside a farm wall until you come to a gate. An old track takes you through fields to the aforementioned crossing place and lower ford.
The crossing place and lower ford are impassable when Blackaton Brook is in spate. Note that the path that rises on the north side of the brook as marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map leads to a good moorland track that rises to Cosdon (The Cemetery) Stone Row from which you can yomp to the top of Cosdon Hill and Cosdon Beacon.
Last, when exploring the Blackaton Brook area, avoid Raybarrow Pool and the moor west of Cheriton Combe. Between them, beyond the upper ford on Throwleigh Common is a safe path that also climbs to Cosdon Hill and Cosdon Beacon.
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