The native moor stone of Dartmoor has long been used in its natural state for building, and has been shaped to some degree for centuries. More recently it has been exploited by “quarrying” of the surface stone, for street stones and kerbs, but full-scale quarries did not appear until around 1820, when Haytor quarry was opened, followed quickly by the Foggintor and Swelltor quarries. The granite dug out here has been used extensively for building, with Haytor supplying the stone for the New London Bridge, and Foggintor the granite for Nelson’s Column, in Trafalgar Square.
The last granite quarry to be operational in Dartmoor was the one at Merrivale, and this stopped work in 1997.
The cache is hidden near the opening to Foggintor quarry, near Kings Tor. If approaching the quarry from the south, east or west, there is a sheer precipice into the quarry itself, and no fence. There are black and yellow sticks in the ground warning of a hazard, but take extreme care here, and don’t go near the edge.
It’s best to walk up past Yellowmeade farm, along the old tramway, avoiding the cliffs altogether. Beware of steep drops around the cache site itself; this is not suitable for very small children.
This cache is part of the Heart of Dartmoor Series. Inside each cache are 2 numbers. Please ignore the Greek letter clue. The other clue will help you to find the Heart of Dartmoor Bonus