Rippon Tor Ramble 2 - Foales' Arrishes Traditional Geocache

This is one of a series of caches on a walk of around 4 miles in the Rippon Tor area. Most of the walk is on moorland path/track and a little alongside the road. Please use the clearer paths rather than cutting across the gorse and bracken.

Please be aware of livestock and take care along the road for the first stretch of this walk.

From the last cache continue along the road until you reach the small gate on the right hand side to head up to Rippon Tor.

If you have not done it already you could do What a T'do (GC4RMK4) whilst you are passing.

As you walk to this cache you can see the remains of buildings either side of the road. This is Newhouse, the site of an old public house which rumour says that it was burnt down by the womenfolk as their men were spending too much time there! You can also see a line of boundary stones going through the marshes marking the boundary between Ashburton, Ilsington and Widecombe parishes. One of these stones is called 'Grey Goose's Nest'! Just before you go through the gate you can spot on the right hand side a large slab engraved with A and 1793, another boundary stone marking the parishes between Ashburton and Ilsington. This cache is so named because opposite below Pil Tor you can see a pattern of small fields. These are Foales' Arrishes. The last landlord of the Newhouse inn was called Foales and 'arrish' is vernacular Devonian for a little field. Inside and around the fields are the remains of eight prehistoric hut circles.

Please replace in its correct position.Thank you.

The weather on Dartmoor can change suddenly and unexpectedly and ALL types of weather conditions can be experienced. Please ensure that you have the correct clothing and map and compass (and know how to use them). Please do NOT rely solely on your GPS.

I would like to thank the Dartmoor National Park Authority for their kind permission to place this cache, which has been placed according to their geocaching guidelines.