TORS OF DARTMOOR
a database of both lesser- & well-known rocks and outcrops
Horsham StepsHorseman's Steps
 There is a mass of rounded moss-covered boulders that seem to block the River Bovey below Horsham but the water still seeps its way through and under. In Gems in a Granite Setting, William Crossing describes the feature as 'Horsham Steps', boulders that "entirely hide the stream".  Natural England, when writing about East Dartmoor which is a National Nature Reserve, remarks that "At Neadon Cleave, the most northerly point of the Reserve, you'll see a spectacular section of river. Here the Bovey is almost choked by huge boulders. In dry periods, the river flows almost hidden underneath but in flood the water crashes and tumbles over the top of the boulders. Making use of the boulders as large stepping stones, the public footpath crosses the river at this point - take care here, it's not for the faint-hearted."  That evocative description is certainly applicable to this stretch of the river, and as the visitor approaches there is a sense of excitement at the sound of the river forcing its path through the beginning of Lustleigh Cleave, and it is an indicator perhaps of the many beautiful stretches further downstream. Although OS Maps show this as a crossing point, you should be warned that even when the river levels are low the boulders are slippery in places and extra caution needs to be taken. 
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