Lizwell Rock

A short way above and to the south-west of Lizwell Meet on the steepening slopes of Blackadon Down is this large split outcrop that commands attention. The visitor will most likely reach the outcrop by descending from Blackadon Tor via Blackadon Lower North Tor, but from above the only discernible feature is a grassy ledge. You have to carefully perambulate the Rock in order to gain the best vantage point.

In essence this is a magnificent small tor whose position must have been all the more striking prior to afforestation. It would have once had breathtaking views of Lizwell Meet and the valley of the East Webburn looking upstream, a scene that is now sadly cloaked within a dense canopy of trees.

Up close, the Rock, when viewed from the north, takes on the appearance of a huge, squat, smooth-backed creature and its jointings are interesting with some facing diagonally across the granite giving it a distinctive look.

Lizwell Meet is a treasured spot and noted for its raw beauty. It was for this very reason included as one of William Crossing's 'Gems in a Granite Setting' (1905) and the author sets the tone of the confluence: "The meeting place of these two rivers of Widecombe is in one of those charming nooks that contrive to hide themselves from the gaze of the passerby, and give scarcely a hint of their existence. A wealth of foliage is seen, it is true, but not only at this particular spot, and but for the rocks of Blackadon Tor there would be nothing to draw attention to it." The writer continues: "Nature has here been bountiful, yet, in the bestowal of her gifts, heedless whether the rock and the stream, the shading tree, and the plants that carpet the earth, should form a paradise only for the birds of the air or meet the eye of man."

Crossing's evocative account perfectly describes the valley here as it is a charming place, and Lizwell Rock only adds to its splendour, but there is strangely no mention of the outcrop from the author. It is thanks to Paul Buck, who spotted the Rock in October 2017, that it has now received a name for itself and on account of its position and surroundings it seems most appropriate. If the rambler wishes to visit this spot, they must be extremely careful as the ground can be unforgiving as it is notoriously steep and damp, as well as obscuring traps and obstacles such as holes and jagged rocks beneath the vegetation.

Lizwell Rock
The map above is not a navigation tool and we recommend that the grid reference shown below is used in conjunction with an Ordnance Survey map and that training in its use with a compass is advised.
Grid Ref:	SX 7129 7360
Height:	200m
Parish:	Widecombe in the Moor
Tor Classification:	Valley Side
Access:	Public
Rock Type:	Granite
Credit:	Paul Buck
Reference:	Tors of Dartmoor Blog: The Tors and Rocks of Blackadon Down

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