Uncle Ab's House

Uncle Ab's house is a non descript ruin that was used to stable horses for the Zeal Tor tramway that took peat from Redlake down to Shipley Bridge. The building predates the tramroad and was originally used to stable packhorses for the peat workings nearby. There's the remains of a paddock in front of the house. It's hidden away at the top of the Middle Brook valley just past the mound of tinner's rubble that is in Petre's Pit Bottom - which despite the name is actually towards the top of the valley. Notwithstanding the extensive remains of tin working, Middle Brook is a very pretty isolated valley with lots of character that in good weather is an ideal place to camp out at. This walk also includes 3 different Bronze age barrows - Knatta barrow, Western Whitebarrow and Eastern Whitebarrow - so you can begin to appreciate the prehistoric mindset that placed such importance on these hilltop monuments. Not far away lies yet another barrow - Three barrows - and it all begins to look like a competition as to who has the most impressive one. Eastern Whitebarrow wins by a clear margin.

Park at Shipley Bridge (SX 681629) 3 miles north of the town of South Brent. Climb up the NW slopes above the filtration plant and once past then descend the slope down to the Bala Brook. Straight in front is the steep valley of Red Brook but bear right for a while and then cross over the Bala and ascend up the Middle Brook. remains of tin mining appear and at the top of the valley you'll come to Uncle Ab's house. Just up from here the terrain suddenly changes and you are on to fairly rough featureless terrain. You may need to set a compass course for Knatta barrow, and then take another (due north) from there for Western White Barrow. You'll come to the wet ground of Petre's Pits, cross over the dam and then you join the Zeal Tor tramway that takes you to Western Whitebarrow. Admire the views and then traverse the ridge eastwards to eastern Whitebarrow. More views to take in, then descend a little towards the Avon dam and contour around the hill passing Ryder's Rings as you go. In good visibility you can now easily make for Black Tor and then head SW to get back to the car park.

This is a delightful walk (in good weather) of just over 6 miles. There's a bit of climbing up the Middle Brook and some rough ground between Uncle Ab's House, Knatta Barrow and Petre's Pit. Otherwise it is fairly straightforward, although at Western Whitebarrow you are on the edge of the southern wilderness. Poor weather would make parts of the walk rather challenging and miserable. No army ranges nearby.

	Looking over the water treatment works. Brent Hill on the left.
	A picture taken of the Bala brook valley - SX 673630 - as we're descending towards the brook. We're going to head for the Middle brook which lies straight ahead.
	There's a Bronze age enclosure here beside the left bank of the Bala brook at SX 672630. In summer the bracken would obscure all this.
	The remains of one of the Bronze age huts within the enclosure. We are looking through the hut entrance at a small chamber inside - possibly this housed dogs or maybe it's a tinner's cache.
	A closer look at the entrance to the small chamber. Strange to think that this could be a 4000 year old dog kennel.
	Looking down the Bala brook valley from Middle Brook.
	Another view down the Bala brook valley from SX 667633. On the left is Brent Hill, on the right is the Middle Brook valley.
	We are approaching the remains of some old tin workings half way up Middle Brook - SX 662635. This is imaginatively known as Middle Brook Old Wheelhouse.
	Remains of what was the winding gear for a now filled in mine shaft. It was powered by the nearby wheelhouse.
	Remains of an old wheelhouse at Middle Brook.
	Another view of the wheelhouse. This was partly powered by a leat that leads around the hillside from Bala Brook.
	Tinner's rubble at Petre's Pits Bottom. There's been a lot of activity here - first medieval and then about 150 years ago.
	Uncle Ab's House - SX 656639. Not much of it left now. Apparently, it was far more extant in 1954 when the door lintel was still standing.
	A stone with the inscription - CB 1809. This suggests that Uncle Ab's house was built in 1809 - years before the Zeal Tor tramway.
	Uncle Ab's House at the head of Middle Brook. The paddock lies behind the house.
	Knatta Barrow - looking SW towards Three Barrows.
	Eastern Whitebarrow on the horizon. Picture taken near Petre's Pits.
	The mica pool at the head of Petre's Pits. It may look innocuous but you'd be foolish to step into it.
	Petre's Pit - SX 659648. This is the deepened head of the Bala Brook and it is all that is left of three failed ventures to extract poor quality china clay. The clay ran down in suspension along a series of pipes that took it to Shipley Bridge. This is pretty wet ground but you can walk over the still extant mica settling dam.
	A divergence in the tramway. It's by here that we crossed over from Petre's Pit.
	The north view looking over towards Redlake from Western Whitebarrow.
	Petre's cross on the Western Whitebarrow - (SX 664654).
	Looking east towards Eastern Whitebarrow from Western Whitebarrow. We're going to walk over this windswept ridge. There are superb views all around.
	Approaching Eastern Whitebarrow - (SX 665652).
	A close up view of part of the Avon valley from Eastern Whitebarrow. On the right is the edge of Huntingdon Hill.
	Looking directly south over Brent moor from Eastern Whitebarrow.
	A closer view of the top stack of Eastern Whitebarrow.
	The Avon Dam from SX 672652.
	One of the enclosures at Ryder's Rings (SX 679644). This is an extensive Bronze Age settlement with over 30 huts within a double pound ring. There's a great variety of animal enclosures of various sizes - constructed for domestic animals and poultry?
	The SW boundary wall of Ryder's Ring just be one of the entrances. We're looking down the Shipley gorge.
	Black Tor (SX 681635) with the slopes of Zeal Hill in the background. There's lots of clitter around the southern side of this tor.
	Looking over at Shipley tor as sunset approaches.
	Remains of one of the old china clay settling pans just above the Shipley Bridge car park.
	Another china clay setting pan. Someone's camping here for the night.
	The car park at Shipley Bridge (SX 681629).