Hembury Woods (National Trust), Buckfast, Dartmoor National Park
The River Dart rises in two places on Dartmoor's north plateau. The East Dart River and West Dart River merge at Dartmeet and the combined River Dart flows through the stunning Dart Gorge on its way to the south eastern border of the National Park. The National Trust's Hembury Woods provides the best riverside walking along this lower section of the River Dart. The woods rising from the river are magnificent and are topped with Hembury Hillfort.
We've positioned Hembury Woods on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location.
To explore the woods, we'd recommend walking the Hembury Woods Circular Walk.
The main car park is at the southern end of the woods. Cross the road and follow the forestry track. You'll come to paths and wooden signposts with words like 'FORT' and 'RIVER' carved into them to guide you around the woods. This main car park is relatively low down and offers great access to the river. You can follow the Dart all the way to the north eastern corner of Hembury Wood. Signs such as 'D.A.A. Hembury Private Fishing' and fences prevent access further upstream so stay in the National Trust open access woods. It's a bit of a slog to get to the top of the woods and Hembury Hillfort.
There's an upper car park near Hembury Hillfort.
These car parks and most of the forestry tracks and paths are marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map.
Photo Gallery
