Hisley Wood, Lustleigh, Dartmoor National Park

Hisley Wood, Lustleigh, Dartmoor National Park

The heavily wooded section of the Bovey Valley runs for about 4km, as the crow flies, from Foxworthy in the north west down to Drakeford Bridge in the south east. The upper section of the valley is dominated by the magnificent Lustleigh Cleave. The lower section is a collection of woods called Bovey Valley Woodlands. South of the River Bovey are Houndtor Wood and Pullbrook Wood. North of the river is Hisley Wood. Hisley Wood is known for its pretty packhorse bridge, Hisley Bridge, and beautiful riverside views.

We've positioned Hisley Wood on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location. To visit for the first time, it's probably easiest to walk in from the large car parking area at Drakeford Bridge. There's a big information board by the car park. Leave your car, cross the bridge such that you are north of the river and then follow the bank as it curves to Hisley Bridge. From there, you can follow signs through Hisley Wood to Lustleigh Cleave.

You can also wander down from Higher Hisley or Pethybridge (via Heaven's Gate). These places are on the outskirts of Lustleigh. It's a nice walk from Lustleigh's The Cleave Pub.

There's a car parking area at the lower end of Trendlebere Down near Yarner Wood. You can drop down to Hisley Bridge from there.

It's also fun to walk down the Manaton Old Road from the Kestor Inn at Water. The old road descends through Houndtor Wood to Hisley Bridge.

With all these routes, refer to the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map for detail.

To combine Hisley Wood with a longer walk, see our listings for Lustleigh Cleave, Hunter's Tor and Bovey Valley Woodlands Circular Walk and Bovey Valley Circular Walk.