Rattlebrook Peatworks Railway (Disused), Lydford, Dartmoor National Park
Rattlebrook Peatworks (Disused) was a commercial venture selling peat from Dartmoor's high moorland. Rattlebrook Peatworks Railway (Disused) was built to transport this peat from the moor to Bridestowe. Today, the disused trackbed of the peatworks railway provides safe and easy access to Dartmoor's high ground.
We've positioned Rattlebrook Peatworks Railway (Disused) on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location.
To walk the disused railway, we'd recommend starting from the large car parking area behind The Dartmoor Inn at Lydford. Drive the A386 to Lydford and you'll see The Dartmoor Inn at Lydford on the side of the road. Just north of the inn, a lane runs to a gate and then the large car parking area.
Follow the farm wall. Before you reach the stepping stones and footbridge on the River Lyd, you'll see a stile on your left. Cross the field to Nodden Gate and you'll pick up the old trackbed. It runs west of Great Nodden and then climbs to a turning area on a sharp bend in the railway. From there, it climbs more steeply towards Great Links Tor before turning east to Rattlebrook Peatworks (Disused). The route is popular with mountain bikers.
From the railway, you can visit Great Links Tor, Kitty Tor, Bleak House and Green Tor. We'd recommend completing a circular walk by dropping down past Great Links Tor to Brat Tor (Bray Tor) and Widgery Cross before returning to where you started.
You can access the upper section of the railway from Sourton, Prewley Moor and the car park at Meldon Reservoir. A track/path runs between Sourton Tors and Corn Ridge to the aforementioned turning area on the sharp bend in the railway.
According to the Dartmoor expert William Crossing, 'the railway from Bridestowe Station for the conveyance of peat was cut' in 1879. See out Rattlebrook Peatworks (Disused) listing for more information.
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