Red-a-ven Brook Valley, Okehampton, Dartmoor National Park

Red-a-ven Brook Valley, Okehampton, Dartmoor National Park

Stand on top of Yes Tor looking north west to Meldon Viaduct and you'll see a beautiful steep-sided valley cut by a brook. This is Red-a-ven Brook Valley. The valley stretches from the ford at Red-a-ven Brook below Black Down all the way down to Meldon Aplite Quarries where it meets and wider and bigger West Okement Valley. Another unnamed stream flows from an equally beautiful steep-sided valley to meet Red-a-ven Brook about half way up Red-a-ven Brook Valley.

You can explore both from the large car parking area by Meldon Aplite Quarries. For example, you can follow the grass path north of Red-a-ven Brook to the side of Black Down before crossing the water to walk up the west side of the unnamed stream. You come out by the army tracks on top of Longstone Hill before dropping back down to Meldon Aplite Quarries. Few people walk here and it's a stunning circular route.

The path north of Red-a-ven Brook is also part of a route up to the top of Yes Tor. Cross Red-a-ven Brook at the ford below Black Down and yomp up to the summit.