Things To Do near Swincombe Headweir Ford

River Swincombe, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

By Dartmoor standards, this is a short river that rises on the edge of the National Park's south plateau and meets the West Dart River in Dartmoor's central bowl near Hexworthy. The river rises at Swincombe Head above what the Harvey British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map refers to as Suns...

Wheal Emma Leat (Dry Channel), Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

A wheal is a mine. A leat is a man-made waterway used to channel water from, say, a river down to a mine, mill or town/city. Wheal Emma Leat is the now dry channel of a leat built in 1859 that once collected water from near the source of the River Swincombe as it flows past the eastern side of Foxto...

Foxtor Mires, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

There are some places on Dartmoor that are best avoided. Raybarrow Pool by Cosdon Hill on the north moor is a dangerous place. Down on the edge of the National Park's south plateau, Foxtor Mires is another. Said to have been the inspiration for Grimpen Mire in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Hound of...

Childe's Tomb and Cross, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

Who was Childe? Whilst hunting on Dartmoor, Childe was overwhelmed by a snowstorm. To survive, he killed his horse, disembowelled it and then climbed inside for shelter. The snowstorm continued and Childe froze to death. Upon the event of his death, it became known that he'd leave his lands at Plyms...

Foxtor Farm, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

Foxtor Farm is a collection of ruined buildings and enclosures east of the infamous Foxtor Mires. Fox Tor, a series of rocky outcrops on the edge of Dartmoor's south plateau, is to the south. Today, the farm ruins are in a remote and quiet area of the National Park. On the route of ancient paths and...

Whiteworks, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

A road runs from Princetown to the edge of Foxtor Mires. Whiteworks is at the end of that road. Whiteworks is a disused tin mine. When you visit, you'll see extensive ruins and old mine shafts fenced off from the public. These are next to some modern buildings. Kids can often be seen chargin...

Goldsmith's Cross, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

Goldsmith's Cross is one of a high number of crosses marking the route of the ancient Buckfast to Tavistock Monastic Route as shown on the Harvey British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map. Goldsmith's Cross is located just south of the infamous Foxtor Mires that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used as in...

Fox Tor, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

In comparison to the larger north moor, the National Park's south moor has relatively few tors. One of the most impressive is Fox Tor. Situated on the edge of Dartmoor's south plateau, overlooking the infamous Foxtor Mires to which the tor gave its name, Fox Tor provides magnificent views over Da...

Swincombe Reservoir, Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

Most Dartmoor reservoirs are large, impressive and reasonably easily accessible. Swincombe Reservoir is small and fenced off from the public. The moorland around the reservoir is flat, boggy and tussocky. Whilst there's a metal bridge at the eastern end of the reservoir, it's closed to the public so...

Sunshine Valley, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

There are lots of old mining works around Foxtor Mires. Whiteworks is to the north west. The wonderfully named Sunshine Valley and nearby Mount Misery are to the south east and east. Marked on the Harvey British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map, Sunshine Valley is at the head of the River Swinc...

Mount Misery Cross, Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

Moorland climbs steeply south and east of Foxtor Mires. On the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map, the land south of the mires is marked Crane Hill. The land to the east is Ter Hill. The Dartmoor expert Eric Hemery edited the Harvey British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map and used many loca...

Crane Hill, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

It's not the most inspiring place on Dartmoor but if you want to explore the National Park's south plateau then you're going to spend a lot of time skirting Crane Hill's flanks or wandering over its top. The River Plym rises here. The Abbot's Way arcs around its south west side. Ducks' Pool is on...

Black Lane Peat Pass, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

The name Black Lane Peat Pass suggests a tidy, sunken road with high, black peat walls offering easy passage through difficult terrain. Whilst this might once have been the case, and there are still such peat passes on the north moor, if you walk Black Lane Peat Pass today you'll expe...

Ter Hill Cross (West), Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

There are two stone crosses close to one another on Ter Hill on the flank of Dartmoor's south plateau. These crosses are part of the Buckfast to Tavistock Monastic Route and, along with many others, were used as waymarkers for the journey between Buckfast Abbey and Tavistock Abbey. We'v...

Tavistock to Ashburton Packhorse Track, Ashburton, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)

This ancient track is shown on the Harvey British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map. Unsurprisingly, it runs between Tavistock on the western border of the National Park to Ashburton on the eastern border. The central section of the track pretty much follows Conchies Road. We include Tavistock to Ash...