Two Museums Walk, Sticklepath, Dartmoor National Park
Finch Foundry is a National Trust property and museum in the Dartmoor village Sticklepath. The Museum of Dartmoor Life is a museum in the National Park gateway town Okehampton. This walk links the two.
The route fringes Dartmoor's north moor and runs close to the National Park's northern border. The terrain isn't particularly difficult so it's not a demanding walk. It passes through the stunning Belstone Cleave and pretty moorland village Belstone. In the main, it follows the Tarka Trail which is clearly marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map
We're based in the north east section of Dartmoor National Park. All route descriptions on this site tend to run either north to south or east to west. As such, we begin in Sticklepath.
Sticklepath is situated on the old Okehampton to Whiddon Down road that runs below the modern A30. The National Trust's Finch Foundry is in the centre of the village. A path runs from the back of Finch Foundry to a bridge that spans the River Taw at the eastern end of Skaigh Wood. Follow the River Taw upstream through Belstone Cleave. You'll cross a couple of bridges and pass below Ivy Tor.
At the western end of Belstone Cleave, you'll come to a ford and bridge. Cross the river and then follow the steep path is it climbs to Belstone Great Green. Wander past The Tors Inn and then follow the skinny moorland road past Tors Park to Tor Down. These are visible on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map.
A public path crosses Tor Down and connects again with a moorland road that passes under the A30. From here, you link up with the Tarka Trail again and walk west under Ball Hill into the middle of Okehampton where you'll find the Museum of Dartmoor Life by the central crossroad.
We'd recommend following the Tarka Trail itself back to Sticklepath. It rises through the wonderful East Okement Valley and passes the Nine Maidens Stone Circle before dropping across Watchet Hill to Belstone and Belstone Cleave. This turns the Two Museums Walks into a super circular route.
Note that the Museum of Dartmoor Life is a short walk away from English Heritage's Okehampton Castle. Another long-distance route called the Two Castles Way heads south west and west to Launceston Castle in Cornwall.
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