Peek Hill and Burrator Circular Walk, Yelverton, Dartmoor National Park

Peek Hill and Burrator Circular Walk, Yelverton, Dartmoor National Park

Burrator Reservoir is pretty much surrounded by high moorland. This means that you can drop down to the reservoir from high ground to enjoy both moorland and waterside walking. To approach from the north, it's easiest to wander over Peek Hill from one of the many car parking areas along the B3212 between Princetown and Yelverton. The following circular walk covers one possible route from this direction.

Start from one of the car parking areas north and north west of Sharpitor. One is marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map but you'll find many more when you're there. We've positioned a marker on Google maps to show a potential starting point.

Wander up to Sharpitor for one of the finest views in this section of Dartmoor National Park. From Sharpitor, head south west to the rocky outcrop on Peek Hill and then drop down to the edge of Peekhill Plantation. A good path that's marked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map descends to a road by Lower Lowery. There's an information board to read. Follow the path further down to the ring road that runs around the reservoir. From here, the path continues to the edge of the water. You then follow the path around the reservoir in a clockwise direction. It runs past Norsworthy Bridge, Burrator Arboretum and Nature Reserve, Sheepstor Dam and Burrator Dam. There's usually an ice cream van by the latter. Continue up the road to Burrator Discovery Centre. Beyond this is a stile and a path taking you to the edge of the reservoir. Walk along this and you come back to the path that connects to Lower Lowery Barn. Retrace your footsteps to Peek Hill, Sharpitor and the car parking area. Note that it's a bit of a slog up Peek Hill on the return journey.

There are many other routes from Peek Hill down to the reservoir. There's a stile on the northern edge of Crofts Plantation. A path runs along the edge of the plantation to the Cross Gate area. It can get very boggy and overgrown. We've bumped into a number of people clearing the route over the years. There's a route of sorts from the outcrops south of Leather Tor but you have to pick your way through bracken and over granite boulders so we wouldn't recommend it. You can also follow the line of the plantation east of Leather Tor to Norsworthy Bridge. We've walked this route with small kids on many occasions but it's never easy. Last, you can walk west of the car parking area marked above Sharpitor on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map and wander along the side of Stanlake Plantation. Various routes take you through the plantations to the Norsworthy Bridge area. You cross the River Meavy on a makeshift bridge.