Things To Do near Venford Reservoir
River Swincombe, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles 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...
Marker Stone, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The Marker Stone is visible on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map where the Two Moors Way meets the Abbot's Way near Red Lake China Clay Works on Dartmoor's south moor. It's very useful if you're following the Abbot's Way west and need to descend to Red Lake Ford. See our Photo Gallery...
Red Lake Ford, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Each year, many people follow the path marked 'Abbot's Way' on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map. This path crosses Dartmoor's high south moor. Because so many rivers and streams rise on the high south moor, you have to ford these waterways when following the route. One of the most is...
Avon Dam Reservoir Circular Walk, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
This circular walk takes in a beautiful river valley, one of Dartmoor's most stunning reservoir settings and high moorland. It also includes a short stretch of the Abbot's Way as marked on Ordnance Survey maps. Highly recommended if you want to explore the south eastern corner of Dartmoor Natio...
Avon Dam Reservoir Valley, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The River Avon rises on remote moorland and flows into the Avon Dam Reservoir. From there, beyond the dam wall, it cuts a stunning valley as it meanders down to the car parking area at Shipley Bridge. The stretch of valley between the dam and Shipley Bridge is exceptionally popular with wa...
Swincombe Headweir Ford, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The River Swincombe and Strane River (having been fed by Nun's Cross Brook) meet at the eastern end of Foxtor Mires near the beginning of the old Wheal Emma Leat (Dry Channel). Just before they meet, there are two fords spanning each waterway. After a spell of dry weather, the ford across th...
Petre's Cross, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
In his 'Guide To Dartmoor', William Crossing wrote that 'Western Whitaburrow is generally referred to as Petre's Cross from the former existence on the cairn of a cross forming a bondmark of Sir William Petre's manor of Brent, where it abutted on the forest'. We've positioned Petre's Cross on Goo...
Western White Barrow, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
There are two White Barrows above the Avon Dam Reservoir on Dartmoor's south moor. Eastern White Barrow is an extraordinary shape. Western White Barrow is less remarkable. Zeal Tor Tramway (Dismantled) and the Red Lake Railway (Dismatled)/Puffing Billy Track run nearby. The latter is the route of th...
Red Lake, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
On Dartmoor, a lake is a stream or brook. Red Lake is a small stream high on Dartmoor's south plateau through which many ancient and modern travel routes pass and around which there are a very high number of points of interest. We've positioned Red Lake on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite...
Wittaburrow, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
In his excellent 'The Field Archaeology of Dartmoor', Phil Newman notes that 'the term 'barrow' may be defined as a mound of earth or stone, usually covering one or more inhumations or cremations. On Dartmoor, where the majority of these monuments are constructed mostly from ston...
Church Way, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The Lichway/Lych Way is a well known and reasonably well signposted long distance walking route that runs from the heart of Dartmoor across a section of its high moorland to Lydford St Petroc's Church on the National Park's western boundary. People who lived in the heart of Dartmoor were required to...
The Rugglestone Inn, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Award-winning pub The Rugglestone Inn was voted one of the best UK country pubs in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2018. It's a great pub in a superb setting. Widecombe-in-the-Moor Situated on the edge of Widecombe in the Moor in the east section of Dartmoor, The Rugglestone I...
Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Family attraction At the heart of Buckfast Abbey is the big and impressive abbey church. Remarkably, it took no more than six men thirty years to construct the building. This extraordinary feat took place at the beginning of the 20th century. Given the faith and endurance that went in to building...
Ducks' Pool, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Dartmoor has a north and south plateau separated by a central bowl. Both high plateaus have iconic and remote pools and letterboxes that attract high numbers of Dartmoor enthusiasts. The north's most famous pool is Cranmere Pool with its letterbox. The south's most famous is Duck...
East Webburn River, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The East Webburn River rises near Hameldown Tor and English Heritage's Grimspound on the vast back of Hamel Down. The headwaters are close to Hamel Down Cross and Broad Barrow. From its source, the river cuts deep into moorland and tumbles past Berry Pound before arcing through Natsworthy. It flo...