Things To Do near Bellever Forest
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...
Wind Tor, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
A section of the Two Moors Way runs along the spine of Hamel Down and then descends to Dunstone Down and Bittleford Down before moorland meets a mosaic of small fields. At the southern end of this moorland, where Dunstone Down merges into Bittleford Down, is Wind Tor. It's one of Dartmoor's flat out...
Two Barrows, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
There's a display cabinet in Postbridge National Park Visitor Centre which contains a replica of the Hameldon Dagger or Hamel Down Dagger. The display reads: 'Hameldon dagger. In 1872 the original dagger was found with a burial of burnt human bones in a cairn or barrow at Hameldon. It cons...
Single Barrow, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The Dartmoor expert William Crossing writes 'this tumulus was opened in 1873 by the late Mr. C. Spence Bate, and was found to consist of earth with the exception of a low hedge of stones which encircled it, and a low cairn in the centre. About six feet from the latter a small heap of burnt human...
Hameldown Beacon, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a beacon as 'a fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or celebration’. There is a chain of beacons on Dartmoor running from the edge of the north moor down to the edge of the south moor. Hameldown Beacon is, roughly spe...
Hamel Down Cross, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
In his 'Guide to Dartmoor', William Crossing notes that 'Hameldon Cross consists of a granite slab rather over four feet in height and about two feet in width, rudely fashioned into the form of the sacred symbol, and probably has never served any other purpose than that of a boundary sto...
Hamel Down, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Drive along the A30 that skirts the northern boundary of Dartmoor National Park and you'll see the unmistakable dome of Cosdon Hill topped by Cosdon Beacon. Further south, towards the heart of the National Park is the equally vast Hamel Down topped by a tor, barrows and its own beacon. The views fro...
Cowsic Head, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The River Cowsic is a short river that flows into the West Dart River at Two Bridges in the heart of Dartmoor National Park. The River Cowsic rises at Cowsic Head on a very boggy section of moorland on Dartmoor's north plateau. The Cowsic Head is close to Beardown Man Standing Stone and Devil's Tor....
Luckey Tor, Dartmeet, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
If possible, buy a copy of Harvey's British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map. It was edited by the Dartmoor expert Eric Hemery and includes tracks and paths that aren't marked on the more popular and well-known Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map. A couple of these tracks and paths lead to a sup...
Broad Barrow, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Numerous cairns and barrows run along the spine of the vast Hamel Down. Broad Barrow sits on the highest ground 532 metres above sea level. The views up top are awesome. It's a particularly impressive place when the heather and gorse flower purple and yellow in early Autumn. A barrow is a mound o...
West Dart Head, Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
The River Dart rises in two places on Dartmoor's north plateau. The East Dart River rises at East Dart Head near Cranmere Pool and Whitehorse Hill. The West Dart River rises at West Dart Head near Cut Hill and Fur Tor. To help you identify the source of the West Dart River, we've posi...
Kit Steps, Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
It's easy to cross the East Dart River after a long period of dry weather. After heavy rain, the river becomes a formidable barrier. If water levels are high, as a rule of thumb, it's best to head upriver to find a safe crossing place. In these conditions, Kit Steps is a potential candidate. A set o...
Wheal Emma Leat (Dry Channel), Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles 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...
Grimspound (English Heritage), Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
There are a number of amazing facts about the prehistory of Dartmoor National Park.* It has the greatest concentration of Bronze Age sites in Britain. It's home to the longest stone row in the world. It has 60% of England's stone rows. It's home to more than 5000 hut circles or ancient homes. Despit...
Hookney Tor, Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
English Heritage's Grimspound sits in a saddle of moorland below two tors. Hameldown Tor is to the south east. The superb stacks of granite that form Hookney Tor are to the north west. Hookney Down pushes east to King Tor and is beautiful when covered in heather in late summer. Headland Warren Farm...