Things To Do near Hamel Down

Gidleigh Castle (Landmark Only), Gidleigh, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

An information leaflet from the church next door to the castle reads: 'Gidleigh Castle dates from about 1324 and was built over an earlier castle by William le Prouz, a powerful knight and overlord in the district. It was never a true castle in the military sense, but rather a fortified manor hou...

Wistman's Wood National Nature Reserve, Two Bridges, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Rare, high altitude oak woodland Piles Copse, Black-a-Tor Copse and Wistman's Wood are rare, high altitude oak woodlands in Dartmoor National Park. Piles Copse is situated towards the southern border of Dartmoor near the village Harford. Black-a-Tor Copse is situated below Dartmoor's highest g...

Wistman's Wood Circular Walk, Two Bridges, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

There's (limited) parking by the disused quarry near Two Bridges. This is marked on the Ordnance Survey OL28 Dartmoor map. Start here. Head north up the well worn path to Wistman's Wood National Nature Reserve. From there, trend north east to Longaford Tor. From this large and rocky tor, there ar...

Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust Education and Visitor Centre, Bovey Tracey, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Dartmoor National Park is known for its moorland ponies. Take a holiday in Dartmoor and it's difficult not to see ponies grazing or wandering the moors. These ponies come in a huge variety of colours, shapes and sizes. This variety can be confusing. A trip to the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust Educati...

West Dart River, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Dartmouth is one of the UK's most beautiful towns. Strung out along a steep-sided bank of the Dart Estuary where the river meets the South Devon coast, the town is packed with domestic and international tourists. Follow the river up to its two sources at the West Dart Head and East Dart Head on...

Mardon Down Stone Circle, Moretonhampstead, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Prehistory/views Dartmoor's stone circles are invariably situated in stunning locations. Arguably, Mardon Down Stone Circle provides the finest views. Positioned on top of an island of moorland in the north eastern section of the National Park, there are massive views from the stone circle to Dar...

Parke Estate (National Trust), Bovey Tracey, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Parke is a country park on the eastern border of Dartmoor National Park. Whilst it has always been a beautiful place in its own right, lots of attractions have been added to Parke in recent years to turn it into a leisure destination. There's the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust Education and Visitor Ce...

Butterdon Down Standing Stone, Moretonhampstead, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

There's what is thought to be a prehistoric standing stone on the western side of Butterdon Down where the Dartmoor Way Walking Route skirts the moorland. See our Butterdon Down listing for directions. Note that there are cairns topping the down. In addition, there are cairns, a stone circle a...

Whiddon Deer Park, Chagford, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

[Main photo: the southern end of Whiddon Deer Park in spring]   Huge views, bluebells, trees and a sculpture Whiddon Deer Park offers huge views of the Chagford area, the eastern section of Dartmoor National Park and the high north moor from Fernworthy Forest through Hangings...

Dogmarsh Bridge, Chagford, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Located by Mill End Hotel on the A382 road, Dogmarsh Bridge is at the western end of the Castle Drogo Estate. There's limited parking by the side of the road just north of the hotel and bridge. You can follow the Two Moors Way to Castle Drogo and the gorgeous Teign Gorge. In August, the land east...

Whiddon Deer Park Bluebell Circular Walk, Chagford, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

In 2014, the bluebells up at Whiddon Deer Park were at their best in the middle of May. Clearly, this is a Spring walk when the bluebells are out. For other bluebell walk recommendations, see our listing for Bluebell Walks. Start at Iron Bridge below the National Trust's Castle Drogo (National Tr...

Butterdon Down, Moretonhampstead, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Butterdon Down tends to be one of those places on Dartmoor that you pass through as opposed to being a destination in its own right. Located between Fingle Bridge and Moretonhampstead, the Dartmoor Way Walking Route runs around the western and southern fringes of this small island of moorland. Th...

Wistman's Wood Weir, Two Bridges, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

There's a weir north of Wistman's Wood National Nature Reserve on the fringe of Dartmoor's north plateau. Given that Wistman's Wood and Wistman's Wood Ford are both relatively close by, we've named this Wistman's Wood Weir for ease of reference when walking in the area. T...

Best Dartmoor Outdoor Activities, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 miles away)

Walking This is the most popular activity on Dartmoor. Walk the high moors and visit the National Park's famous tors. We'd also recommend walking Dartmoor's many gorges and valleys. They're magnificent. There are plenty of other types of walks which take you around reservoirs or to prehistoric si...

Kit Steps, Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 6 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...