Things To Do near Gem Bridge
Northmore's Cross/Crane Hill Cross Stone (Harvey/OS maps), Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 7 miles away)
A giant chair and stepping stones, a fairy bridge and ancient travel routes have all disappeared from Dartmoor over the years. Sadly, the tiny Northmore's Cross/Crane Hill Cross Stone can now be added to that list. Somebody snapped it off the stone in October 2014. The lump of granite and th...
Holming Beam Bridge, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 7 miles away)
There's a car parking area at Holming Beam offering access to the Merrivale Range area of Dartmoor National Park. This is a British Army firing range but it's open to the public for large chunks of the year. The car parking area is above a beautiful valley cut by the River Cowsic as it fl...
Standon Steps, Mary Tavy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 7 miles away)
This information is taken from 'Walking Dartmoor's Ancient Tracks' by the Dartmoor expert Eric Hemery: 'The simplest way to explain the remarkable Standon Steps is to quote the relevant passage from 'High Dartmoor': The alarming rapidity and volume of Tavy (prior to dep...
Shavercombe Head, Sheepstor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 7 miles away)
Langcombe Hill is a huge, flat area of moorland on Dartmoor's high south moor. Many rivers and brooks rises on its flanks. Erme Head is to the north. Yealm Head is to the south. Shavercombe Head is to the west. From its headwaters, Shavercombe Brook runs down to Shavercombe Waterfall and Shaverco...
Crock of Gold, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 7 miles away)
The Crock of Gold is a cairn circle and cist by Conchies Road roughly a mile and a half east of Princetown. One of Dartmoor's most famous cists with, arguably, the most evocative name, the Crock of Gold burial site is very easily accessible on foot. A crock is an earthenware pot or jar. Pres...
River Cowsic, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 7 miles away)
Fur Tor is said to be the most remote spot in southern England. Scattered across the edge of a high moorland plateau in the northern section of Dartmoor National Park, the rocky outcrops that form Fur Tor are close to the source of many famous Westcountry rivers. The West Dart River rises south east...
Plym Bridge, Plymouth, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
Plym Bridge spans the River Plym at the southern end of Plymbridge Woods just beyond the south western border of Dartmoor National Park. We've positioned Plym Bridge on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location. There's a large car parking area next to the end of th...
River Tavy, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
The area around Fur Tor and Cut Hill on the high north plateau of Dartmoor National Park is the most remote place in southern England. The views across Dartmoor, Devon and Cornwall are immense but it's relatively difficult to walk into the area. Part of the problem is the wet, boggy land that surrou...
Shell Top, Shaugh Prior, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
The views from Shell Top are immense. The rocky outcrop looks down on the China Clay Workings, Plymouth and Plymouth Sound. The South Devon coast runs east. The East Cornwall coats runs west. You can also see the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Bodmin Moor and Cornish Alps beyond.
Goldsmith's Cross, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
Goldsmith's Cross is one of a high number of crosses marking the route of the ancient Buckfast to Tavistock Monastic Route as shown on the Harvey British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map. Goldsmith's Cross is located just south of the infamous Foxtor Mires that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used as in...
Foxtor Mires, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
There are some places on Dartmoor that are best avoided. Raybarrow Pool by Cosdon Hill on the north moor is a dangerous place. Down on the edge of the National Park's south plateau, Foxtor Mires is another. Said to have been the inspiration for Grimpen Mire in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Hound of...
492, Shaugh Prior, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
On the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map, in a remote and featureless section of moorland on Dartmoor's south moor, is a trig point. This is 492. We've positioned 492 on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location. There's not much up there but if you have the...
Great Gnats Head, Sheepstor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
This is one for the Dartmoor enthusiast. On the edge of Dartmoor's south plateau, there's not much else around the cairn. We've positioned Great Gnats Head on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location. To visit, we'd recommend following the footpath marked Abbo...
Crane Hill, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
It's not the most inspiring place on Dartmoor but if you want to explore the National Park's south plateau then you're going to spend a lot of time skirting Crane Hill's flanks or wandering over its top. The River Plym rises here. The Abbot's Way arcs around its south west side. Ducks' Pool is on...
Lanehead, Mary Tavy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 8 miles away)
Lanehead is a car parking area on the western side of Dartmoor. Just up the road from Mary Tavy, Lanehead provides excellent access to some of the best tors and high moorland in this section of the National Park. It's also by the stunning Tavy Cleave. We include Lanehead on this site as a point of r...