Things To Do near Heaven's Gate
Sextons Cottage and Church House (National Trust), Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
A sexton maintained church buildings and the graveyard. The sexton's cottage was his home. The 'church house was the medieval equivalent of the church hall. Its chief purpose was to house the festivals and church ales which raised funds for many an English parish church until the rise of Puritanism'...
Widecombe Fair, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Whilst not the biggest, Widecombe hosts arguably the most famous of Dartmoor's many fairs and shows. It takes place on the second Tuesday of September so in 2016 Widecombe Fair is on Tuesday 13th September. The fair is synonymous with the Devon folk song Widecombe Fair which is celebrated in sign...
The Old Inn, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
Dartmoor's most famous village Widecombe-in-the-Moor is Dartmoor's most famous village. Easily accessible and located below some of the most beautiful moorland in the National Park, the area is packed with things to do and places to visit. Build your day around a pub lunch or cream tea in The Old...
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...
Christow St James' Church, Christow, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 4 miles away)
According to the church's website, 'the origins of St James Christow go back to the 13th century, with the present building dating largely from the 15th century, with substantial repairs in the 17th and 19th centuries'. One of a high number of churches in and around the Teign Valley on the north...
Two Barrows, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 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. 5 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...
Hamel Down Cross, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 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...
Steps Bridge to Heltor Rock Circular Walk, Dunsford, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 miles away)
Most people head to Steps Bridge to explore Dunsford Local Nature Reserve, the River Teign and the eastern section of Fingle Woods. We'd also recommend wandering up to Heltor Rock for super views of the local area and beyond. Start at Steps Bridge car park. This is on the south side of the Ri...
Hameldown Tor, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 miles away)
Grimspound is an English Heritage site located in a dip between Hamel Down and Hookney Down towards the heart of Dartmoor National Park. Two tors stand guard over the prehistoric settlement. To the north west is Hookney Tor. To the south east is Hameldown Tor. The views from the cairn and trig point...
Shilstone Rocks Horse Riding, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 miles away)
Nestled down a tiny lane a mile or so from the moorland village of Widecombe in the Moor, next to a stud that breeds Dartmoor Ponies. The horses range from sturdy Highland ponies to lighter breeds and the rides take you up onto Hamel Down, Bonehill Rocks and Buckland Beacon. The guides are responsib...
Grimspound (English Heritage), Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 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...
Teign Valley, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 miles away)
The River Teign rises in two locations on Dartmoor National Park's north moor. It flows down to Chagford and then enters the Teign Gorge below the National Trust's Castle Drogo. It cuts through Fingle Woods to the village of Dunsford. From there, it arcs into the Teign Valley. 'Holiday in Dartmoo...
Bridford Wood (National Trust), Dunsford, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 miles away)
If you're feeling energetic, you can follow the River Teign through a stunning wooded gorge and valley all the way from the National Trust's Castle Drogo in the west to Steps Bridge in the east. Whiddon Deer Park and Whiddon Wood are at the mouth of the gorge to the west. Bridford Wood is at the tal...
Church Way, Widecombe in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 5 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...