Things To Do near Avon Head
Foxtor Farm, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)
Foxtor Farm is a collection of ruined buildings and enclosures east of the infamous Foxtor Mires. Fox Tor, a series of rocky outcrops on the edge of Dartmoor's south plateau, is to the south. Today, the farm ruins are in a remote and quiet area of the National Park. On the route of ancient paths and...
Black Lane Peat Pass, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)
The name Black Lane Peat Pass suggests a tidy, sunken road with high, black peat walls offering easy passage through difficult terrain. Whilst this might once have been the case, and there are still such peat passes on the north moor, if you walk Black Lane Peat Pass today you'll expe...
Green Hill, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 1 mile away)
The highest ground of Green Hill is at one end of the longest stone row in the world. If it weren't for this stone row, there would be very little reason to wander over its very shallow dome of moorland. The ground is boggy and tussocky and it's remote and surrounded by some tricky mires....
Fox Tor, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
In comparison to the larger north moor, the National Park's south moor has relatively few tors. One of the most impressive is Fox Tor. Situated on the edge of Dartmoor's south plateau, overlooking the infamous Foxtor Mires to which the tor gave its name, Fox Tor provides magnificent views over Da...
Childe's Tomb and Cross, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
Who was Childe? Whilst hunting on Dartmoor, Childe was overwhelmed by a snowstorm. To survive, he killed his horse, disembowelled it and then climbed inside for shelter. The snowstorm continued and Childe froze to death. Upon the event of his death, it became known that he'd leave his lands at Plyms...
Red Lake China Clay Works, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
Drive the A30 through Cornwall and you'll see the impressive sky tips of the Cornish Alps or White Alps created by the local china clay works. Walk the moor above Plymouth and you'll look down on the huge china clay works at, among others, Shaugh Lake, Lee Moor and Whitehill Yeo. Smaller, more...
Wheal Emma Leat (Dry Channel), Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 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...
Ducks' Pool, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 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...
Huntingdon Barrow or Heap of Sinners, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
Dartmoor is blessed with some super place names. There's Deadmans Bottom and Grim's Grave, the Crock of Gold and The Ten Commandments Stones. Our favourite is the Heap of Sinners north west of the Avon Dam Reservoir on Dartmoor's south moor. The location lives up to the name. The barrow sits at t...
Swincombe Reservoir, Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
Most Dartmoor reservoirs are large, impressive and reasonably easily accessible. Swincombe Reservoir is small and fenced off from the public. The moorland around the reservoir is flat, boggy and tussocky. Whilst there's a metal bridge at the eastern end of the reservoir, it's closed to the public so...
William Crossing Memorial Stone/Monument, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
At Ducks' Pool, in a remote section of Dartmoor's south plateau, are a letterbox and monument to the celebrated Dartmoor author William Crossing. A plaque reads: 'IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM CROSSING. AUTHOR OF MANY INSPIRING BOOKS ON DARTMOOR WHOSE GUIDE IS A SOURCE OF INVALUABLE INFORMA...
Crane Hill, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 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...
Buckfastleigh Moor, Scorriton, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
[Main photo: walking the Two Moors Way from Holne and Scorriton to Buckfastleigh Moor] Buckfastleigh Moor, the highest point on Dartmoor’s south moor and the Two Moors Way Ryder’s Hill is the highest point on Dartmoor’s south moor. Buckfastleigh Moor runs from this hi...
Combestone Tor, Dartmeet, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 miles away)
South of Dartmeet and offering great views, particularly to the east across the Dart Gorge and Dart Valley Nature Reserve. Combestone Tor is by a parking area just off the road that climbs the east moors from Ashburton past Venford Reservoir into the Heart of Dartmoor. To the south is Holne Mo...
River Swincombe, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park (approx. 2 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...