Outdoors & Nature in Dartmoor National Park
River Bovey, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park
The Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map has the East Bovey Head near Birch Tor, Hookney Tor and English Heritage's Grimspound. The Harvey British Mountain Map 'Dartmoor' map has the Boveycombe Head below Water Hill by the Warren House Inn. Both potential headwaters are near the B3212 trans-...
Childe's Tomb and Cross, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park
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...
Abbot's Way, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park
The Abbot's Way is marked, in part, on the Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 'Dartmoor' map. You can follow the path marked Abbot's Way on that OS map from the moor just west of Buckfastleigh across Dartmoor's south plateau to the Plym Ford area. After that, you can continue to Tavistock. The Ab...
Avon Dam Reservoir Circular Walk, South Brent, Dartmoor National Park
This circular walk takes in a beautiful river valley, one of Dartmoor's most stunning reservoir settings and high moorland. It also includes a short stretch of the Abbot's Way as marked on Ordnance Survey maps. Highly recommended if you want to explore the south eastern corner of Dartmoor Natio...
Northmore's Cross/Crane Hill Cross Stone (Harvey/OS maps), Princetown, Dartmoor National Park
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...
River Swincombe, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park
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...
Black Tor (South Dartmoor), South Brent, Dartmoor National Park
Black Tor rises above the car parking area at Shipley Bridge. The rocky outcrops are situated at the southern end of what we call the Avon Dam Reservoir Valley. The views up that valley to the dam and reservoir from Black Tor are wonderful. We've positioned Black Tor on Google maps. Zoom in on th...
Dr Blackall's Drive Walk, Dartmeet, Dartmoor National Park
Walking above the River Dart in the Dart Gorge Dartmoor National Park is fringed with gorges and steep-sided wooded valleys. These are some of the most beautiful places in the national park and Westcountry. In many cases, it's possible to walk along the lip of these gorges and valleys h...
Swincombe Head, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park
The River Swincombe rises above the infamous Foxtor Mires on the northern flank of Dartmoor National Park's south plateau. The River Avon rises to the east. The River Plym has its headwaters to the south west. We've positioned Swincombe Head on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to...
Aish Tor, Buckland in the Moor, Dartmoor National Park
Dr Blackall's Drive is a track that runs along the northern lip of the Dart Gorge. It's a classic Dartmoor walk. At one point, Dr Blackall's Drive swings around a bulge in the moor that's topped with a rocky outcrop. This is Aish Tor. In an area where there are some extraordinary tors, Aish Tor is u...
Skir Hill, Hexworthy, Dartmoor National Park
Skir Hill is up there on the list of the most unlikely places you'll find yourself in Dartmoor National Park. Remote and with few obvious points of interest on it, Skir Hill also isn't on one of the many modern recreation paths or ancient travel routes that criss-cross the moor. If you're walking...
Army Ring Road Walking and Cycling, Okehampton, Dartmoor National Park
A network of roads run around a section of Dartmoor's north moor. We cover the road and parking in our Okehampton Camp listing. Whilst Dartmoor walking purists avoid the network, it does provide an easy and safe way to get to high, remote moorland on foot or by mountain bike. We'd recommend walki...
Snowdon, Holne, Dartmoor National Park
Unlike its illustrious namesake in Snowdonia National Park, Snowdon is rather understated. And whilst the highest mountain in Wales and England is heaving with visitors in tourist seasons, you'll usually have Dartmoor's Snowdon to yourself. Situated near the highest point on Dartmoor's south moor, S...
Taw Plain and Taw Marsh, Belstone, Dartmoor National Park
Walk south from Belstone village and you come to a vast natural ampitheatre of moorland, river and rock. This is Taw Plain. At the southern end of the plain rises the conical Steeperton Tor. Two arms of high ground embrace the flat river plain. The high ground to the west is formed by Belstone Tor a...
Naker's Hill, Princetown, Dartmoor National Park
On the ground, Naker's Hill feels how it looks in the main photo of this listing. Remote, featureless and boggy. This makes walking across the Naker's Hill section of Dartmoor strangely intimidating. That said, the North-South (Track) Ancient Travel Route, Black Lane Peat Pass an...