Outdoors & Nature in Dartmoor National Park
Cox Tor, Merrivale, Dartmoor National Park
Awesome views. Great place from which to watch the sun set over the Westcountry. Very easily accessible from a large car parking area on the western edge of Dartmoor's high moor. Cox Tor is also superb as part of a circular walk taking in Roos Tor and The Staple Tors. We've positioned Cox Tor on...
The Trafalgar Way, Sticklepath, Dartmoor National Park
The Trafalgar Way is a long distance path running between Falmouth, Cornwall and London. The path follows the route taken by Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere who delivered news of victory at the Battle of Trafalgar to the Admiralty in London. In and around Dartmoor, moving west to east, the Traf...
Coombe Down, Lydford, Dartmoor National Park
We include Coombe Down as a point of reference. The King Way and Rattlebrook Peatworks Railway (Disused) run across the down. It rises to Corn Ridge to the north east. To the north and north west it runs into Lake Down which drops down to Lake Viaduct. The Granite Way runs over the viaduct. A track...
Heckwood Tor, Merrivale, Dartmoor National Park
Heckwood Tor is a collection of outcrops on the edge of a finger of open moorland on the western side of Dartmoor National Park. Feather Tor is a short stroll away to the north west. The impressive Pew Tor is close to the south west. The tor overlooks a section of the Walkham Valley. This private la...
Southerly Down, Lydford, Dartmoor National Park
Southerly Down provides access from the Granite Way to the high moor near the western boundary of Dartmoor National Park. Coombe Down is to the north east. Great Nodden is to the east and south east. King Wall, the King Way and a section of the Rattlebrook Peatworks Railway (Disused) run across the...
Dartmoor Canoeing, Dartmoor, Dartmoor National Park
Canoes are a regular sight around the Park but conditions apply. For example, local notices on the River Dart read: 'Notice to canoeists. Sharing the River Dart. Canoeists are permitted to canoe on the River Dart downstream of Newbridge between 1st October and 15th March, and downstream of Dar...
Feather Tor, Merrivale, Dartmoor National Park
Feather Tor is a small rocky outcrop on Whitchurch Common on the western side of Dartmoor National Park. It rises above Windypost Cross and Grimstone and Sortridge Leat. The tor provides top views and is part of some great circular walks in the area. We've positioned Feather Tor on Google maps so...
Branscombe's Loaf (and Cheese), Sourton, Dartmoor National Park
In her work 'The Outline of Dartmoor's Story', Sylvia Sayer tells the story of Bishop Bronescombe and his loaf: 'Bishop Bronescombe often travelled on the Moor himself ... [He] was a great character and well known to his flock, who loved to tell stories of his doings as they sat around their peat...
Windypost Cross, Merrivale, Dartmoor National Park
Owing to its location, Windypost Cross is one of the most visited stone crosses in the National Park. Situated on Whitchurch Common above Tavistock and by the B3357, Windypost Cross is very easily accessible from the large car park at Tavistock View Point. It stands next to the Grimstone and So...
Shelstone Tor, Sourton, Dartmoor National Park
Some of Dartmoor's most beautiful tors are either far from towns and villages or tucked away in less well known areas of moorland. Shelstone Tor is an example of the latter. Located near the north western border of Dartmoor National Park where the Upper West Okement Valley meets Meldon Reservoir,...
Lydford Gorge White Lady Waterfall, Lydford, Dartmoor National Park
We visit the Lydford Gorge White Lady Waterfall on a regular basis. Whilst it's always a beautiful spectacle in an even more beautiful setting, it's best to try and visit the waterfall after a period of heavy rain. Water flows fast from the nearby moors to the Lydford Gorge area and swells both the...
Whitchurch Common, Merrivale, Dartmoor National Park
Zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting of the accompanying Google map and you'll see lots of grass paths and tracks crossing moorland. These give you a sense of the popularity of Whitchuch Common. Other clues are provided by the size of the car parking area by the B3357 and the fact that the area is a w...
Homerton Hill, Okehampton, Dartmoor National Park
Homerton is one of the hills surrounding Meldon Reservoir near the north western border of Dartmoor National Park. A popular path skirts the north and west sides of the hill around the reservoir and leads from the dam to Vellake Corner and then up to Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve. We'...
Rough Tor, Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park
Every year, large numbers of visitors wander up the West Dart River valley from Two Bridges to explore Wistman's Wood National Nature Reserve. Many of these visitors also climb to the top of nearby Longaford Tor for its sensational views across Dartmoor National Park. From the top of Longaford Tor,...
Bagtor Down, Haytor Vale, Dartmoor National Park
As you climb the B3387 from Bovey Tracey past Haytor Vale to the high moors, Haytor Down runs north of the road and Bagtor Down to the south. Note that the River Sig rises on Bagtor Down from two boggy sections of moorland. The western section is called Bag Tor Marsh and is best avoided. If you...