On
Dartmoor the walking delights at every turn, over moors ,up Tors and down deep river valleys to beautifully placed reservoirs with never ending views. There are few places left in England where uninterrupted views exist with little or no light pollution,
Dartmoor is such a place.Wild and dramatic it maybe but the landscape of
Dartmoor is unparalleled in beauty, dominating South
Devon, full of ancient history and romantic tales. The largest wilderness in Southern England, rising to 625 metres comprising the moorland plateau, cut in segments by the River Dart and its contributories in deep often wooded valleys. The bogs and smooth mounds of the peat moorland have the protruding dramatic and characteristic rocky Tors.The seasons change
Dartmoor from the summer warm purple and yellow heather, green ferns and wild gorse to the winter browns, high winds, dramatic mists, driving rain and snow.The slopes of the moors covered in streams complete with the traditional ancient clapper bridges, hedged winding lanes and farmland. Some of the granite stone farmhouses are medieval. A number of attractive villages surround
Dartmoor including
North Bovey, Widecombe In The Moor,
Ashburton,
Chagford and
Lustleigh. Because of its remoteness and isolation inner
Dartmoor has protected and preserved many prehistoric hut circles, burial chambers, standing stones and crosses. Many of these ancient structures are passed when walking on
Dartmoor.From the summit of Haytor you can see the sea at Teignmouth and stunning views over the surrounding moors with the grazing
Dartmoor ponies adding to the scene.The walker needs to take care when walking on
Dartmoor and be well equipped as its height and nearness to the coast means swift changes in weather occur, sudden dense fogs, high winds and rain. Navigating in these conditions without a compass is treacherous - never be out on the moors on
Dartmoor without a map. (Ordnance Survey OL28 or Similar)
Some of the websites listed below have worked tirelessly over many years to provide excellent descriptions of the walks available on
Dartmoor, whatever your walking ability, these are the sites we often use.
