Top Attractions in Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor kistvaens

Dartmoor kistvaens are burial tombs or cists from the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, i.e. from c 2500 BC to c 1500 BC. Kistvaens have been found in many places, including Dartmoor, a 954 km2 area of moorland in south Devon, England. The box-like stone tombs were created when the ancient people of the area lived in hut circles. Cists are often to be found in the centre of a cairn circle although some appear solitary which could be the result of the loss of an original slight mound. There are over 180 known cists on Dartmoor although there could be up to 100 that remain buried underneath unexplored cairns. In the South West there are no cists to be found on the Quantock Hills, only 2 to be found on Exmoor and 58 to be found on Bodmin Moor. The Dartmoor cists are unique in that about 94% have the longer axis of the tomb oriented in a NW/SE direction It appears that Dartmoor cists were positioned in such a way that the deceased were facing the sun. In August 2011 an untouched cist, on Whitehorse Hill, near Chagford, was the first to be excavated on the moor for over 100 years.

Hound Tor

Hound Tor is a tor on Dartmoor, Devon, England and is a good example of a heavily weathered granite outcrop. It is easily accessible, situated within a few minutes from the B3387 between Bovey Tracey and Widecombe-in-the-Moor. The site is administered by Dartmoor National Park Authority for English Heritage as it includes the ruins of a medieval village, alongside prehistoric works of stone construction nearby.

Great Rock Mine

Great Rock Mine is a disused micaceous haematite mine about 3 km north of the town of Bovey Tracey in Devon, England. It was worked from the 19th century until 1969, and was the last active mine in the Dartmoor National Park area. At its most active during the 1940s, the mine produced 2,500 tons of micaceous haematite per year. The mineral was an important ingredient in the rust-resistant paint used on Royal Navy ships and on bridges, including the Royal Albert Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Great Mis Tor

Great Mis Tor is a hill with a rocky outcrop situated in Dartmoor. It has been called one of the grandest hills in Devon, and lies above the River Walkham, about 4 miles north-east of Princetown. There is a notable rock basin on the peak, called the Mis Tor Pan or The Devils Frying Pan. The hill and surrounding area is on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, which is leased to the army. There have been cases of deaths and injury to the public caused by unexploded munitions in the area.

River Plym

The River Plym is a river in Devon, England. Its source is some 450m above sea level on Dartmoor, in an upland marshy area called Plym Head. From the upper reaches, which contain antiquities and mining remains, the river flows roughly southwest and enters the sea at Plymouth Sound. The river passes to the east of the city of Plymouth — the settlement was historically known as Sutton. Its tidal estuary is known as the Laira and the final part is called Cattewater. It is approximately 30 km long. The name Plym is thought to have its origins in Old English, or Cornish and means the plum tree, from a back-formation from the name of Plympton. HMS Plym , a River-class antisubmarine frigate, was named after the river during World War II. It carried out convoy escort duties in the North Atlantic and was later destroyed in the UKs first nuclear explosion. When it was in operation, the Cann Quarry Canal left the river at Marsh Mills. The Plym Valley Railway is a volunteer run railway which operates steam and diesel hauled train rides along a section of the Plym Valley from Marsh Mills station. The railway is currently extending its line to Plymbridge.

Scorhill

Scorhill Stone Circle is now the commonly known name for Gidleigh Stone Circle or Steep Hill Stone Circle, one of Devon's biggest and most intact stone circles, situated on Gidleigh Common near the village of Gidleigh in the north east of Dartmoor, in the United Kingdom. It is an English Heritage scheduled monument and has been described as Devon's finest stone circle.

Museum of Dartmoor Life

The Museum of Dartmoor Life is a local museum in Okehampton, Devon, southwest England. It covers life in the Dartmoor area. The museum opened in 1981. It is housed on three floors in an early 19th-century mill and there is a waterwheel at the museum. The collections concentrate on the social history of Dartmoor and Okehampton from prehistoric times to the present. The museum is run as an independent charitable trust with a board of trustees.

Childe's Tomb

Childes Tomb is a granite cross on Dartmoor, Devon, England. Although not in its original form, it is more elaborate than most of the crosses on Dartmoor, being raised upon a constructed base, and it is known that a kistvaen is underneath. A well-known legend attached to the site, first recorded in 1630 by Tristram Risdon, concerns a wealthy hunter, Childe, who became lost in a snow storm and supposedly died there despite disembowelling his horse and climbing into its body for protection. The legend relates that Childe left a note of some sort saying that whoever found and buried his body would inherit his lands at Plymstock. After a race between the monks of Tavistock Abbey and the men of Plymstock, the Abbey won. The tomb was virtually destroyed in 1812 by a man who stole most of the stones to build a house nearby, but it was partly reconstructed in 1890.

Dartmoor crosses

The Dartmoor crosses are a series of stone crosses found in Dartmoor National Park in the centre of Devon, England. Many of them are old navigational aids, needed because of the remoteness of the moorland and its typically bad weather. Some mark medieval routes between abbeys. Other crosses were erected as memorials, for prayer, as town or market crosses, in churchyards, and as boundary markers. The crosses were erected over a long period of time, some as recently as 100 years ago, the earliest probably almost 1,000 years ago. In 2005, the Dartmoor National Park Authority had an ongoing project to microchip the most vulnerable of its granite artifacts, including crosses, to deter theft and aid the recovery of any that might be stolen.

Yes Tor

Yes Tor is the second highest point on Dartmoor, Devon, South West England, at 619 metres above sea level. It is one of only two English peaks south of the Peak District National Park—the other being nearby High Willhays—that are above 2,000 feet . It lies within a British Army firing range and safe access is only possible on days or nights when firing is not taking place. See the current Dartmoor Firing Notice. Yes Tor is two metres lower than the nearby High Willhays. A notable mine is located in the area.

Burrator Reservoir

Burrator Reservoir is a reservoir on the south side of Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. It is one of a number of reservoirs and dams that were built over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries in the area now covered by Dartmoor National Park to supply drinking water to the city of Plymouth and other rapidly growing towns in the surrounding lowlands. Burrator Reservoir was completed in 1898, and the reservoir was expanded in 1929. The reservoir was built under the supervision of Edward Sandeman, the Water Engineer for Plymouth. The reservoir has two dams, the Burrator Dam, which is built across the River Meavy at Burrator Gorge at the south-western end, and the Sheepstor Dam built on a dividing ridge between the Meavy and Sheepstor Brook at the south-eastern end. The Burrator Dam was the first of the two to be built, with construction starting on 9 August 1893. It is the more massive of the two dams, constructed of concrete faced with granite blocks. The Sheepstor Dam was built in 1894 and is an earth embankment with a core wall of puddled clay above the original ground level, with a concrete section below ground. The reservoir was officially opened on 21 September 1898. In 1923 it was decided to enlarge the capacity from 668 million gallons to 1,026 million. This was achieved by raising the height of both dams by 10 feet. Work began in December 1923, and a temporary suspension bridge was built near Burrator Dam to carry traffic while the work proceeded. The reservoir was officially re-opened on 12 September 1928. In the 1930s the watershed on Dartmoor for the reservoir was stated to be 5,360 acres. The present-day area of the reservoir at overflow level is about 150 acres. The edges of the reservoir are planted with commercial forests. The reservoir is now managed by the South West Lakes Trust, and is a popular spot for leisure activities including walking, cycling and fishing.

Grey Wethers

Grey Wethers consists of a pair of prehistoric stone circles, situated on grassy plateau to the north of Postbridge, Dartmoor, in the United Kingdom.

Haytor

Haytor, also known as Haytor Rocks, Hay Tor, or occasionally Hey Tor, is a granite tor on the eastern edge of Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. It is at grid reference SX757770, near the village of Haytor Vale in the parish of Ilsington. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The population at the 2011 census is 2,862.

Jay's Grave

Jays Grave is supposedly the last resting place of a suicide victim who is thought to have died in the late 18th century. It has become a well-known landmark on Dartmoor, Devon, in South-West England, and is the subject of local folklore, and several ghost stories. The small burial mound is at the side of a minor road, about 1 mile north west of Hound Tor, at the entrance to a green lane that leads to Natsworthy. Fresh flowers are regularly placed on the grave, although no-one admits to putting them there.

Dartmeet

Dartmeet is a popular tourist spot in the centre of Dartmoor, Devon, England at grid reference SX672731. It lies at the end of the B3351 road, about 4.5 miles east of Two Bridges. From here, the road continues eastwards as a minor road with restrictions on the size of vehicles, past Poundsgate and over Holne Bridge and New Bridge to Ashburton on the edge of the moor. Immediately east of the river crossing, this road ascends Dartmeet Hill, a long steep hill that climbs 130 metres up the valley side. As the name suggests, Dartmeet is the meeting point of the two major tributaries of the River Dart: the East Dart and West Dart. The road bridge, built in 1792, spans the East Dart; just above it, at the side of the large carpark is an earlier, possibly medieval, clapper bridge, now partially collapsed. The actual confluence of the two rivers is just downstream of the bridge. Dartmeet is the official put in for the Upper Dart section of the River Dart for whitewater kayakers and canoeists.

Dendles Wood

Dendles Wood is an area of protected oak-beech woodland located on the southern edge of Dartmoor, in the English county of Devon. Forming part of the Dartmoor Special Area of Conservation, the wood is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and 30 hectares of it has been designated a national nature reserve. It is one of five woodlands within Dartmoor that have been protected as national nature reserves. Dendles Wood and the adjacent Hawns Wood are sometimes known collectively as Hawns and Dendles. The wood supports a variety of flora and fauna, representative of upland oakwoods. In particular, it has a rich variety of moss and lichen, and several breeding bird species.

Warren House Inn

The Warren House Inn is a remote and isolated public house in the heart of Dartmoor, Devon, England. It is the highest pub in southern England at 1,425 feet above sea level. It is located on an ancient road across the moor, about 2 miles north east of the village of Postbridge and has been a stopping point for travellers since the middle of the 18th century.

Church of Saint Pancras, Widecombe-in-the-Moor

The Church of Saint Pancras is a Church of England church in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon, England. It is also known as the Cathedral of the Moors. It has received the nickname "Cathedral of the Moors" because of its 120-foot tower and relatively large capacity for such a small village. The church was originally built in the fourteenth century, in the Perpendicular style, using locally quarried granite. It was enlarged over the following two centuries, partly on the proceeds of the local tin-mining trade. Inside, the ceiling is decorated with a large number of decorative roof bosses, including the tinner’s emblem of a circle of three hares . The church was badly damaged in the Great Thunderstorm of 1638, apparently struck by ball lightning. An afternoon service was taking place at the time, and the building was packed with approximately 300 worshippers. Four of them were killed, around 60 injured. According to local legend, the Great Thunderstorm was caused by the villages being visited by the Devil. The size of the parish meant that, for centuries, families were obliged to walk for miles to go to church at Widecombe every Sunday. The task was even more challenging when it came to burying their dead, whose coffins had to be carried over rough ground and both up and down exceptionally steep hills. Halfway up Dartmeet Hill, for example, lies the Coffin Stone, close to the road, where the body would be placed to allow the bearers to take a rest. The rock is split in two along its length. Local legend has it that the body of a particularly wicked man was laid there. God took exception to this, and struck the stone with a thunderbolt, destroying the coffin and splitting the stone in two.

Yarner Wood & Trendlebere Down

Yarner Wood & Trendlebere Down in Dartmoor, Devon, England is a woodland managed by Natural England. The woodland is part of the East Dartmoor Woods and Heaths National Nature Reserve. The entire area is 777 acres while Yarner Wood is 365 acres . Since 1985 the site has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Many types of tree grow in Yarner Wood including oak, birch, scots pine, larch and beech. It is home to buzzards, sparrow hawks, nightjars and pied flycatchers. From 1857 to 1862, a copper mine operated in Yarner Wood and extracted ore which gave over 2000 tonnes of copper.

Merrivale

Merrivale is a locality in western Dartmoor, in the West Devon district of Devon, England. It is best known for the nearby series of Bronze Age megalithic monuments to the south and a former granite quarry.

High Willhays

High Willhays or, according to some authors, High Willes is the highest point on Dartmoor, Devon, at 621 metres above sea level, and the highest point in the United Kingdom south of the Brecon Beacons.

Dartmoor Zoological Park

Dartmoor Zoological Park is a 30-acre zoological garden located near the village of Sparkwell, on the south-west edge of Dartmoor, in the county of Devon in the South West of England. It is the subject of the book and film We Bought a Zoo.

Beardown Tors

Beardown Tors is the 14th highest summit of Dartmoor. Despite its modest height at only 513m, it is one of the more interesting summits on Dartmoor. Beardown Tors is in Dartmoor, England.

Brent Tor

Brent Tor is a tor on the western edge of Dartmoor, approximately five miles north of Tavistock, rising to 1100 ft above sea level. The Tor is surmounted by the Church of St Michael, the parish church of the village of Brentor, which lies below the Tor.

Fox Tor

Fox Tor is a relatively minor tor on Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. On the flank of the tor, about 500 m to the north stands Childes Tomb according to local legend, the last resting place of Childe the Hunter, an unfortunate traveller who died there during a blizzard. About 800 m. NNE of the tor lie the remains of Foxtor Farm, which was used by Eden Phillpotts as one of the main settings of his 1904 novel The American Prisoner, and in a subsequent early "Talkie" film, made in 1929. Little Fox Tor, also known as Yonder Tor lies about 500 m. to the east. About a kilometre north-east of the tor lies the swampy land known as Fox Tor Mires. This is said to have been the inspiration for the fictional Grimpen Mire in the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This wide expanse of peat bog continues to be dangerous to walkers, especially after heavy rain. There is another Fox Tor on Dartmoor, one of five outcrops on the western bank of the River Tavy in woodland north of Peter Tavy, at grid reference SX514788.

Great Links Tor

Great Links Tor is a prominent tor on the north-western flank of Dartmoor, Devon, England. It is visible for a considerable distance on the approach to the moor from the west. It one of the highest points on Dartmoor, standing 1,924 feet above sea level and is dominated by a monolithic outcropping of granite some 40 feet high. There is an OS Triangulation point on a block to the west of the main outcrop, which is where most who visit the tor will climb to. The highest outcrop in inaccessible without a climb, the easiest route being up the eastern chimely . Other routes can be found here. Close by are the remains of the Rattlebrook Peat Works at Rattlebrook Head and the ruins of the appropriately named Bleak House.

North Hessary Tor

North Hessary Tor is a hill 517 metres high just above Dartmoor Prison, in Princetown within Dartmoor Forest civil parish, which is in the borough of West Devon, Devon, England . The tor is one of the boundary points mentioned in the perambulations of the Forest of Dartmoor. Situated on the summit is the North Hessary Tor transmitting station an FM radio and television transmitter which uses a 196 metres high guyed mast. It was built by the BBC in 1955 when a transmitter was needed to introduce 405 line television into Devon. It now carries a small UHF TV transmitter which serves Princetown and Dartmoor. FM radio transmissions began in 1956 and cover most of Devon and eastern parts of Cornwall.

Dartmoor Forest

Dartmoor Forest is a civil parish in Devon, England. It was formed in 1987 by the splitting of the former parish of Lydford. It covers about 56,000 acres entirely within Dartmoor National Park, and is the largest parish in Devon. Despite its size its population in 2001 was only 1,619. Due to its large size it is surrounded by many other parishes: these are, clockwise from the north, Belstone, South Tawton, Throwleigh, Gidleigh, Chagford, North Bovey, Manaton, Widecombe in the Moor, Holne, West Buckfastleigh, Dean Prior, South Brent, Ugborough, Harford, Cornwood, Shaugh Prior, Sheepstor, Walkhampton, Whitchurch, Peter Tavy, Lydford, land common to the parishes of Bridestowe and Sourton, and Okehampton Hamlets. The principal settlement in the parish is Princetown. Other settlements include Bellever, Hexworthy, Postbridge and Two Bridges.

Dartmoor Way

The Dartmoor Way is a long-distance footpath and cycle route centred on the Dartmoor National Park in southern Devon, England. It is a circular route of approximately 140km that encompasses upland and moorland walking, deep Devon lanes, and also passes through towns and villages such as Okehampton, Chagford, Moretonhampstead, Buckfastleigh, Princetown and Tavistock. The Dartmoor Way links with the Tarka Trail, West Devon Way and Two Castles Trail.

Drake's Leat

Drakes Leat, also known as Plymouth Leat, was a watercourse constructed in the late 16th century to tap the River Meavy on Dartmoor, England in order to supply Plymouth with water. It was one of the first municipal water supplies in the country.

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Top Attractions in Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor kistvaens

Hound Tor

Great Rock Mine

Great Mis Tor

River Plym

Scorhill

Museum of Dartmoor Life

Childe's Tomb

Dartmoor crosses

Yes Tor

Burrator Reservoir

Grey Wethers

Haytor

Jay's Grave

Dartmeet

Dendles Wood

Warren House Inn

Church of Saint Pancras, Widecombe-in-the-Moor

Yarner Wood & Trendlebere Down

Merrivale

High Willhays

Dartmoor Zoological Park

Beardown Tors

Brent Tor

Fox Tor

Great Links Tor

North Hessary Tor

Dartmoor Forest

Dartmoor Way

Drake's Leat

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