Dartmoor National Park Devon

Britain's National Parks: Dartmoor, Devon

Delightful Dartmoor National Park, Devon

Dartmoor National Park covers an area of 368 square miles (954 square kilometers) and is the largest area of wilderness and a wide expanse of moorland in southern England. It is one of 15 national parks: 10 in England, 3 in Wales and 2 in Scotland.

The exposed granite hilltops called tors are lovely to behold and provide habitats for moorland wildlife. This park includes the largest area of granite in England with nearly 625 square kilometers at the surface level. Exeter is the largest city nearby and makes for a great base to begin your exploration of the park.

Haytor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon. — Haytor, Dartmoor National Park, Devon

Landscape

The ancient landscape of weathered granite hills (tors), moors, raging rivers, and the unspoiled forest is popular with climbers, hikers, cyclists, canoe enthusiasts and walkers from all over Europe and beyond.

Granite tors are the most distinctive features of the Dartmoor landscape. They are rocky outcrops that punctuate the rolling moors. Some of the more famous tors include Haytor, Hound Tor, and Great Mis Tor. These provide excellent vantage points and are popular with hikers and climbers.

Easily accessible from both Devon’s main cities of Exeter and Plymouth, the desolate, eerie beauty of the heather-covered moors have inspired writers and poets such as Arthur Conan Doyle, who based his novel The Hound of the Baskervilles on Dartmoor.

The area has also been designated as a Dark Sky Reserve, making it an excellent location for nighttime stargazing.

Postbridge Clapper Bridge, Dartmoor National Park, Devon. — Postbridge Clapper Bridge, Dartmoor National Park, Devon

Towns & Villages

The most important settlements on Dartmoor include Bovey Tracy, Chagford, Okehampton, Princetown – famous for its Dartmoor Prison – Postbridge, Moretonhampstead, Tavistock, Widecombe-in-the Moor, Yelverton, and Lydford.

Dartmoor is crisscrossed by walking trails including the 90 mile, circular Dartmoor Way, Templer Way, Tarka Trail, and the Two Moors Way.

The national park is also rich in prehistoric sites including numerous cairn circles. The Merrivale Rows of stones are an ancient burial ground, west of Princetown.

A Dartmoor Pony grazing is one of the iconic sights on Dartmoor. — A Dartmoor Pony grazing is one of the iconic sights on Dartmoor

Attractions

Other attractions on Dartmoor include Castle Drogo, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and the last castle to be built in England. Buckland Abbey is a 14th-century Cistercian monastery, which later became the country house of Sir Francis Drake. Highlights include a medieval tithe barn and the Cider House garden.

A contemporary stained glass window in Buckfast Abbey. — A contemporary stained glass window in Buckfast Abbey

Buckfast Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Buckfastleigh on the southern edge of Dartmoor. The working monastery dates back to medieval times and is known for its production of Buckfast Tonic Wine. The original Buckfast Abbey was founded in 1018 by Aethelweard, Earl of Devon, but it was dissolved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 by King Henry VIII. The current abbey was established in 1882 by a group of Benedictine monks who returned to England from France after the French government closed religious houses.

In addition, Lydford Gorge with the spectacular White Lady Waterfall and the 'Cathedral of the Moor' aka St Pancras Church at Widecombe are both popular stops on Dartmoor.

Dartmoor National Park. — The landscape of Dartmoor National Park is awe-inspiring

Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business. — Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business

Wildlife & Flora on Dartmoor

Dartmoor is also a haven for wildlife. It is home to its famous Dartmoor ponies, badgers, deer, hares, as well as otters. Buzzards, herons, and owls are just a few of the many birds on the moors. Salmon and trout can also be found in the River Dart and its tributary streams.

The park is known for its lichens and wild flowers: bluebells, foxgloves, orchids, cowslips, dog violets, flax, sedge, rush and lily can all be found on the moor.

Other common plants include heather, gorse, bilberry, and grasses.

Scottish Highland cattle have been introduced to Dartmoor in Devon. — Scottish Highland cattle have been introduced to Dartmoor in Devon

Access - Getting to Dartmoor

Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 9JQ
Tel: 01626 832093
Hours: Monday to Thursday 9 am to 5 pm and Friday 9 am to 4.30 pm

By car, both Exeter and Plymouth are 30 minutes or so away.

There are trains from Exeter St David's Station to Okehampton. Journey time is approximately 40 minutes.

The 271 bus (Haytor Hoppa) runs from Newton Abbot Station to Widecombe via Bovey Tracey on Saturdays only from 8th July to 16th September (2023).

The Cromwell Arms. — The Cromwell Arms Bovey Tracey

Accommodation

As a base for a visit to Dartmoor, Bovey Tracey and the surrounding area has a wide variety of accommodation choices with camping and glamping, numerous self-catering options, farmhouse and pub bed & breakfasts as well as hotels ranging from small and intimate up to large, country house size.

The Dolphin Hotel on Station Road in Bovey provides accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking and a bar. The Cromwell Arms is housed in a former 17th century oak-beamed coaching inn.

Select from a range of accommodation in Bovey Tracey.

Exeter, the nearest large city, offers a range of accommodation options to suit all budgets and tastes. Choose from a selection of hotels and guest houses in Exeter including the four-star Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel, the four-star Southernhay House Hotel, and Jurys Inn Exeter, also a four-star hotel.

See here for a complete list of accommodation in Exeter.