Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor National Park                                      

Dartmoor National Park covers an area of 368 square miles which makes it the largest area of outstanding beauty in the South West. Dartmoor has thousands of visitors every year and they come to see the beautiful scenery, undulating hills, Tors, great walks, cycle routes, camping and moorland.  Dartmoor boasts beautiful landscapes for anyone wishing to walk or cycle across the open moorland on the many routes it has to offer be it on or off road making it as challenging as you want.

Dartmoor National Park is only 30 minute drive from Plymouth, for a great starting point we recommend the High Moorland visitors centre in Princetown. This is a great place to start for many moorland walks whether you want a family stroll through woodlands, a reservoir trail or head off into the open country side and walk up the many Tors.

From the High Moorland visitor's centre you can see Dartmoor prison which is only yards away, which has its own museum and the Plume of Feathers pub which offers great food, camping and free parking facilities.

Dartmoor Prison Museum

In 1805, Great Britain was at war with Napoleonic France. This is when a prisoner of war depot was planned in the remote isolation of Dartmoor. In 1806 Dartmoor Prison was constructed which took three years to complete.  In 1809 the first French prisoners arrived, and were joined by American POWs taken in the war of 1812. Many prisoners died and were buried on the moor. Both French and American wars were concluded in 1815, and repatriations began.

The prison then lay empty until 1850, when it was largely rebuilt and commissioned as a convict prison. Dartmoor Prison considered in Victorian times to be the hardest and most severe in England, has been in constant use from 1850 to the present day. Until recently, Dartmoor Prison's inmates have been some of the most dangerous and notorious in English penal history.

Things to do

Dartmoor is a fantastic place for all the family and boasts an array of activities and interests. Dartmoor is great for walkers, horse riding, climbers, canoeists and cyclists with its open moorland tracks and paths.

Walking

The open moorland on Dartmoor offers some fantastic scenery and walks through the forests and woodlands. With the many Tors to walk up, stone rows and stone circles there are estimated to be about 76 in total. Dartmoor's landscape is made up of ceremonial and burial sites which date back to well over 3,500 years.

Camping

Camping on Dartmoor is welcome as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

Do not camp on moorland enclosed by walls within 100m of any road, do not leave any litter, human excrement as these can cause offence and be dangerous. Do not light fires, if you use a camping stove stand it on a small rock.

Cycling

Cycling on Dartmoor offers a range of routes from flat surfaced cycle ways to the more challenging off road hill climbs. If you are situated in Plymouth try cycling from Coypool which is where the Plym valley trail starts, this is a brilliant off-road cycle route for families and beginners who don't want to exert too much energy.

The trail forms part of the Devon Coast to Coast cycle route which stretches for 97 miles from Plymouth to the coastal resort of Ilfracombe in north Devon.

From Coypool in Plymouth the trail takes you on a gentle ascent through National Trust woodland towards Dartmoor.

Cycling in this direction has two benefits - a decent pub at the end of the trail in a little village called Clearbrook and a pleasant downhill ride pretty much all the way back. The route will take you through tunnels and across viaducts.

Horse Riding

Why not try horse riding on Dartmoor this is hard to beat. You can ride out on the open moorland from the many riding schools that offer first class moorland hacks and group pub rides.

Canoeing

Dartmoor offers some fantastic canoeing and white water rafting. The River Dart is the most popular canoeing destination in the National Park and has the best mid grade water runs in the west.

Climbing

Dartmoor has excellent granite Tors to climb for groups and individuals. The national park offers challenging routes in the south west of England.

For further information about any of the services above please visit www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk