Dartmoor Day Trips from Mid-Devon

Gogwell House is 43 miles from Dartmoor National Park, so it makes a proper day out from a base in Mid-Devon.

Dartmoor is incredibly beautiful and wild, perfect for long walks and wild swimming, and it has great pubs.

Dartmoor

Dartmoor National Park is 43 miles from Gogwell. It became a National Park in 1951 and covers about 370 square miles of high moorland, granite tors, ancient woodland and fast, clear rivers. The highest point, High Willhays, stands at 621 metres. Exmoor, the nearer of the two moors at 17 miles, has its own guide.

Tors and Walks

The tors are the landmarks of the moor: outcrops of granite that rise from the open hillside. Haytor is one of the easiest to reach, with a short walk up from the car park. From there you can walk on to Hound Tor, where the ruins of a medieval village lie among the rocks.

Conan Doyle set The Hound of the Baskervilles on Dartmoor, and on a misty day it is easy to see why.

Ancient Dartmoor

People have lived on the moor for thousands of years. Grimspound, on the eastern side, is a Bronze Age settlement where the circles of the huts can still be seen. At Postbridge a medieval clapper bridge, made of huge granite slabs, still crosses the East Dart River. Wistman's Wood, near Two Bridges, is a tiny remnant of high-level oak woodland, its stunted trees draped in moss and lichen.

Villages and Pubs

Widecombe-in-the-Moor is one of the best-known villages, and its church is known as the Cathedral of the Moor. Lustleigh, on the eastern edge of the moor, is home to The Cleave, and the Warren House Inn sits out on the open moor on the road between Postbridge and Moretonhampstead. For a pub, try The Cleave or the Warren House Inn.

Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo, near Drewsteignton on the north-eastern edge of the moor, is a National Trust property designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and finished in 1930. It has gardens, and a walk leads down into the Teign Gorge.

Ponies, Weather and Staying Safe

Ponies, sheep and cattle graze the open moor and wander onto the roads, so drive slowly. The ponies are semi-wild and should not be fed or approached.

The weather can change quickly and mist comes down fast, so take waterproofs, a map and a charged phone. Parts of the northern moor are Ministry of Defence firing ranges, with red flags flying when firing is under way, so check the published firing times before you walk there. If you are swimming in the rivers, take care: the water is cold and levels can rise quickly after rain.

Coming Home

Dogs are welcome at Gogwell, and the moors are heavenly for dogs. Back at the house there is a heated pool, open between April and October, as well as a hot tub, a gym and a yoga barn.