A stunning, circular walking holiday unearthing the very best of Dartmoor National Park with the option to include a high level link route crossing the very centre of this mythical landscape of Tors and gorges. From 108 to 130 miles of walking depending on your route options.
Without doubt for those who want the most comprehensive and varied walking experience on Dartmoor you have to be walking The Dartmoor Way – Other walking routes may touch on it, some such as The Two Moors Way are bold enough to make a single crossing of it but only the Dartmoor Way covers the National Parks rich variety in full and in depth, from its tranquil river valleys and idyllic villages through to the dramatic twisted Tors, tumbling waterfalls and lonely moorland farmsteads.
The Dartmoor Way uses an endlessly changing mix of ancient sunken lanes and drove ways, leafy forest trails, disused railway lines, open moorland and even the ancient “Corpse” Trails to take you on this 108 mile adventure.
It’s a route for those who love breath taking views which are with you at every step be it panoramas of iconic moorland Tors, hidden white water gorges, dark forests or rich wildflower pastures.
The main route provides a full circle of the moor allowing you the flexibility to start and end at any point.
Walking through time and mystery
For those who still love their legends and relish walking headlong into the deep dark history of their surroundings, The Dartmoor Way delivers you enchanting castles, medieval Abbeys, stone slab clapper bridges and ancient moorland crosses.
If you grew up on Sherlock Holmes the Dartmoor Way will make it real once again with its abandoned plague villages, deadly mires and ghostly Tors the haunt of the phantom Hound of the Baskervilles.
From the prehistoric era you will encounter mystical stone circles, huge menhirs, mysterious stone rows and spooky burial chambers that litter the moor - evidence of its power to draw and inspire us mere humans since the dawn of time itself.
This is the land of the infamous Hound, of Evil Squires, outlaws, hardy quarrymen and escaping Convicts and you will return to their tales, legends and pass through their locations along your Dartmoor Way Journey.
Wildlife on the Dartmoor Way
In a wilderness of this size wildlife is everywhere. In the moorland skies ravens, buzzard, Curlew kestrels and even Peregrine Falcon circle the highest Tors. As you descend to the gorges and wooded valleys kingfishers, woodpeckers, dippers and heron reveal themselves patiently watching the shoals of freshwater trout and salmon.
Moorland ponds literally buzz with azure blue Dragonflies and wonderful varieties of Butterflies and Damselflies.
Most famous of all are the herds of Wild Dartmoor Ponies, hardy beasts that will entertain and enchant you as they pass by on an endless migration across the moors to find better grazing. Needing more effort to spot, but there all the same, are the deer, otter, adders and foxes of the lower river valleys... and then of course there is that legendary hound!
Overnight stops on the Dartmoor Way
Along the way you will rest in a steady procession of picture postcard thatched villages, bustling market towns and hardy moorland hamlets each unique in their history and location offering something new for the Dartmoor Pilgrim to explore and experience on each different overnight stop. Stay in pretty B&B Cottages or stone floor and oak beamed Inns that have stood since the 15th Century. Places where on arrival you will be welcomed in (as has always been the way with tired travellers from the moor), to sit down to Cream Teas, strong cloudy cider, fresh trout from the river or hearty roasts of local game.
Who can walk The Dartmoor Way
The strength of this walk is its flexibility – on its standard route it's suitable for all abilities of walker to enjoy and because it follows the valleys and edges of the moor it’s not overly demanding or difficult though you will still be challenged at times. For those who chose to cross the high moor you will have a more demanding couple of days but one where The Dartmoor Way uses signed paths and track ways, where Tors are close by, simple to access and the length of walking day can be set to comfortably suit your level of walking on most sections
With the option of the Southern Moor added to the route in 2021 when the whole route was re-signed, the Dartmoor Way delivers a route that fully engages with the moors variety, yet is still open to all levels of walking experience.
For those wanting more adventure there are lots of options to climb an endless parade of higher Tors as you pass below them, take remote open moorland alternatives and walk longer days on more demanding schedules it’s easy to adapt the route into a much more severe battle with Dartmoor for those that want a challenge.
We offer a range of options that link to the core Dartmoor Way Route, some easy, some demanding more experience. No need then to miss the climb of Brentor – where the improbable little Church clings to the top of a volcanic Tor, or the descent to the foot of the deepest gorge in the South West at Lydford.
You can look forward to short diversions off route to reach the Belstone Tor, the Merrivale Stone Rows and Circles or the iconic rock sculptures at Hounds Tor and Haytor Rocks.
So whether you want to keep the walking easy or pit yourself against the wilderness read on for full details on what each day on The Dartmoor Way can bring and then contact us for help to tailor this unique route into giving you ‘your own Dartmoor walk... your way’.
