Since leaving the hospitality industry, I've found Bank Holidays to be a real luxury. They used to be a source of dread, stress and overwork, but now they are a fabulous opportunity to spread two days of busyness over three days. This weekend, we managed to allocate a day look at new cars, one to … Continue reading Sourton Tors and Great Links Tor
Family Walks
Scorhill and Kestor Rocks
I can't overstate just how much we have missed Dartmoor during the last lockdown. For most of 2020, we were still allowed to go to Dartmoor for our exercise and just being able to do that had such a positive effect on our collective mental state. It allowed us to break out of home and … Continue reading Scorhill and Kestor Rocks
Swincombe
It’s hard to believe it’s been over three months since our last family walk on Dartmoor. We’ve found the last lockdown to be tough. Days out on the moor have been at least a fortnightly event for the last year or so, but the January closure put an end to that as we live just … Continue reading Swincombe
Siward’s Cross and Nun’s Cross Farm
Siward's or Nun's Cross, with Nun's Cross Farm in the background Any regular Dartmoor walker knows Nun's Cross Farm. Depending on your perspective and direction of travel, it's the target for a good leg-stretch before settling down to a pint in the Plume, a crossroads on a longer exploration, a checkpoint on your mountain bike … Continue reading Siward’s Cross and Nun’s Cross Farm
Bowerman’s Nose
Bowerman the Hunter on the slopes of Hayne Down, with Easdon Tor in the middle distance Last week we took a short winter's walk up to Bowerman's Nose, one of the most iconic locations on the moor. There are a handful of photos that every self-respecting Dartmoor guide and website should feature - the church … Continue reading Bowerman’s Nose
Butterdon Hill and Western Beacon
Self-portrait! The southern side of Dartmoor can be a forbidding and lonely place. Largely bereft of the spectacular tors found in the central and northern areas, and with no roads crossing it, this is very much the preserve of the long-distance walker. Hikers taking on the Two Moors Way often start at Ivybridge and follow … Continue reading Butterdon Hill and Western Beacon
Belstone Tor and Irishman’s Wall
Stroll around Belstone on a summers day and it's a perfect edge-of-the-moor village. Thatched cottages hewn from the local granite are sprinkled round the village green, where you can also find a set of stocks and a small enclosure where lost animals use to be kept until their owners were found. Just off the green … Continue reading Belstone Tor and Irishman’s Wall
Cox Tor
Weather-wise, the last couple of weekends have been pretty horrible. In theory I'm happy to go for a walk or bike ride in any weather, but with a long list of little jobs to do at home I have been known to spend a weekend 'getting a few things done' rather than going out and … Continue reading Cox Tor
Dewerstone
Just before lockdown began in March, our eldest son went on his first school residential. He only spent one night away but for him it was a massive adventure. His class went down to the Dewerstone and stayed in the cottage doing all kinds of cool outdoor activities. He loved every minute. Apart from losing … Continue reading Dewerstone
Fingle Bridge and Cranbrook Castle
After yesterday's ridge top views of autumnal Dartmoor valleys, I wanted to spend more time in the woods. We're at the tail end of the vibrant spectacle of autumn now, and it won't be long before the reds, yellows and everything in between are gone for another year. So with my wife at work, I … Continue reading Fingle Bridge and Cranbrook Castle
