Dartmoor National Park - Devon

Dartmoor National Park is just an hour’s drive from the English Riviera with the new South Devon Highway making day trips easy. Dartmoor is a stunningly beautiful ancient landscape with deep wooded valleys, fast flowing rivers, rolling hills, towering rock formations (called tors) and rugged landscapes.  This special place is steeped in legend and folklore and you’ll love the country pubs, hidden hamlets and the rugged, free roaming Dartmoor ponies that make a Devon day out here a delight. It’s also wonderfully doggy friendly.

War Horse

Dartmoor stars in Steven Spielberg's famous adaptation of War Horse, the story of a Devon horse shipped to France to serve in both the British and German armies during World War I. Filming on location, Spielberg was quoted as saying "I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor."  Sites include the small village of Meavy, Sheepstor, Burrator Reservoir and Bonehill Rocks near Widecombe-in-the-Moor.

Walking and Cycling 

There are dozens of walking trails on the moors and if you want to make it even more fun for the kids check out ‘letterboxing’, where you track down secret hideaways and add your name to the list of visitors. Dartmoor is also the inspiration for local musician Seth Lakeman, whose songs tell the tales of this wild and unique landscape. Dartmoor National Park Authority suggests traffic-free trails, quiet forest tracks, challenging bridleways and historic rural lanes to enjoy at your own pace. They offer an excellent waterproof cycling map available at Tourist Information Centres.

Music and Film Festivals

There are frequent village fetes and festivals across the moor all year round including Chagstock music festival, Dartmoor Folk Festival and Chagford Film Festival. Dartmoor is also the inspiration for local musician Seth Lakeman, whose songs tell the tales of this wild and unique landscape.  Delicious Devon Cream Teas are available everywhere and must be sampled!

Wildlife on the Moor

Then there’s the wildlife: look out for Dartmoor ponies, foxes, otters, weasels, stoats and deer. Bird lovers will be able to spot cormorants, grey herons, owls and peregrine falcons. Dartmoor is also a stronghold for nationally rare birds such as the ring ouzel and the cuckoo plus birds in decline elsewhere such as the skylark and snipe. There are some large lakes and reservoirs managed by SW Lakes Trust that attract a huge range of birds.  These include: Burrator, Fernworthy, Kennick, Tottiford & Trenchford. Lopwell Dam, Meldon, Roadford and Venford.  

History and Attractions

As well as the natural beauty of Dartmoor, there are also a variety of attractions that are within an easy drive of Devon’s English Riviera including Castle Drogo and Buckfast Abbey. For a great family day out, take the kids to the Dartmoor Miniature Pony Centre, Buckfast Butterfly Farm, Becky Falls, Canonteign Falls or Morwellham Quay. Dartmoor Prison Museum high up on the moor at mysterious Princetown has many tales to tell with a fascinating archive of some of the famous prisoners, memorabilia, manacles and weapons as well as insignia and uniforms. Children will love beautiful Chagford’s open air, river-fed, (but heated) swimming pool that opens from late May till mid-September. Chagford has a surprising number of stylish independent shops, ancient pubs and wonderful eateries so it’s well worth a visit.

Agatha Christie's Dartmoor

Queen of Crime Dame Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, and the neighbouring Devon moors provided inspiration for her works. In fact, she completed her very first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, at the Moorlands Hotel near Haytor. The Agatha Christie Literary Trail through the English Riviera and South Devon also points out Sittaford Tor and its surroundings, which feature in The Sittaford Mystery.

Dartmoor Tours

For an exciting full day tour of Dartmoor from Devon’s English Riviera, tour guides are available including Unique Devon Tours and Dartmoor Scenic Tours.