General Information The Dartmoor Way is a superb circular trail that sweeps around Britain's most southerly National Park linking attractive moorland, hamlets, villages and towns along its length. The route avoids the wild expanses of the High Moors and concentrates on the moorland fringe of lush river valleys, ancient clapper bridges, steep-sided, thickly wooded gorges, tumbling streams, leafy lanes, meadows, hedgerows, pretty villages of thatch and granite and rolling downland studded with fantastic wind hewn tors of granite. The route passes through several historic moorland towns including Chagford, Moretonhampstead, Okehampton, Tavistock and Ashburton; visits many charming villages such as Sticklepath, Sourton, Peter Tavy, Holne, North Bovey and Lydford, an intriguing village dominated by its sturdy medieval courtroom and prison; and discovers a wealth of historical sites ranging from prehistoric settlements and monuments to Norman castles, medieval crosses, tin-mine workings, silver-lead mines and abandoned quarries.
Wild ponies roam freely across the moors. Bird life includes buzzard, kestrel, grouse, skylark, raven, wheatear, dipper and heron. Otters inhabit the moorland streams and rivers with their plentiful stocks of trout and salmon.
Travel Information Total Distance: 84 miles (135km) Duration: 9 nights, 8 walking days Minimum/maximum daily distances: 81/2 miles (13.5km)/133/4 miles (22km) Season: March to October Starting point of holiday: Buckfastleigh End of holiday: Buckfastleigh Most convenient railway station: Totnes Onward travel: There is a regular bus service from Totnes railway station to Buckfastleigh operated by First Buses (Service 165). The journey takes approximately 38 minutes.The South Devon Steam Railway links Totnes and Buckfastleigh (May to September). The journey takes about 25 minutes.
Itinerary Day 1: Travel to Buckfastleigh.
Day 2: Buckfastleigh to Bovey Tracey.12 miles (19km)
Day 3: Bovey Tracey to Moretonhampstead. 101/2 miles (17km)
Day 4: Moretonhampstead to South Zeal. 101/2 miles (17km)
Day 5: South Zeal to Okehampton. 81/2 miles (13.5km)
Day 6: Okehampton to Lydford. 93/4 miles (15.5km)
Day 7: Lydford to Tavistock. 91/2 miles (15km)
Day 8: Tavistock to Princetown. 91/2 miles (15km)
Day 9: Princetown to Buckfastleigh. 133/4 miles (22km)
Day 10: Depart Buckfastleigh.
Accommodation & Meals 9 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms with private bathrooms (where available) in selected hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail.
Traditional cooked breakfast
What’s Included Door to door luggage transfer along the trail. A set of maps with the route marked on and a guidebook describing the trail An information pack containing an itinerary, detailed instructions on how to find your accommodation each night, town plans, information about facilities and places of interest along the trail and a kit list. Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it. Emergency assistance
