Guided Trail on the Highlights of the Dartmoor Way

57 miles. 10 – 12½ miles and up to 1,900 feet of ascent in a day

Day 1: Arrival day

Day 2: Manaton to Castle Drogo - We visit the picturesque village of Manaton, then walk through woodland to join the Dartmoor Way. We descend to the River Bovey, crossing to North Bovey. A gentle climb through fields and lanes takes us to the moorland town of Moretonhampstead. Ascending over the moorland terrain of Butterdon Down, we then reach the spectacular viewpoint of the old Iron Age fort, Cranbrook Castle. Our walk down into the Teign Valley Gorge takes us to the local beauty spot of Fingle Bridge by the River Teign. We climb out of the gorge to Castle Drogo. Distance 11½ miles with 1,835 feet of ascent

Day 3: Teign Valley to Belstone - Today we descend from Castle Drogo and follow the River Teign upstream to the stannary town of Chagford. Using quiet lanes and footpaths we then pass pretty Holystreet Manor and then through the ancient hamlets of Murchington, Gidleigh and Throwleigh. South Zeal is our next village, with its interesting clock, and is the site of the former Ramsley Cooper mine. At nearby Sticklepath we may have time to visit the Finch Foundry adjacent to the Quakers’ graveyard. The last leg meets the Tarka Trail and takes us alongside the River Taw through Belstone Cleave to our last moorland village of Belstone. Distance 10½ miles with 1,570 feet of ascent

Day 4: Belstone to Lydford - From Belstone the Dartmoor Way briefly merges once more with the Tarka Trail. It then leaves the moor to enter the North Dartmoor market town of Okehampton. Our climb out of Okehampton brings us past the ruin of Okehampton Castle to the Meldon Quarries and viaduct. We next cross the fringes of open moor and the Dartmoor Way joins the West Devon Way along tracks and lanes to the village of Lydford with its forbidding castle ruin.  Distance 12 miles with 1,260 feet of ascent

Day 5: This is a day without any walks programmed, giving you the opportunity to explore the local area independently, or to use the Country House facilities.

Day 6: Lydford to Tavistock - Today we are dropped off at the entrance to Lydford Gorge.  There will be time to visit the Gorge with its amazing waterfalls. We then skirt the moor on lanes and tracks. In the distance we will see Gibbet Hill and Brent Tor, an impressive large rock outcrop with a church at the top, before entering the village of Mary Tavy. More ancient tracks take us around Peter Tavy then past Kelly College and on to the thriving market town of Tavistock, which we might have time to explore. Distance 12 miles with 915 feet of ascent

Day 7: Tavistock to Princetown - We leave Tavistock to climb via Whitchurch Down and the village of Sampford Spinney up on to Dartmoor proper. We meet the route of the former Princetown-to-Plymouth railway which affords far-reaching views across Dartmoor. We walk past disused granite quarries to Princetown, the highest town in Devon and Cornwall. Distance 10 miles with 1,575 feet of ascent

Day 8: Departure day