Cicerone Guides: Walking the Dartmoor Way 109-Mile Hike around Dartmoor National Park

About this book

This guidebook presents the Dartmoor Way, a 175 km (109 mile) walk around Dartmoor National Park in Devon. Walked in 10 day-long stages between 12.75 and 20.5 km (8 and 12.75 miles) in length, this waymarked route skirts the edge of England's largest granite moorland, passing through towns including Ivybridge, Ashburton, Okehampton and Tavistock. Also included is the 2-day High Moor Link, which crosses the moor's higher ground.

With 1:50,000 scale OS maps for each stage, the book includes notes on nature, history and local landmarks such as Haytor Rocks, the Teign gorge and Dewerstone crags. Taking in ancient paths, tracks and quiet lanes, the route is mostly at a low level and is suitable for most walkers, although some stages involve short, steep climbs and descents. Accommodation, parking and public transport are covered, allowing walkers to choose whether to tackle the route in one go or as individual day walks. Each stage includes low-level detours in case of bad weather, as well as details of walking the route in reverse, giving readers flexibility over the direction of travel. Further options include creating shorter loops joined by the High Moor Link, or walking the entire circular route in 7 days.

Contents

Map key
Overview map
Route summary table
Trek planner
Introduction
History of the route
Geology and landscape
Wildlife
When to go
Planning the walk
Accommodation
Public transport
Maps
Getting there and getting away
What to take
Food and drink
Health and safety
Mobile phones and emergencies
Waymarking and access
Using this guide

The Dartmoor Way
Stage 1 Ivybridge to Shipley Bridge
Stage 2 Shipley Bridge to Ashburton
Stage 3 Ashburton to Bovey Tracey
Stage 4 Bovey Tracey to Moretonhampstead
Stage 5 Moretonhampstead to Chagford
Stage 6 Chagford to Okehampton
Stage 7 Okehampton to Lydford
Stage 8 Lydford to Tavistock
Stage 9 Tavistock to Shaugh Bridge
Stage 10 Shaugh Bridge to Ivybridge
High Moor Link 1 Buckfastleigh to Hexworthy
High Moor Link 2 Hexworthy to Tavistock

Appendix A Useful contacts
Appendix B Refreshments and supplies
Appendix C Selected accommodation
Appendix D Further reading

Customer Reviews

Biography

After a degree in Geography and Archaeology at Exeter University Sue Viccars worked for a London map publisher before grabbing the chance to return to Devon, where she spent 20 years commissioning walking, equestrian and countryside books for David & Charles Publishers. She wrote her first walking book in 2000 and has written or contributed to around 20 books (and edited dozens more), specialising in southwest England, in particular Dartmoor and Exmoor. She writes the walks for Exmoor: The Country Magazine, and has been editor of Dartmoor Magazine since 2008.