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Dartmoor

Ancient stone clapper bridges, wild expanses of open moorland, sparkling clear rivers and granite rock tors (the old celtic word for "tower"). This was the setting for the Sherlock Holmes novel 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' based upon a local legend.

Covering an area of 369 square miles, Dartmoor was designated as one of the National Parks of England and Wales in 1951. It is a stunningly beautiful area of moorland accented with wooded valleys and wind swept Tors. A living, working landscape with famous beauty spots, picture postcard villages, attractive market towns, and historic hotels, pubs and inns.

It is named after the River Dart, whose source rises on the moor, with the West and East Dart rivers merging to form the River Dart at Dartmeet.

Prehistoric remains are found all over the moor, though exact dates of many of them are often in dispute. Any walk across the moor is likely to lead you to the remains of old stone buildings from Dartmoor's industrial past. Ancient clapper bridges - crossing streams and rivers, stone crosses; barrows, standing stones, circles, tumuli and cairns, and of course Dartmoor ponies. All these contribute to the wealth of features to be enjoyed on Dartmoor.

Though the majority of the Dartmoor National Park lies over a granite plateau - 600m above sea level, rising to a height of 621m (High Willhays), the park also includes some of the beautiful surrounding Devon countryside. Rich fertile lands to the north and south of the moor, known as the "Hams", have been formed over older marine sediments and volcanic rocks from the Devonian and Carboniferous age; contrasting sharply with stark landscape of the upland granites.

There are many places to visit in the Park - Castle Drogo, Buckfast and Buckland Abbeys to name but a few, and at Princetown, in the very centre of the moor you will find Dartmoor's most famous (or infamous) building - the grim edifice of Dartmoor Prison (not to be visited!). Princetown is also the home of the Dartmoor National Park High Moorland Visitor Centre. The Centre has a wealth of lively displays and information.

Dartmoor Accommodations

Stay either at luxury Gidleigh Park near Chagford, or at the 3* Edgemoor Hotel near Bovey Tracey and not far from Dartmoor's most visited Tor, Haytor.

Dartmoor itineraries

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