Dartmoor Circular: Forests, Tors, and Ancient Stones
12 people attending
3 places left
Join us for a spectacular, varied circular day hike right through the atmospheric heart of northeastern Dartmoor. This route truly has a bit of everything: rushing rivers, deep evergreen forests, exposed ridge lines, stunning panoramic tors, and some of the finest prehistoric monuments the moor has to offer.
Setting out from near the iconic Warren House Inn, we’ll start by dropping south towards the peaceful valley of Soussons Down, winding through the trees before looping west past historic farmsteads towards Postbridge. Here, we'll cross the East Dart River near its famous ancient clapper bridge.
From Postbridge, we begin our steady northward march along the edge of the open moorland, tracking beneath Hartland Tor and Stannon Tor, with wide-open views expanding out to the west. We'll climb up towards Grey Wethers—the striking twin bronze-age stone circles nestled right on the edge of the woods.
Our route then takes a scenic, sheltered turn into the pine-scented tracks of Fernworthy Forest, skirting the southern edge of the beautiful Fernworthy Reservoir. After a quick stop to admire the water and the nearby hut circles, we’ll break back out onto the open moor via Chagford Common and Hurston Ridge. Our final stretch carries us south along the ridge line, enjoying commanding views of the landscape before returning to Warren House Inn for a well-earned drink.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome to join us on this event but we do ask the following:
- Please appreciate the fact that not everyone is a dog owner or lover- especially when we stop to eat
- Please ensure you adhere to the Countryside Code at all times - see (Keeping Dogs Under Effective Control)
If your dog is uncontrolled and strays in open land frightening other animals or livestock, the leader is supported by the OutdoorLads board of trustees to ask you to leave the event as this is not acceptable behaviour.
Photo Credits: All photos taken by Stephen Clifford and permission is granted to OutdoorLads for further use.
What to bring
Hand sanitiser and a face covering: whilst we are living with Covid-19, please bring your own to events to help keep everyone safe
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch and at least 2 litres of water.
Check the weather forecast leading up to the event, at this time of year at the start of Spring we could have a cold snap so a hot drink would be recommended, or if it's settled, you might need to bring a sun hat and sunblock.