Dartmoor
Granite tors. Open moorland. Stretch your legs.
Remote valleys. Easy access to the South Devon
coast. Yellow gorse. Purple heather. Fresh
acquaintances. Ancient remains. Real Devon is full
of variety and you’ll see it best by foot.
The Dartmoor National Park is the highest, emptiest and wildest landscape
in southern England. The terrain rises to over 2,000ft above sea level and often
there is nothing more than sheep and Dartmoor ponies for company.
It is almost made for adventure, with plenty of scope for long hikes
across breathtaking countryside studded with archaeological remains. Eastern
Dartmoor is a series of lush, wooded valleys hiding cosy villages. Here
the Teign flows along a gorge offering a delightful ramble for its entire
length.
Our guided Classic Walking holidays offer a range of some of the more challenging walking
in the south of England.
- Explore the wild beauty of Dartmoor
- Stay at Moorlands beneath the famous Haytor Rocks
- Ancient stone circles, clapper bridges and Bronze-Age villages
Detailed information
| Classic Walking programme details |
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A typical Classic Walking day…
… will offer you a choice of 2 or 3 guided walks, each
of varying length and ascent. If you are new to walking, start
at the easier level, where the pace is the gentlest. We have
plenty of stops to enjoy the views and to rest. As your holiday
progresses you may feel confident to try a more challenging
level, or stick to the same level - it's entirely your choice.
More information on the type of footpaths you're likely to find on Dartmoor.
On holidays before Easter and after 24 October, your daily choice of walks will
generally comprise a medium and a harder walk chosen to suit guest numbers and the cooler weather.
Itinerary One
The following walks will be offered for holidays commencing on these dates:
20 March; 6, 19 April; 16, 20, 30 May; 3 June; 4, 8, 18 July; 8, 22, 26 August; 12, 16 September; 3, 7, 17, 21 October 2009.
| Arrival day |
| Easier Walk: Haytor circular |
6¼ |
825 feet |
| Medium Walk: An Introduction to Haytor and Dartmoor Tors |
9 |
1300 feet |
| Harder Walk: Rippon Tor, Buckland Beacon, Bonehill Rocks and Haytor |
11 |
1550 feet |
| Easier Walk: Meldon Reservoir, Okehampton Common and Okehampton |
6½ |
750 feet |
| Medium Walk: Black Tor, High Willhays and Okehampton |
8¾ |
1600 feet |
| Harder Walk: Sourton Tors, Kitty Tor, Yes Tor and Okehampton |
10 |
1875 feet |
| Easier Walk:The "Puffing Billy" |
6¼ |
750 feet |
| Medium Walk: Ugborough Beacon, Piles Hill and the River Erme |
8½ |
1075 feet |
| Harder Walk: Owley Gate, River Erme, Three Barrows and Western Beacon |
11½ |
1550 feet |
| There are no organised walks today to allow you time to explore the area independently or just relax in Moorlands and grounds. |
| Easier Walk: The legend of Vixana and the Walkham Valley
|
7½ |
875 feet |
| Medium Walk: Circles, rows, quarries and the Davenport
leat |
9 |
1050 feet |
| Harder Walk: Roos Tor, Staple Tors, Windy Post Cross and Meavy
Aqueduct |
10¾ |
2100 feet |
| Easier Walk: Dartmeet to Widecombe-in-the-Moor |
7¼ |
1200 feet |
| Medium Walk: Bellever and the East Dart to Widecombe-in-the-Moor |
9 |
1225 feet |
| Harder Walk: Six tors and the Two Moors Way |
10 |
1800 feet |
| Departure day |
Itinerary Two
The following walks will be offered for holidays commencing on these dates:
16 March; 9, 13, 23, 27 May; 6, 10, 27 June; 11, 15 July; 1, 5, 15, 19 August; 30 September; 10, 14, 28 October 2009.
| Arrival day |
| Easier Walk: Haytor Quarries and Tors |
6½ |
825 feet |
| Medium Walk: Tramway, Black Hill, Bowerman's Nose and Haytor
|
8¾ |
1475 feet |
| Harder Walk: Chinkwell and Honey Bag Tors, Bowerman's Nose
and Haytor |
10¾ |
1825 feet |
Easier Walk: Sticklepath, Belstone, Belstone Common and
Okehampton
|
7½ |
1175 feet |
| Medium Walk: Cosdon Beacon, Belstone Common and Okehampton |
9¾ |
1725 feet |
| Harder Walk: Sticklepath, Cosdon Beacon, Wild Tor and Okehampton |
12 |
1975 feet |
| Easier Walk: Dartmouth; river, coast and castle |
6¼ |
725 feet |
| Medium Walk: Dart Valley Trail to Dittisham and Greenway |
8½ |
1075 feet |
| Harder Walk: South West Coast Path - Brixham to Dartmouth |
10¾ |
2100 feet |
| There are no organised walks today to allow you time to explore the area independently or just relax in Moorlands and grounds. |
Easier Walk: Teign Gorge: Fingle Bridge, Castle Drogo and Chagford
|
7 |
825 feet |
| Medium Walk: Contrasting castles across the Teign Gorge |
10 |
1325 feet |
| Harder Walk: Teign Valley antiquities |
11 |
2050 feet |
| Easier Walk: Warren House Inn, Challacombe, Grimspound and Widecombe-in-the-Moor |
7 |
550 feet |
| Medium Walk: Leapra Cross, Mariners Way, Two Moors Way and Widecombe-in-the-Moor |
10 |
1225 feet |
| Harder Walk: Postbridge, Sittaford Tor, Water Hill and Widecombe-in-the-Moor |
12½ |
1925 feet |
| Departure day |
[Back to the top]
| Footpath information |
|
On these holidays there is a choice of up to three walks for varying abilities each day. For maximum choice we offer two weekly itineraries ideal
if you wish to book a 14-night holiday or return for a second visit.
 |
Easier Walks: 6 to 8 miles on generally well-graded paths with some short, steeper sections.550ft to 1,200ft of ascent in a day. |
 |
Medium Walks: 7 to 10 miles with steady ascents and descents. 1,050ft to 1,725ft of ascent in a day. |
 |
Harder Walks: 9 to 12 miles, mostly over high moorland. 1,550ft to 2,100ft of ascent in a day. |
Walks include valleys, woodland and moorland where conditions underfoot are generally good but paths are often indistinct.
[Back to the top]
| Average temperatures |
|
| March |
3°C |
10°C |
| April |
4°C |
13°C |
| May |
7°C |
16°C |
| June |
10°C |
19°C |
| July |
12°C |
21°C |
| Aug |
12°C |
21°C |
| Sept |
10°C |
19°C |
| Oct |
8°C |
15°C |
| Nov |
4°C |
11°C |
| Dec |
3°C |
9°C |
[Back to the top]
| Other walking holiday ideas |
|
We also offer the following holidays at Moorlands, find out more below:
For the independently minded we also offer a self-guided walking break along The
South West Coast Path.
[Back to the top]
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| Where you'll stay |
You'll be based in our fine Country House accommodation, Moorlands,
high up in the moor in the National Park at Haytor in Dartmoor
This fine Country House is situated high
on the moor below Haytor Rocks, one of
Dartmoor’s best-known landmarks. It was
this magnificent setting that inspired
Agatha Christie to write her first book, The
Mysterious Affair at Styles, here in 1917.
The 32 en-suite bedrooms look out over
rolling Devon countryside and the eight
acres of grounds. The lavish interiors of
the public rooms are a reminder of its
previous ownership by a colourful local
millionaire, and today provide a
grand base for our walking
holidays. |
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