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Chris Gorringe · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsGuide · England
Dartmoor, Exmoor and the coast: seven walks for a West Country weekend
Tors, a 3,000-foot-wide beach of chalk, a hill with a view of two seas, and the highest ground in southern England.
By the TRXO team · · 4 min read
- walks
- 7
- long
- 4.2–11.6 km
- biggest climb
- 460 m
- by public transport
- 1
- dog-friendly
- 7
The South West doesn't have mountains, and it doesn't need them. It has Dartmoor, a granite plateau with tors like ruined castles; Exmoor, where the moor runs straight into the sea; Bodmin's wild middle; and a coast that changes from chalk to sandstone to granite as you go west. The walks are shorter than in the north and the pubs are closer together.
These seven are a weekend's worth: three on the moors, two on the Jurassic Coast, one on Bodmin, and one flat one along a river for the day it rains. All of them have a mapped route and somewhere to park; a couple can be done by train.
Where they are
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Haytor
Haytor and Hound Tor
- 6 km distance
- 280 m ascent
- 2–2.5 h time
- Moderate grade
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXDartmoor's most famous tor and its strangest in one loop. Haytor's granite domes have steps cut into them for Victorian visitors; Hound Tor, across the moor, is a jumble of rocks said to be the hounds of a huntsman turned to stone, with a medieval village in the grass below. Six kilometres, half a day, and the whole of south Devon in view.
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Okehampton
High Willhays and Yes Tor from Meldon
- 11.6 km distance
- 460 m ascent
- 3.5–4.5 h time
- Moderate grade
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe highest ground in England south of the Peak District, on the northern edge of Dartmoor above Okehampton. Yes Tor is the one with the shape; High Willhays, a few minutes on, is the one with the height. It's army land: check the firing times before you go, and don't touch anything metal you find.
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Exmoor
Dunkery Beacon from Webber's Post
- 5.9 km distance
- 280 m ascent
- 2–2.5 h time
- Moderate grade
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXExmoor's summit, a broad heather hill with a cairn on top and a view that takes in Wales across the Bristol Channel, Dartmoor to the south, and on a clear day both. Red deer graze the combes below. An easy climb from the Dunkery Gate car park, longer and better from Wheddon Cross.
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4
Bodmin Moor
Rough Tor and Brown Willy
- 6.8 km distance
- 380 m ascent
- 2–3 h time
- Moderate grade
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe two highest points in Cornwall, on Bodmin Moor, from the car park below Rough Tor. Rough Tor's summit is a Bronze Age settlement among granite stacks; Brown Willy is a mile across a boggy saddle with a bigger view. Bodmin is empty compared with Dartmoor and feels wilder than its height.
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Lulworth Cove
Durdle Door from Lulworth Cove
- 4.2 km distance
- 210 m ascent
- 1.5–2 h time
- Easy grade
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe most photographed rock arch in Britain, from the most perfect cove. The path climbs over the chalk headland from Lulworth Cove and drops to Durdle Door's beach; steep, short and crowded in summer. Go in the evening in winter, when the light is on the cliffs and you'll have it to yourself.
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Studland
Old Harry Rocks and Ballard Down
- 8.7 km distance
- 290 m ascent
- 2.5–3.5 h time
- Easy grade
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXChalk stacks at the end of the Purbeck ridge, the far point of the Jurassic Coast, reached by an easy clifftop walk from Studland. The return over Ballard Down looks over Poole Harbour one way and Swanage the other. Ferry from Sandbanks, bus from Swanage.
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Exeter
Exeter Quay to the Double Locks
- 6.2 km distance
- 0 m ascent
- 1.5–2 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Route, map and GPXThe flat one, for the rainy day: from Exeter's historic quay along the ship canal to the Double Locks pub, with the Exe estuary opening out ahead. Six kilometres, no hills, a station at each end of the city and a pub in the middle.
Before you go
- Dartmoor's northern moor, including High Willhays, is a military range. Red flags mean live firing; check the published times before you go.
- The tors are easy to find in clear weather and nearly impossible in fog, which arrives fast. A map and compass on Dartmoor and Bodmin are not optional.
- Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door parking charges and fills by mid-morning in summer; the Lulworth range walks to the east are open most weekends.
- Dartmoor is the only place in England where wild camping is allowed by right, on the permitted areas; the national park's map shows where.
Questions people ask
What is the highest point in Devon?
High Willhays on Dartmoor, at 621 m, with Yes Tor at 619 m beside it. Both are climbed in one walk from Okehampton.
Which Dartmoor walk is best for a first visit?
Haytor and Hound Tor: two famous tors, a medieval village, an easy loop and a car park on the road between them.
Can you walk to Durdle Door?
Yes, from Lulworth Cove over the headland in about 25 minutes, or from the Durdle Door holiday park car park directly above it.
Read next
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GuideWinter walks that don't need an ice axeTen hills that give you a proper winter day, big skies, frost and all, without the snow and ice that turn walking into mountaineering.
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GuideDog-friendly walks in the Peak DistrictTen walks where the dog will have as good a day as you, from an easy dale to the top of Kinder Scout. - Trail NotesAll postsEvery guide, article and blog post by the TRXO team.
