Dartmoor National Park
A wild open landscape with an abundance of natural beauty, Dartmoor has sparked curiosity in the minds of artists, poets and storytellers for thousands of years. Home of the settings that inspired Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and legends that have been passed down generations, Dartmoor is an awe-inducing landscape, steeped in ancient geological and human history.
The moor’s rich rivers and granite tors define the terrain, while copses of wet woodland are home to many unique species of insects and animals.
Take a day trip to hike or explore its features - Dartmoor is the most important site for Bronze Age archaeology in Western Europe, and you can freely explore its stone circles and walk Stallmoor stone row; and whilst on your walk, see if you can spot the iconic herds of Dartmoor ponies that roam the hills. Seek out a riverside spot for a picnic, climb a tor or have a refreshing dip in one of the moor’s natural pools - you will leave feeling refreshed and uplifted, guaranteed.
We also recommend making Dartmoor a pit stop on your way here, or back home - Dartmoor is directly on the way to Wylde Valley Camping from the M5, and you could easily fit in a trip to Castle Drogo, spend an hour or two learning about forging at Finch Foundry, stretch your legs at the tranquil Fingle Bridge, or warm up your camera at the spectacular Lydford Gorge.
Check out dartmoor.gov.uk and visitdartmoor.co.uk for more information on the best walks, features and things to do in Dartmoor National Park.
Bodmin Moor
First farmed over 4000 years ago by Bronze age settlers, Bodmin Moor has remained relatively untouched ever since, leaving much of its prehistoric past on show for all to see. Inspiring many a great poet, artist and philosopher, the moor’s haunting landscape has generated folklore and legend, with tales of its happenings told in a blend of fact and fiction that has passed through generations of story tellers.
The moor’s sweeping expanses of moorland are bestrewed with dramatic granite tors, towering high above marshes and shallow valleys. Rivers have carved themselves paths over the land, pooling in natural lakes , and providing sustenance for rich oak woodland.
There are several wonderful walks on Bodmin Moor, our favourite being an easy ramble up Rough Tor (pronounced ‘row’, as in argument) at sunrise or sunset - but you can more or less choose where you start and finish your adventure, just remember where you’ve parked your car! If you’re feeling brave, you could also have a wild swim in one of the moor’s quarries or natural pools - or warm up and have a bite to eat in the famously quirky, and allegedly haunted Jamaica Inn.