Reasons to hike in Devon Back to News

On Foot’s Devon walking holiday in England’s West Country has been a favourite for many years, but we’ve now made it even better. Harriet has been busy re-routing and improving the two days that pass through the wilds of Dartmoor – she even walked this section in icy January weather!

The skyline of Dartmoor is punctuated by tors – rugged outcrops of grey granite that are places of myth and legend. Our route now passes some of the most spectacular high points, including Hound Tor, which gets its name from its outline looking like massive dogs (you will need quite a lot of imagination for this…).

Local legend tells that a pack of hunting dogs was turned to stone after disturbing a witches’ ceremony, and also that the tor was inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Nearby are the ruins of a medieval village known as Hundatora.

Spend your night on Dartmoor at The Rock Inn, a historic village pub with log fires and cosy corners. The food, however, is thoroughly 21st century, and excellent!

At Haytor Rocks the next day you’re likely to see the Dartmoor ponies that roam wild, and also the abandoned quarry and the tramline which once carried stone away for the construction of buildings such as the British Museum. Once full of noise and dust, the quarry is now peaceful and the pond teems with wildlife.

After Rippon Tor comes some quiet moorland hiking with panoramic views, then a descent to Buckland in the Moor – look out for the church and its unusual clock face. A lovely walk through woodland brings you to the River Dart and some excellent picnic spots, then on to the delightful tea room at Holne and your next inn at Scorriton.

And if that’s not enough – your holiday starts in the cathedral city of Exeter and finishes by winding down the Dart estuary to charming Dartmouth on the coast, with lots more scenic delights along the way.

Like most of our holidays in the UK, the weather is usually great for walking in July and August, so long as you book well in advance.

Find more about our Devon walking holiday here.