Name: Wild & Ancient Dartmoor
Distance: 6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Features: Drizzlecombe prehistoric site, old tin mines, potato cave, Cuckoo Rock
Summary
Dartmoor's history goes back thousands of years and this walk takes us on a journey through the ages and through some magnificent scenery. Starting near Gutter Tor, we walk past Ditsworthy Warren Farm, where the film War Horse was shot. Further up the remote and lovely Plym valley we come to Drizzlecombe prehistoric remains: three impressive stone rows, burial sites and a settlement. It's considered one of the finest Bronze Age sites in Europe, and standing there the views are hardly different from when it was inhabited. From here, we cross the valley and walk through Eylesbarrow tin mine, one of the largest and busiest during the 19th century. Downhill in the Deancombe valley, we pass the remains of medieval tinners stream workings and cross the Narrator brook at a delightful meadow. In this area are the ruins of abandoned farms, including a potato cave tucked into the hillside. Further down the valley, we cross the stream again and walk back over open moorland below Sheepstor.
