Walks in Manaton Parish
Manaton is a favourite centre for walkers. The main starting points are from Manaton itself (Car Park at Church) and Hound Tor (Car Park). Guided walks from both these locations are provided by Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) at specified times during the year – see DNPA website for details. The general scenery is outstanding. Avid readers will already have seen the accolade of Trollope. The Sunday Times featured the Manaton/Widecombe/Manaton walk as one of the top 10 walks in Britain in 1996. Devon generally, and Dartmoor in particular, has featured in Country Life as the best county in Britain for scenery and relaxation, including the highest marks for outstanding pubs. Although Manaton only has one pub, the Kestor, it is a great place to end your walks and most of the walks featured in this website allow visits to other pubs in the area.
General notes
The best map for walkers is the Ordnance Survey "Outdoor Leisure" Series no. 28 – "Dartmoor", a 2 ½ inches to 1 mile scale. References to site names on this website are taken from this map.
Attire
This part of Dartmoor is relatively gentle and you are never far from a road or habitation. However, the ground is rough and sometimes boggy and good footwear is essential. Most walkers equip themselves with hiking boots. However, wellington boots (wellies) are excellent for damp conditions and trainers are adequate for dry conditions. The weather is reasonably predictable, so look at a forecast before you go. This will determine what clothes you should wear or carry. The only real danger is mist or fog, which can descend quite quickly and can be disorienting. If you do not know the path and mist/fog descends, proper orientation should be made before continuing. The seasons can be quite unpredictable, with cold and wet weather in summer and warm and dry in winter. This author has been caught most often by the latter, preparing for cold windy weather and ending up in shorts and T-shirt in February.
If you are on a long walk, off the road, be sensible and tell someone where you are going and what route you intend to take. The Dartmoor Rescue Group is excellent, but would prefer not to be called out!
This part of the website covers a few of the more popular walks in the Parish (and beyond) but there are many more. If you would like to share your own favourites, please email the website co-ordinator.
The longer walks recommended are:
Manaton to Widecombe via Hameldown (and back if necessary)
Manaton to Lustleigh, return
Manaton/Grimspound/Warren House Inn
Hound Tor/Haytor Down/Leighon/Hound Tor
Short walks
include parts of the above, so look at each one and decide what you want to do. Other favourite short walks are on Trendlebere Down (Car Park provided – views to Lustleigh and its Cleave) and the Old Manaton Road (Pullabrook, Hisley and Houndtor Woods). Becky Falls has its own Woodland tracks (Hyperlink to Becky Falls website).
Walk one - Manaton to Widecombe via Hameldown
There are three possibilities for this walk. The route to Widecombe is approximately six miles and takes anything from 1 ¾ hours for the fit and fast to 3 hours for the stroller with camera. It involves two reasonably steep climbs. Walkers can:
get a mate to drive to Widecombe and meet them there (probably at one of the two pubs)
return via the same route (double the time or more, depending on how you have lunched)
return via Haytor, creating your own version of the Ten Tors (this is the walk that featured in the Sunday Times)
Start at Manaton Car Park (please note the collection box for upkeep of the carpark!). Take the lane South of the Crossroads, down the hill past Mill Farm. As you go up the hill again, a gate leads into a field, marked with a footpath to Hayne Down. This crosses diagonally to a stile at the far side. If there are stock in the field and if you have dogs with you, it is recommended to keep to the lane, turn right at the next crossroads and you will meet up with the stile anyway. This is especially important during the lambing season.
Whichever way you go, you will continue up a lane to Hayne, where the path (it is a bridlepath, so beware of horses) branches left and continues uphill through the woods, until, at another gate, you enter the open moor. The main path continues in a fairly direct line to the top of Hayne Down (A path to the left allows you to traverse the whole of Hayne Down, if you wish, but this is not included in the mileage!).
At the top of Hayne Down, make a detour to the right along the ridge and you will come above the Bowerman’s Nose (a favourite for photographs). The main path down points towards the gate on the road across Cripdon Down. From the gate, the path goes through the gate towards Hound Tor and branches immediately right through the field. Alternatively, from the gate you can keep to the same side and follow the wall to the top of the rise (open moor) and through a small gate to more moorland. Both routes will take you to Jay’s Grave .
Pause to contemplate, then take the gate on the other side of the road, down the narrow lane/path to Natsworthy. On a good day, this will afford lovely views down the valley to Widecombe. At the road, go left through the gate and immediately right through another gate, following the path on the line of the wood to your right.
The path starts to climb steeply to the RAF monument, commemorating the deaths of the bomber crew that crashed there in the Second World War. It evens out there and soon branches. To the right (or straight on) it takes you to Grimspound, from where you turn left up the hill, joining the Two Moors Way.
If you prefer to leave Grimspound to another day, branch left and the path, which becomes very wide, leads you to the top of Hameldown itself and, again, the Two Moors Way. Along the way you will see the remains of posts sticking out of the ground. These are what are left of an extensive defence system to prevent German gliders landing troops on Dartmoor for an invasion of England! Continue along the ridge past Hamel Down Cross, Broad Barrow (the highest point of Manaton Parish), Single Barrow, Twin Barrows and Hameldown Beacon, before you descend to a walled field. Keep the wall to the left and, at its end, bear left, continuing down the moor. This leads to a narrow, stony lane, turning into a steep tarmac’ed road that brings you out near the Old Inn.
The Old Inn has extensive dining facilities and a big pub garden. It is a good place to meet the mate you have sent on ahead with the car, if that is your option. Alternatively, continue through the village, keeping the Church (Cathedral of the Moor – see Widecombe website!) to your left and carry on for about ½ mile to the Rugglestone Inn. This is a small pub, though with excellent beer (Butcombe – nothing paid for this testimonial) and food and it has a large garden/field for use in the summer. Ideal for adults, less so for children during inclement weather. There is a car park just beyond the pub, on the right.This is the end of option (a). Option (b) merely requires you to retrace, remembering that the lane out of Widecombe is exceptionally steep (this determines your lunch plans).
Option (c) adds another 3 miles to the return journey. If you are ready:
Continue past the Rugglestone Inn to the settlement of Venton, where the open moor (access land joins the road). Turn left onto the moor and climb straight up to Pil Tor. Traverse left to Top Tor and follow the well-defined path down to the car park at Hemsworthy Gate.
Cross the Ashburton road and enter the moor again via the gate in the wall. The path goes straight to the top of Rippon Tor, the highest point in this part of the moor. From the top, bear half left to the gate in the wall. This takes you on to a path that goes directly to the car park at the South-western side of Saddle Tor. Go over the top of Saddle Tor and you will see Haytor Rocks directly ahead. A wide path leads to them, with a small but steep climb at the end. Turn left onto the saddle between the rocks and then bear half right down the slope. This will bring you to fence above Haytor Quarry. Keep to the right hand side following the fence and this comes to a gate into the quarry, which is partially flooded.
The path through the Quarry leads to a stile at the other side and a path which continues over the disused tramway to Smallacombe Rocks. At the top, bear right and down the steep path towards Leighon. The main path carries on to the Becka Brook (bears right to Leighon itself). A clapper bridge (and ford) takes you over the brook, in the woodlands and leads to a steep path through the pine trees, straight up to Greator Rocks, which are through the gate at the top. Follow the path through the deserted mediaeval village (Hyperlink) and turn right after the village, following the contours. This (bridle)path forks, bear right down the hill to the cattlegrid and then follow the road back past Great Houndtor farm (Camping Barn if needed), Southcott and Hayne Cross to where you started. The pub is now about ½ mile away on the road back to Bovey Tracey.
Walk Two - Manaton to Lustleigh, return
Depending on the route chosen, this will take anything from 1 ½ hours to 2 hours to Lustleigh. Lustleigh is a very pretty village with an excellent pub (The Cleave) with garden. There is also a very good tea-room, depending on your taste. Thus, timing of the walk should be made around your desires to eat and drink.
Park at the car park at Manaton Church. Turn left, keeping the green on your left. Immediately past the Parish Hall, turn right through the gate into the lane/path. Stay on this path until you come to the settlement of Horsham. The path divides at this point. For an easier walk, turn right along the lane until, just before you reach the Mill at Water, turn left on the marked path down to the River Bovey, which you will cross via a twin bridge made of tree trunks. Go up the path through the woods and take the next right turn. Carry on to the top of the hill, which will bring you to the road at Pethybridge. For a harder walk, bear left at Horsham, then take the next path to the right, to Horsham Cleave, down a very steep path. The path crosses the river over some huge boulders and then meets a path that follows the line of Lustleigh Cleave. Turn right on this path, which will wind through and up the woods. After nearly a mile, you will meet another path that seems to continue to the top. Turn back on yourself, down this new path and then next left. This brings you out on the same road at Pethybridge.
Follow the lane through Pethybridge making your way always downwards towards Lustleigh. At the bottom, you will meet another road. Turn left into the village. At the Church turn right and both the tea-room (first) and the pub (second) are on this road.
To return, go back past the Church and turn left. This time keep straight on out of the village up a very steep hill. At the top, cross the road into a lane and then follow the footpath to the left through Higher Hisley (farm buildings, clearly marked path). Keep on this same path, which will lead you down the hill and a dogleg to the right. Very soon, you will come to the old packbridge across the River Bovey. Cross this, through the gate, turn right on the old road through the woods and forestry plantation. This is now the Dartmoor Way. The track becomes steep and stony. Near the top, it forks. Take the right fork, up the stony lane, through a gate and eventually back to tarmac. This leads via Beckhams into Water. Pass through the hamlet of Water (left to the pub, straight on through the hamlet) and you will join the main road into Manaton. Turn right to make your way back to the Church and car park.
Walk Three - Manaton/Grimspound/Warren House Inn
This walk follows the walk to Widecombe (see above) for the first part. Overall, it is about 20 minutes (fast) and 45 minutes (stroll) shorter than that walk i.e. about 1½ to 2½ hours.
Follow the instructions for Widecombe and take the right fork (straight on) on Hameldown, into Grimspound. Having admired Grimspound, turn right out of it and up the paved path to Hookney Tor. You are on the Two Moors Way, but not for long. At the road, turn left and take the next path right which leads towards the farm at Headland Warren. The path skirts to the right of the farm and make its way up to a saddle. The land is heavily, but beautifully, scarred by mine workings, mostly ancient. It is also reputed to be the site of a rabbit warren maintained by the Romans for providing meat to their outpost at Okehampton (hence the name). This is a great area to explore, if you want to dawdle (go see the ancient stone row on the left). Keep on the same path until you come to the stream at the bottom, with various ruined buildings around. This was the site of the last working tin mine in the parish, early in the last century. Cross the stream onto what becomes almost an earth lane. Stay on this until a path forks left. Take this path to the road. The Headland Warren Inn, one of the highest in England and with some of the best stories (see inside the pub for details and pictures) has been visible for some time, so you cannot go wrong. In summer, it is best to sit outside and gaze over the moors. If you happen to have a horse, you can hitch it here as well.
Getting back requires retracing your steps. Unless you have again been smart and have persuaded a friend to drive to the pub and meet you there.
PS the pub also serves Butcombes.
Walk Four - Hound Tor/Haytor Down/Leighon/Hound Tor
This walk takes in the two most well-known tors in the area. It is a beautiful walk, especially in the late spring, but really at any time. If you happen to be around in May, try it. The reason will become obvious after about 20 minutes. A fast walk can be done in an hour. For a stroll, count on at least 2.
Park at Hound Tor car park. Cross the road and go straight over the top of Hound Tor. If you are a Dr Who fan, you may remember Hound Tor as one of the strange places that the Tardis visited.
From the top, bear right, keeping above the old reave line that separates Houndtor Down from Greator Rocks and the mediaeval village (don’t worry, you come back that way). Follow the path to a gate in the wall, leading on to Holwell Lawn. This is a Pony Club site, so keep an eye out if there is a meeting.
Follow the path down the hill, bearing left from the gate. If it is late May, admire the bluebells. If it is not, enjoy the view anyway. Keep following downwards and to the left and you will come to another gate in a wall at the bottom of the hill. This leads to stepping stones over the Becka Brook. It is a favourite picnic spot.
Over the brook and straight up the other side. Follow the path towards the cliffs, being not tempted to turn left which leads to bogs. The path becomes less obvious after a while, but if you aim straight for the cliffs, you will follow it! After a short, steep climb, it joins a well defined path which is actually part of the old Haytor tramway system. Turn left and go past the old quarry workings. The path widens out and continues up a slope towards Hay Tor. There is a well defined path to the left where a little stream crosses (in very dry weather, it may have dried up, but will still be obvious).
Turn on to this. You are pointing at Smallacombe Rocks. Follow the path to these rocks and start down the other side, into the valley. If you want to, see if you can find the evidence of the old stonemasons. There is a craved granite basin to be found by the eagle-eyed. Follow the path into the valley and keep to the left at the bottom (a path goes right to Leighon). The path passes through and over a lot of boulders, before turning right along the line of Becka Brook.
It will then come down to a clapper bridge and ford (again, excellent picnic area). Over the other side it passes through a gate and up a very steep hill through another gate to a final gate at the top. For those with long legs who want to try it, it should take approximately 300 long strides from bottom to top gates. From the top, go straight to the mediaeval village. Depending on the weather you may sympathise with one or other of the two main stories as to why the village was abandoned (Black Death, or too wet to grow anything). From the village, with Greator Rocks on your left, go straight up and back over Hound Tor to the car park. If you have timed things well the Hound of the Basket Meals will be operating. Apart from the usual ices etc. they do a mean garlic hamburger and it is one of the favourite local lunch spots.