Devon Wistman's Wood
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DEVON DORSET 01 WISTMAN’S WOOD 02 PILSDON A W N A SOUTH WEST uDistance: 8½ miles/13.5km uTime: 5 hours uGrade: Challenging B S E SOUTH WEST uDistance: 11¼ miles/18km uTime: 5 hours uGrade: Challenging B Dramatic views high PLAN YOUR WALK PLAN YOUR WALK up on Dartmoor. WOODLAND WALK PHOTO: PHOTO: ROBERT HESKETH ROBERT ROUTE LENBANISTER ROUTE Start/parking Start/parking Roadside, Two Bridges car park, Lonsdon Hill; the free car park at junction 8 miles east of Tavistock, highest point in Dorset. below Pilsdon Hill, grid ref SX609751 grid ref ST414009 Is it for me? Mainly open Is it for me? Field-edges, CHOSEN BY... En route are the lonely ruins moorland; parts rough, CHOSEN BY… gap, emerge on lane. Go R. tracks and quiet lanes ROBERT HESKETH of Brown’s House – reputedly boggy and pathless. LEN BANISTER Go L at fingerpost; soon leave with gentle climbs Wistman’s Wood built by a curmudgeonly Navigation skills needed. Climbing Lonsdon wide track, through 7-bar gate, Stiles 12 is the highlight of farmer who wanted to hide his Do not attempt in mist Hill, the highest point diagonally R to field-corner. or after heavy rain. PLANNING this memorable walk, which attractive wife away from the in Dorset, it isn’t surprising this Continue on R field-edges Stiles 12 Nearest town Bridport encompasses seven tors and sight of lecherous neighbours. walk is awash in wonderful through 2 gates. Follow R Refreshments panoramic moorland views. In fact, it was an early 19th PLANNING views. Add to this superb field-edge to lane. Pubs in Stoke Abbott Wistman’s Wood is one of century newtake farm, built Nearest town manors, the pretty village of and Broadwindsor three small remnants of the when large tracts of the moor Princetown Stoke Abbott and the finale of 1½ miles/2.4km Public toilets None oak woods that covered all where enclosed. Later, we Refreshments an Iron Age fort on Pilsdon 2Cross, along tree-lines Public transport None but the highest Dartmoor follow the Devonport Leat. Two Bridges Hotel Hill, and you have an excellent path. Soon after gate, go Maps OS Explorer 116; Landranger 193 tors before clearances in the Completed in 1801 and 27 Public toilets None outing in the Dorset Area of diagonally L at fingerpost. Public transport Neolithic and Bronze Ages. miles long, it supplied fast None suitable Outstanding Natural Beauty. After gate, cross footbridge Gnarled and stunted oaks growing Plymouth Dock (later Maps OS Explorer OL28; and field. In next field, go sunken path. At fingerpost survive here because they called Devonport). *Please Landranger 191 Start diagonally R to field corner near top, take L fork. Go R at grew among granite boulders, note: part of the walk is within 1Walk down lane toward then L to gate for fenced path. National Trust (NT) sign. From which defend them from the Army’s Merrivale range. Pilsdon. Reach house R. Go At top, go L through gate; keep top descend L. Keep forward grazing animals. The mosses, Always check in advance on Start through solid painted gate, direction with hedge R. Go past another NT sign, line of lichens and liverworts which 0800 4584868 or www.gov. 1Facing north, follow track alongside tennis court, down through farm, join drive to road. trees L. Ignore R fork. Reach festoon the trees and rocks uk/government/publications/ past cottage. Keep wall on your steps, below unicorn, up bank track, go R through gate, testify to the clean, moist air dartmoor-firing-programme. L. As track rises, fork L. Follow to stile. Part-way down R 2¾ miles/4.5km L on drive, R through gate, and are of exceptional There are red flags flown path to Wistman’s Wood and field-edge, go R through 2nd of 3Go R. At hut, go R, diagonally L across field. botanical value. when there is firing. on to outlying group of trees. ➥ 2 gates. Aim for barn, through immediately L on narrow Keep forward to lane. ➥ GRADIENT PROFILE GRADIENT PROFILE 600 600 400 400 es es r r t t e e 200 200 m m 0 0 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 ✁ SOUTH WEST SOUTH WEST DORSET APRIL 2018 DEVON APRIL 2018 02 PILSDON 01 WISTMAN’S WOOD uOS Explorer map 116 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map OL28 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop DON’T MISS... The enigmatic 3 Beardown 4 Man, a menhir 5 over 11 feet (3.5m) high. Unusually, it stands isolated from other prehistoric 3 monuments. Its DATE WALKED DATE DATE WALKED DATE purpose remains a mystery. 2 ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2018 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 007/18 ORDNANCE SURVEY. 2018 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2018 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 007/18 ORDNANCE SURVEY. 2018 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN START 1 Bear east north-east to summit Longaford Tor. 5 2¼ miles/3.4km 4 2From foot of tor follow path north-east to Higher TIME TAKEN 2 TIME TAKEN White Tor. Cross stile in wall. Continue to Lower White Tor. Bear north-north west (avoid path north-east). Aim for heap 6 of stones in square bank – Brown’s House. 4⅔ miles/7.4km gate go L to 2 more then curve wooden fence then R & L 4Turn L, straight across gently uphill to final field between buildings to go uphill 3½ miles/5.7km junction. At corner, go R corner and road. on track to lane. Cross; climb, 3Turn west on path to West alongside house then with fence R. Follow markers to join Dart. Cross by stepping stones. hedge R. Once over brow, 7½ miles/12km track below hill. Go L at NT Head uphill to Rough Tor 1 START continue to gate & walkway. Cross. Follow track to sign. Go through hillfort walls observation post. Head YOUR RATING YOUR 5 RATING YOUR Climb L of house up steps; go T-junction, turn L. Reach road, on to trig point. Below find west-south-west over rough, forward R of houses, L to lane. go L, R at junction. Cross bench; path to car park wet ground to Devil’s Tor and main path south) along rough Turn L. Follow riverbank path Enter Stoke Abbott (R to visit junction with White Lion. Go starts here. Beardown Man. path to gate. Continue on the to road. Turn L to start. church), pass New Inn. Turn L L signed ‘Marshwood’. Where same course, descending to at sign for Chart Knolle. Leave main road curves L, keep 4¾ miles/7.7km Devonport Leat. Follow leat R. drive for bridleway L. Just forward signed ‘Burstock’. Turn VIEW THE WALK ON 4Head south-south-east Cross footbridge. Follow leat VIEW THE WALK ON past house go L on footpath into farm, immediately R (barn to just east Lydford Tor. Cross into plantation. OS MAPS ONLINE: April2018 Walking © Country OS MAPS ONLINE: April2018 Walking © Country to Stoke Knapp. Follow L). Go straight across field, lfto.com/cwroutes wall by stile. Continue on same lfto.com/cwroutes waymarkers, eventually join through gap, then diagonally L course to steel flagpole on top 7½ miles/12km track swinging L downhill to to gate. Follow waymarkers to IN ASSOCIATION WITH farthest Beardown Tor. 6Follow leat through IN ASSOCIATION WITH farm. After gate, go R signed bottom L-hand corner of next plantation and on to fingerpost. ‘Broadwindsor’. Continue with field. Veer L through gate 6½ miles/10.3km Turn L. Follow path signs around hedge R in next field. After toward farm. Go L along OS MAPS 5Head south-east (avoid farm to river. Cross bridge. OS MAPS ✁.