Self Guided Walks Please read these NOTES before downloading and setting off to do a walk.

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When you go on a Ramblers walk a few days beforehand the walk leader will have checked to make sure there are no problems and the route is safe. It must therefore be appreciated that in undertaking any of these self guided walks that you agree to be entirely responsible for your own safety. Should you encounter a problem that others need be aware of please contact the footpath officer.

All the walks are circular that is to say they all start and end at the same place and all are leisurely to moderate . None of the walks are more than 8 miles and most between 4 and 6 and can be done in 2 to 4 hours but take your time enjoy the views.

Be a sensible walker and check the weather forecast before setting off. Sometimes it can be quite clear in Tavistock but with thick mist on the moors. Do not set off on if the weather is on the change. Wear suitable foot wear, flip flops and sandals can be a bit challenging and even dangerous. If you want to take your dog do check the walk first to make sure it is suitable. The walks are designed to be followed on a smart phone, android or iphone. Before setting off make sure you have a fully charged battery.

All the walks are now in the new PDF format which you will find is much easier to use just tap on it and it will download to your smart phone and retrieve it from your download folder when you set off. You have full control moving the screen up and down and zooming in and out as required.

It is suggested that you check out the whole walk before you set off to make sure its one you can do. Particularly important if you are new to the area. You could also follow the route with your finger using the OS map (eg OS explorer 2½ inches to the mile O L28 for the Dartmoor walks ).

1 Wheal Jewell The walk starts close to the Mary Tavy primary school 5 miles North of Tavistock. Its about 6 miles of well worn paths, tracks and a bit on a minor road. In the Summer look out for the wonderful ferns next to the leat between Hillbridge and Horndon. The walk takes you to the Wheal Jewell reservoir which is basically the header tank for the hydro-electric power station in Mary Tavy and possibly the thinnest reservoir in the UK. You will pass very close to The Elephants Nest pub which has an excellent beer garden.

2 Peter Tavy to Mary Tavy via Cox Tor The 6 mile walk starts in Peter Tavy and takes you up the Combe past the now disused swimming pool and on to edge of Cox tor before heading back down hill to Mary Tavy via Harford Bridge. It’s a walk for views so choose a blue sky day or at least one that isn’t misty and you won’t be disappointed. Start from the church in Peter Tavy.

3 Burrator View This is only a short walk just a little over 3 miles but does have a very splendid view of the reservoir and surrounding hills. Perhaps a walk to be attempted on a summer evening. The walk starts at Lowery Cross car park which is the one above the Discovery Centre and takes you into a pine wood and over a ladder stile on to the open moor. For those interested in geology you will not fail to spot the small tor you pass is of granite but none of the other rocks are. Having indulged in the view of Burrator you will then head back down hill passing Leather tor, through a wood, along a leat and then back to your car via a very short section of the old railway track.

4 Gibbet Hill This walk is 7.3 miles long unless you do a short cut and miss walking up Gibbet Hill. You start on the very outskirts of Mary Tavy and walk to Brentor but not up to the church instead we walk up Gibbet Hill where in days gone by hangings took place. It’s mostly footpaths with a bit of road and a bit of open moor walking.

5 Merrivale and the Upper Walkham Valley 7 miles of very easy walking going down the upper Walkham valley starting at Merrivale and visiting Hucken tor, King tor, Pew tor and passing by Heckwood tor and Vixen tor. On the way you will walk on an old railway track, quarrymens tracks and go over the Grimstone and Sortridge leat. You start close to the Dartmoor Inn at Merrivale half way between Tavistock and .

6 Cox tor circuit This is a short walk of just over 4 miles that can be shortened to 3 miles and takes you around Cox tor starting at the car park on the top of Pork Hill. It is a leisurely easy walk and being high up has some splendid views. The short cut misses out Merrivale quarry and an aqueduct

7 Double Waters long and short The best bit about this one is the walk through the oak wood next to the , having visited a most picturesque beauty spot where the Tavy joins with the Walkham known as Double Waters. Look out for the evidence of past mining activity in the wood where you will finds leats, a chimney, derelict buildings and wheel pit if you look hard enough. You can either start from the big lay-by off the A386 on the southern side of Tavistock for a 6 mile walk and go via the cycle track and tunnel or start at Grenofen bridge for a 3 mile walk.

8 Four Bridges On this walk you will pass over the bridge in the village of , and the ancient bridge at Grenofen that once was the road between Tavistock and Buckland Monachorum. You will go under Gem bridge that was built just for cyclists and walkers and Magpie bridge viaduct built to carry trains. Its about 6 miles but there are shortcuts you can take. Start in the middle of Horrabridge.

9 The Irishman’s wall walk This walk starts at railway station that is opening up to a daily service to in summer 2021. Its about 7 miles but half of it is down hill. The walk takes you to and back via the Irishman’s wall and Cullever steps. It’s a steep climb up next to the wall but the views are worth it as is also the delightful walk up through the wood by the East Okement river to get there.

10 Burrator to Drivage Bottom Drive around Burrator reservoir and park at Norsworthy bridge where the walk starts from. There is a bit of open moor walking but this 6 mile walk is mostly on very old cart tracks. The walk takes you out nearly to Nun’s cross and then back via Devonport Leat. You will see a Bronze age village, tin streaming at Drivage Bottom and the legendary Crazywell pool.

11 Dewerstone Rock Park at Cadover bridge and following the pipe track by the to Shaugh bridge and then back, having climbed Dewerstone tor, via the open moor for a 4.5 mile circular walk. Reward yourself with an ice cream from the van that parks at Cadover bridge. Splendid views and a bit of industrial archaeology on the way.

12 Tamar Tracks and Trains Starting from the quay at Bere Ferrers near the Plough Inn this 7 mile walk takes you all around the southern tip of the Bere Peninsular visiting on the way various farms lots of tracks and paths across fields. If you time it right the to Calstock train may pass underneath the bridge you cross. Its mostly off road including a lovely walk through a wood.

13 Calstock Long and short This walk starts by Calstock slipway opposite the Tamar Inn and takes you to Okel Tor mine and up to Calstock Church which was built inside a Roman Fort. It returns via a long since disused mineral railway line but you have the option of an additional 4 mile loop to return via Cotehele. The short walk is about 3 miles so allow about 2 hours to include a visit to the mine and to read all the information boards.

14 Around Buckland Monachorum Starting at the little car park opposite Long Ash garden centre on the edge of Roborough Down this 5.5 mile walk will take you through the middle of Buckland and out to the retuning via an Iron age Hill fort and along the very edge of the Dartmoor National Park. The road up from Hatch Mill is quite steep but except for this its an easy stroll.

15 Whitchurch Stone stiles and Kissing gates This is a lovely cross country walk of about 5 miles which starts at Whitchurch. You will go out through 6 kissing gates and back over 3 granite stiles. The fields and gateways can be very wet and muddy in the winter so go in early summer and enjoy the wonderful hay-meadow flowers.

16 Horrabridge to Huckworthy the oak tree walk A 5 mile rural walk on well defined tracks footpaths and a bit on the road. A very varied walk which includes some open moor and a walk over Huckworthy bridge as well as stepping stones across a small stream which just may be flooded after heavy winter rain. The walk starts from the Leaping Salmon pub in Horrabridge.

17 Rock to Buckland Another rural walk this time from the Rock at Harrowbeer airfield on the edge of Yelverton all the way to Buckland Monachorum and back via the Garden House. Its about 6 miles and should take you a bit less than 4 hours unless you call in to the Drake Manor pub at Buckland.

18 Drizzlecombe An easy 4 mile walk passing Ditsworthy Warren farmhouse made famous in the film War Horse. You can stand next to the massive Bronze age menhirs that tower above you and climb into the Giants basin then explore the old mine workings at Eylesbarrow. Park at the little moorland car park near the scout hut above Sheeps tor Village. In winter months if it has been very wet then the path that crosses the stream on the other side of Ditsworthy farm house may be impassable.

19 Follow the leat with an excursion across Foxtor mire This is a short walk of about 3 miles but high up on Dartmoor. Its very easy as you primarily follow the Devonport leat for most of the way. For those who dare there is an excursion across the notorious Foxtor mire but only if it has been dry which is not very often. Remember 4 days of dry weather in Princetown is called a drought.

20 Pixies House One of, if not the prettiest walk of all especially on a sunny morning in May. This walk is just under 5 miles and starts in the village of Meavy and takes you out past Burrator reservoir up to Sheeps tor and the pixies house and then back via the bluebell wood and Marchants cross.

Feed back These walks have now been downloaded over 5000 times so clearly very popular. We would love to hear how you got on. If you have a favourite walk that you would like to share with the other members then contact Tavistock Ramblers Footpath Officer on [email protected] who will walk the route take the photos and put it on the website it for you.