Moorland Hotel - Wotter - Saddlesborough Tor - Cadover Bridge - Pipeline - Shaugh Prior - Beatland Corner

Dave Pawley

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If you want variety in a walk then this six-mile route certainly offers that, with open moorland, three tors, the River Plym, a lovely downhill woodland walk along the pipeline and footpaths through fields with a variety of styles of stiles en route. There is even a small amount of roadside grass verge-walking, all of it within or on the border of Dartmoor National Park. For once the walk doesn't start from a public car park, but from the private car park of the very walker-friendly Moorland Hotel at Wotter. The views from the moors above Wotter are excellent, but on this walk one of the most splendid views is of Plymouth and Plymouth Sound and the breakwater from the hotel, particularly when lounging in the sunshine on the magnificent wooden-decked patio at the back after the walk, with a pint of beer in the hand. I've done that often, very relaxing. Their meals are great too!! The hotel caters for walkers, harriers, horseriders, folk groups and it is one of the only places I know that has both a car park and a horse park side-by-side. If you'd like more information on the hotel click on their www.moorlandhotel.com web page.

Returning to other features of the walk, the village of Wotter developed as the clay mining grew in the area. At one point on the walk you can really see the immensity of the deep pits the mining results in; the best vantage point for that is from Saddlesborough Tor, one of the three tors visited as the walk leads you across Shaugh Moor.

From Cadover Bridge you walk down a wooded valley and at one point you get a superb view of the Dewerstone Rock, just across the valley. This rocky cliff is unique in the Dartmoor National Park and has for decades been used by local climbers to practise their skills.

England - South West England - Devon - Dartmoor

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Castle, Church, Flowers, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Moor, National Trust, Pub, River, Stately Home, Wildlife, Woodland

12/11/2016 - Dave Pawley

Having read Julian's feedback I've made a couple of edits to redress the problem he encountered when walking the moorland section. I have kept the grading as easy, not moderate as Julian suggest, as the ability to know the general direction you are walking in across moorland is a fairly basic requirement.

11/17/2016 - Julian Eve

My mother in law and I walked this route today. Just a few comments that may prove helpful for other walkers. Point I. It was misleading with regards to the approach to the dry stoned wall. The wall was actually to the right of the path and not directly ahead as was implied in the text. Points 4&5 need more detailed / clearer explanation as this was misleading. In our opinion this should be graded as a moderate walk rather than an easy walk as stipulated in the summary. A further reason to regrade this was due to the numerous indistinct footpaths throughout the walk A compass was essential in order to navigate across the moorlands. As experienced walkers we thoroughly enjoyed the walk.