Dog Walks: Princetown, Dartmoor

Dog Walks: Princetown, Dartmoor Circuit

Start/Finish: Centre of Princetown, Dartmoor

Directions: Found in the heart of Dartmoor, Devon.  It is approached either via the Tavistock Road B3357, or the Two Bridges Road B3212.

Parking: In Princetown, there is a Public Pay and Display Car Park, or On Street Parking in some areas. 

Public Conveniences: Centre of Princetown next to Public Car Park

Directions: Found in the heart of Dartmoor, Devon.  It is approached either via the Tavistock Road B3357, or the Two Bridges Road B3212.

Terrain: Mainly Gravel and grass tracks, a small part on pavement, a few boggy areas, the walk is mainly flat with a couple of steady inclines.

Distance: Approximately 4.7 Miles

Please keep your dog under strict control as there are livestock grazing these areas.

*Click on the images below to enlarge*

Dog Walks: Princetown, Dartmoor Route:

• Leave the centre of Princetown by walking towards the Plume of Feathers Pub, cross the road main road, and walk down the lane to left of the Plume of Feathers (this leads to the Plume of Feathers Car Park).

 

• Where the lane bears round to the right, there is a footpath marker on your left and you will see a gravel footpath continues straight ahead in between 2 boulders, follow this footpath, you will see that it follows straight ahead through a wooden gate  and on up the hill. 

 

• At the top of the hill, go through another gate, keep following along this path which is running alongside a stone wall with a fence on top and then follow the track out on to open moorland, you can see the rocky Tor in the distance ahead.  

 

• You will see  South Hessary Tor ahead of you, the path passes to the right of this. 

 

• You continue following the path over open moorland as seen here behind Sarchie, passing POW stones on your left.

 

But when you eventually come to a larger marker stone on the right of the path (seen here on the right), and at a X-road of tracks, here you turn left.

• Follow along this short track, and it will bring you to a tarmac road, cross straight over the road and follow down a grassy track, soon a gravel track joins from the left, you keep walking ahead on the gravel lane. 

 

• You will pass through a wooden gate under a windy swept leaning right tree , continue on down this track, you will pass paddocks, and you will eventually see a large garden and house down to your left. 
• Eventually at the end of the straight gravel track, it swings left, but you continue straight ahead through a wooden gate.    This wooden gate has the blue way spot, and is signed Peat Cottage Farm House, on your left here is a grey building which is Wesley Chapel Peat Cot  on your left.  Keep walking straight ahead over a stone slab bridge, then you will see the bridlepath off to the right, you will hopefully see a way marker with a blue splodge on it on your right hand side.  You are now following parallel on the lower side of a three strand barbed wire fence.

 

• Continue following along the fence line, on a peat a grass track, a bit soft in places.  Ahead  see you will a stone wall with gates.  Next to the gates is the way-marker . 
• Go through the gate and turn sharp left on to moorland, and head down this field running parallel to the wall.  You will see ahead at the bottom of the slope a wooden footbridge, cross over the footbridge and pick your way around the boggy area on the other side. 
•  Continue up the field, keeping the wall to your left.  Eventually at the brow of the hill you will see a way-marker on your left, continue straight ahead running parallel to the fence-line, your grassy path turns into a gravel track, continue ahead following this. 

 

• Eventually you will come to a wooden gate, go through it and pass by the dwellings here on the right at Bullpark.  Drop down a concrete road, and just after the turning into the garage there is another waymarker signed path just where the road levels, turn right here.  The solid road ends  and turns into a stoney track, follow along for a short distance and go through a wooden gate next to a stream.  Here you are walking along next to a small wood behind a wire fence on your right.

 

• Follow along this track, it bears left and then right, through a gate, then follow the road straight until the end of the short straight with a wire fence on your right.  Here the gravel track ends (you will see Bachelor Hall (barn conversion and one other down on you right) and you need to turn sharp left up the hill on a grassy track, head to the gate, just in front of the gate you cross over a bridge over a stream. 

 

• Pass through this gate, you will see the TV mast on the horizon, this mast stands up behind Princetown so you know you are heading in the right direction!
• Continue up the hill and past a metal  gate on the left, here you follow the track around to the right, a stone wall which grass covered, and a fence on top of it on your left.  As you walk up the steady incline the fenceline arcs left, keep continuing running parallel to the fenceline 

 

• You will come to the end of the field next to a tiny wood on your left, and see Princetown ahead,  pass through the gate here and continue straight ahead, the track then turns right around the edge of a plantation, the track follows this plantation, and swings left then right, continue on this path and it will lead you down to a wooden gate out on to a road. 

 

• Pass through the gate and turn left follow along and join the pavement, you will then arrive back to the mini roundabout back next to the Plume of Feathers Pub.

 

Dog Walks: Princetown, Dartmoor Possible Places in the Area:

Lords Cafe, Princetown, had a cream tea here, was lovely but needed more jam: http://www.lordscafeprincetown.org.uk/

The Old Police Station Cafe, Princetown, had Cream tea here a couple of years ago, again needed more jam! : http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A21897480

The Plume of Feathers Pub,Princetown, had a really good meal here a couple of years ago: http://www.a1tourism.com/uk/plume.html

Warren House Inn in the heart of Dartmoor, where the fire never goes out, I havent eaten here yet, but definitely plan to: http://warrenhouseinn.co.uk/

Tavistock Inn Poundsgate, always busy when I drive by, but not eaten here: http://www.devon-explorer.co.uk/pub/Poundsgate/Tavistock_Inn.html

Dog Walks: Princetown, Dartmoor, Other Attractions in the Area:

Dartmoor Prison Museum: http://www.dartmoor-prison.co.uk/location_of_Dartmoor_Prison.php

Discover Dartmoor: http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/things-to-do/attractions.asp

Attractions: http://www.touristnetuk.com/sw/dartmoor/attractions/attractions.asp

Dartmoor Attractions: http://www.dartmoor.co.uk/site/what-to-do/dartmoor-attractions

Dog Walks: Princetown, Dartmoor Additional Photo’s: