Five of the best short walks on southern Dartmoor: Ivybridge and Princetown

Princetown and King's Tor

Summary: A long, fairly easy walk with gentle gradients, following a former railway track, passing old granite quarries and visiting King's Tor  
Start/finish: National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown (PL20 6QF) 
Time: 3hr  
Distance: 11km (6¾ miles)  
Climb: 140m

This circuit from Princetown combines industrial history and open moorland views in a single walk. The route follows the trackbed of the former Princetown Railway, a branch line that served the granite quarries of the high moor until its closure in 1956, heading out across open moorland before visiting the atmospheric ruins of Foggintor Quarry. The quarry supplied granite for major Victorian building projects, including Nelson's Column in London.

The route continues along the old railway before making a quick detour up to King's Tor, where the reward for a little extra effort is a wide view across the southern moor. Then it's on past Swelltor Quarry, another abandoned working whose scattered granite blocks and ruined structures make for a compelling stop, before a short climb leads back to the outward track and the return to Princetown. The walk follows good tracks throughout, with the exception of the loop up King's Tor, and can be shortened if required.

Princetown itself, at approximately 435m above sea level, sits high on the moor and has a choice of pubs and cafes. Buses run to the village from Exeter and Tavistock.

Best time to visit: April to September for the best underfoot conditions on the moorland sections. The quarry ruins are atmospheric in any season, and particularly striking in low winter light.

Crockern Tor and Wistman's Wood

Summary: A walk with easy gradients in the West Dart valley, visiting fascinating tors and a rare ancient woodland  
Start/finish: Two Bridges car park, B3357 (PL20 6SW)  
Time: 2hr  
Distance: 7km (4¼ miles)  
Climb: 155m

Wistman's Wood is a rare surviving fragment of ancient temperate rainforest, its stunted pedunculate oaks draped in mosses and lichens and growing from a boulder clitter that has sheltered them from grazing for centuries. This walk earns the wood by first climbing north from Two Bridges along a broad ridge above the West Dart River valley, visiting three tors in succession. Crockern Tor, Littaford Tor and Longaford Tor each offer their own character and their own wide views across the surrounding moor. Crockern Tor has a particular historical significance as the traditional meeting place of the Stannary Parliament between the 14th and 18th centuries, the medieval body that governed Dartmoor's tin-mining industry.

After exploring the tors, drop down into the valley and head back to Two Bridges, passing through Wistman's Wood on the way. The ancient moss and lichen-covered trees are unlike anything else on the moor. Two Bridges itself, home to the late 18th-century Two Bridges Hotel, makes a fine base for the walk. Buses connect the hamlet with Yelverton, Princetown and Tavistock.

Best time to visit: Spring, when the oaks are coming into leaf and the mosses are at their most vivid green. The wood is atmospheric in all seasons, though paths can be wet in winter.

Ivybridge and Henlake Down

Summary: A low-level woodland walk beside the River Erme and then a loop over open heathland 
Start/finish: The Watermark, Ivybridge (PL21 0SZ area) 
Time: 1hr 30min 
Distance: 5km (3 miles) 
Climb: 160m

Ivybridge sits at the southern edge of Dartmoor National Park where the River Erme tumbles down from the moor, and this compact circuit makes the most of that position. Starting from The Watermark, a combined arts venue, library and cafe at the heart of the town, the walk picks up a short section of the Two Moors Way, the long-distance route that crosses Dartmoor from south to north on its way from Ivybridge to Lynmouth on the Exmoor coast. Then it's off along the Dartmoor Way following the River Erme upstream, passing under an impressive railway viaduct before the valley path gives way to open ground.

The climb onto Henlake Down brings wide views south over Ivybridge and beyond before the descent back into town. Some of the paths may be muddy after wet weather. Ivybridge is well served by public transport, with trains on the Plymouth to Exeter main line stopping approximately 1.3km from The Watermark, and buses from Plymouth, Paignton and Exeter stopping at the town hall, just 100m away.

Best time to visit: Spring and early summer for the woodland along the River Erme. The open heathland on Henlake Down takes on colour in late summer.

South Brent and Shipley Bridge

Summary: A challenging route with a mix of quiet lanes, woodland, rivers and open moorland
Start/finish: Station Road, South Brent (TQ10 9AL)
Time: 3hr 15min
Distance: 9.5km (6 miles)
Climb: 315m

With 315m of ascent, this is the walk with the highest climb in the selection, and a route that moves through several distinct landscapes in quick succession. From the village of South Brent, on the southern fringe of the national park, the walk follows the River Avon to Lydia Bridge before joining the Dartmoor Way up over Aish Ridge to Ball Gate. The ascent onto the ridge opens up wide views across the southern moor and gives a genuine sense of Dartmoor's scale.

After a section of open moorland, it's off down Diamond Lane to Shipley Bridge, a stony descent that can be slippery in wet conditions. The return follows the valley through Didworthy and Lutton, a quiet and varied stretch of countryside before Lydia Bridge and the familiar path back to South Brent. Paths throughout may be wet, and care is needed on Diamond Lane. South Brent has a pub and cafe, and buses from Paignton, Plymouth and Ivybridge stop on the B3372 approximately 400m off route.

Best time to visit: Late spring to early autumn for the best conditions underfoot, particularly on the open moorland and Diamond Lane. The valley return through Didworthy and Lutton is particularly pleasant in May and June.

Dartmeet tors

Summary: A hilly walk from the picturesque River Dart, visiting three tors with some lovely views  
Start/finish: Pay-and-display car park, Dartmeet (PL20 6SG)  
Time: 2hr  
Distance: 5.5km (3½ miles)  
Climb: 265m

Dartmeet, where the East Dart and West Dart rivers meet in a steep wooded valley, is a well-known and much-visited spot on the moor. This short but hilly circuit makes full use of that setting, climbing from the valley floor to visit three tors with increasingly wide views across southern Dartmoor. The route follows the Dartmoor Way up past the Coffin Stone, a large flat granite boulder traditionally used as a resting place when carrying coffins on the way to Widdecombe in the Moor, before dropping to cross a stream and climbing to Sharp Tor.

The walking eases as the route continues up to Corndon Tor, passing a memorial cross on the way. After visiting Yar Tor, the final summit of the three, there is a short but notably steep descent back to Dartmeet. A shorter walk with less climbing is also possible from the same start point. There is a cafe and toilets at the car park. Buses run to Dartmeet from Tavistock and Newton Abbot in summer only.

Best time to visit: Late spring to early autumn, when the valley is in full leaf and the summer bus service makes a car-free visit practical. Good footwear is essential on the steep descent in wet conditions.