Must see... Find a tor on Dartmoor and watch the ponies, sheep and cattle
streets with their interesting houses.
We felt we had seen the whole village, having done these walks, and learned a lot from the village itself.
Lydford Forest is a little further away, but the byway leading to it was very muddy, despite the dry weather. It may have been easier to drive to the car park but we decided to walk anyway. There were lots of paths to choose from and we were informed that we could see deer, foxes, badgers, woodpeckers and owls… but our labrador thundering about put paid to that!
We happened to visit when Lydford held its summer fair, which was fun to wander around. There was a dog show, a display of hoopers, which is a kind of dog agility, but without jumps, a climbing wall, barbecue and a chance to see a hot air balloon – in fact, the top raffle prize was a ride in the hot air balloon.
The evening entertainment was a band playing all sorts of lively music, with a bar, and the entrance fee was a donation. All this was within a short walk of the campsite.
The following day we drove up onto Dartmoor via Mary Tavy and Tavistock towards Princetown. Turning left at Two Bridges, we carried on to Postbridge and up to the aforementioned Grimspound.
We were not disappointed on our quest for foals; there were so many mares showing off and parading their new arrivals, it was difficult to know where to look first.
We knew not to entice them with food, but they were so inquisitive it was very difficult not to reach out for a little stroke – of course we didn’t, knowing that the rangers prefer people not to over-interact for the welfare of the ponies.
There were calves, too, and lambs, now grown, on the edge of the road.
We were tempted to walk to the ancient forest of Wistman’s Wood near Two Bridges.
Should you pass by, it is well worth a trip to view the huge boulder-strewn forest of stunted trees – very surreal and, in my opinion, best viewed on a misty, cool day for the finest atmospheric experience.
Although the route we took was via the A30 across the top of the moor, I think, should we visit again, we would incorporate a tour across Dartmoor itself, perhaps taking a lot longer.
It would make the journey more of an integral part of the short break, rather than simply a means of getting to the destination. That said, even though we were in the area for just a couple of days, we had managed to pack loads of enticing walks in, which was as appreciated as much by our dog as it was by us.