This week we are focusing on Wild Camping on Dartmoor as this National Park was the closest one to me and is a great love of mine!
We are blessed here in the UK with having a comprehensive list of National Parks, 15 in total. All chosen for their mountains, woods, wetlands and moorlands and all highly protected. Having said that however, we can visit at anytime and yes if you are brave enough Camp too! When I say brave...I really do mean brave. Wild Camping on Dartmoor with it's swirling mists, bogs and legends of giant ghostly hounds, means in my book, you would have to be made of stern stuff to brave a night or two actually on the Moor. We will come to this concept in due course however!
A Few Factoids
Firstly, let me give you a few salient and very interesting facts about Dartmoor National Park. Firstly it is incredibly dramatic! From it's stunning granite tors, it's wooded valleys to it's vast open moorland which is only broken up by small farms and picturesque hamlets. Dartmoor covers some 368 square miles in the county of Devon, England. It's highest point is 621m above sea level at High Willhays Tor and it's lowest point is a mere 30m above sea level at Doghole Bridge.
A large part of this area, a staggering 65% is made up of granite. This has contributed to the 160 Tors which Dartmoor is famous for. The highest one, which I have already mentioned, is High Willhays. Now, I have personally climbed Haytor, which is arguably Dartmoor's most famous landmark and at 457m above sea level it's no molehill but believe me when I say I was extremely puffed by the end! Those of you who can get to the summit of High Willhays will have achieved a good day's exercise and a deserved pint (or two!) in the local pub.
The climate on Dartmoor is dominated by cool and wet south westerly winds (worth noting when we get onto the Wild Camping section!) and of course the higher you get the more severe the climatic conditions can be, hence my reference to the mists which can descend dangerously quickly.
Dartmoor is sparsely populated so if you like the idea of getting away from it all and not seeing your fellow man for several hours or possibly even several days - depending on how deep in to the moor you venture, then this is the place for you. However having said that there are some quite wonderful towns and villages that are worth visiting – Ashburton & Buckfastleigh being two of the biggest to South Brent and Yelverton and to miss a trip to Chagford would be a travesty in my book!
Now of course we can't finish this section without mentioning the delightful Dartmoor Ponies which wander free and unfettered across the moorland, along of course with sheep and even cows!
Dartmoor National Park therefore has something for everyone and that includes Campers.
Staying On or Near Dartmoor
So you now fancy hitching up your caravan, Motorhome or just putting the backpack on and trekking down to Devon to experience the wildness of the moor. There are a number of camp sites that you can look at. Some offer more of a home from home vacation, whilst others offer a back to nature form of holidaying. I have chosen to show you the luxury end of the campsite market:
Woodovis (www.woodovis.com) is ideally situated near to the town of Tavistock and is open from March to October and offers a luxury spa (great at the end of a long day hiking up those Tors!) to an indoor heated swimming pool (superb for the children) and you are welcome to take your dog too...a real family orientated site. As you can imagine this is a five star site and from the reviews I have read it is definitely worth considering! There are 50 touring pitches with electric hook up as well as 4 camping pods if you fancy a little Glamping.
Langstone Manor Park (www.langstonemanor.co.uk) is located in a sheltered wooded valley on the south west side of Dartmoor. They again offer, level well drained pitches with toilets and laundry facilities close by. With no loud music or noise from passing traffic this is definitely a place to unwind.
River Dart Country Park (www.riverdart.co.uk) is superb for families and is rated 4 pennants which makes it an idea base to explore Dartmoor. Set within mature parkland, this site is neat with generous pitches which is just what you need if you want a little distance from your neighbour! There is a shop, 3 toilet blocks and laundry rooms which are so very useful if you have managed to fall into a muddy bog during the day. This park is very family orientated with free entry to the River Dart Country Park and all the activities that it offers from canoeing to mega zip wires! Life is never dull here, so even if Dartmoor is inaccessible due to inclement weather you won't have bored offspring to contend with!!
Having given you a taste of campsites located either on or near Dartmoor that are as I say highly amenity conscious (and I have to say just up my street!), I will now give those of you who wish for a more natural campsite the concept of Wild Camping...sends a thrill down your spine doesn't it?
Wild Camping On Dartmoor
Not every National Park allows this concept of getting back to nature holidaying but fortuitously Dartmoor does. Backpacking on the moor then pitching up for a night under clear starry skies is an incredible experience. However you are only allowed to do this for one or two nights so don't plan a full family holiday doing the Wild Camping thing as you could find yourselves in trouble, not with the Hounds of the Baskervilles but with a National Park Ranger, having personally known one or two I am not sure which is the more scarey! The pitch you choose also has a few pre-requisites attached:
1. Don't pitch up on farmland, on moorland enclosed by walls or at archaeological sites.
2. Ensure your pitch is at least 100m from the road and that you are not visible from the roadside or in sight of residential properties. Although you adore your tent...not everyone will and we don't want you to be literally a blot on the landscape now do we?
3. There are also a few prohibited areas which include Cadover, Haytor, Holne Moor, Roborough and Spitchwick Common but the rest of Dartmoor is practically your oyster
Moor Care
As with anywhere you visit, it is particularly relevant to a National Park to abide by the rules allowing everyone to enjoy the peace and tranquillity this type of area can bring. Please take all your litter home (Dartmoor Ponies have been found to eat litter causing them undue harm!). Ensure you guard against the risk of fire. Don't pollute streams and rivers and avoid disturbing the wildlife. Those ponies are gorgeous to look at but they frighten easily so keep your distance.
If you want any further advice on this wonderful piece of land then there is the official Dartmoor National Park website www.dartmoor.gov.uk which also has a very useful interactive map to show you where you can camp and where you can not.
If you do take the time to visit this area, either in your caravan or with a tent strapped to your back I can guarantee you will be blown away but the magnificence of the vistas, the friendliness of the locals and the serenity it brings to the soul
Happy Camping, Campers!
