Dartmoor return

It’s been four or five years since I visited Dartmoor. A mysterious place littered with bleak hills, lonely tors and ancient settlements. Dartmoor feels like an abandoned space. Its bleakness and lack of paths means it receives less visitors. Once covered in trees with roaming hunter-gatherers, it now seems like a neglected relation to other national parks. 

I had previously wild camped on Dartmoor, but this time we stuck to very pleasant campsite in Cockingford, near Widecombe-in-the-moor. We left Widecombe on a day trek up to Hamel down.   This took us onto a hill and a series of cairns and tors. Once you reach Hamel Down tor, you drop down to Grimspound, an ancient settlement. 

From there take the Two Moors way across to the B3212 and a half way pub stop -  the Warren House. This is a really nice traditional pub with benches out the front to take in the view and Otter ale on tap. The return route heads towards Soussons Down, a peaceful conifer plantation, which has a stone circle on its south side. 

Follow the yellow road from Sousson for 2 or 3 kilometres. This leads back up to Hamel Down, where you finish with a glorious view of Widecombe church surrounded by green hills.