A road trip along England’s south coast – Part II
Dartmoor in the county of Devon is not only a very convenient stopover on the way to or from Cornwall. With it’s rough and wide grazing land, wild ponies, wooded valleys and huge stone formations often dunked in the mist, it’s the perfect spot for some peace and quiet.
A not-so-restful night in Dartmoor
My first stay in Dartmoor was actually five years ago with my sister and brother in law. Just like my friend Mona and I this year, we were on our way to Cornwall and hadn’t booked any accommodation since we wanted to go camping and wing it. We first called into the YHA hostel in Dartmoor as it was a bit chilly that night but had to learn that the entire place was booked for a stag do. However, the friendly hostel staff pointed us towards Bellever Car Park, a scenic little spot next to a stream, where overnight stays are allowed. So we headed into the direction of this little valley and we set up camp.
After we’d had a few beers and dinner in the nearby pub, we got back to the campsite to find that the music from the hostel was amplified through the entire valley, so we had a couple of wines outside the tent before hitting the sack. Shortly after, the music stopped and when a police officer came around within minutes, he informed us that someone from the village had reported an illegal rave and if we’d seen anything. We must have looked baffled since it was literally just the three of us sitting in the woods with plastic wine cups in our hands. We explained to the officer that there was a party in the hostel but that they’d stopped the music so it was all good.
That night was literally my first time ever sleeping alone in a tent (aside from at a festival). It should be said at this point that Dartmoor is also known for its myths and stories inspired by those, such as ‘The Hound of the Baskerville’, involving the legend of a fearsome, diabolical hound of supernatural origin. Hence, when I heard something howl in the distance as I was getting ready to go to the loo in the middle of the night, I was feeling a bit queasy – but I survived the night without any mystical creatures dropping by.
Teign Gorge – Hiking in Dartmoor
This year, Mona and I were luckier in finding a couple of beds in the comfy little YHA hostel I mentioned above. We also had our tent with us but since we only got to Dartmoor late, we chose the hostel as the easier option. We hadn’t managed to buy any food on the way either, so the friendly lady in the hostel even provided us with two ready meals (!) which we heated up for a quick dinner before we turned in. For those who have never staid in hostel – that definitely isn’t part of the service normally, so don’t just rock up at a hostel starving and expecting to be served 🙂
The next day, after a great night’s sleep in the quiet and comfy dorm as well as a tasty full English breakfast, we embarked to explore the area. It’s always best to take your time driving through Dartmoor as more frequently than not, it can come to animal-related traffic jams, which are mostly caused by the famous Dartmoor ponies or sheep. As the lady explained to us, the animals especially love to lie on the street at the end of the day because the tarmac is still warm from the day.
So we took it easy as we were heading to Castle Drago to start our 7-km hike through Teign Gorge. This is probably the most popular hike in Dartmoor, since it offers lookout points descending into the valley, walking along a gurgling steam with moss-covered rocks and through a mystic oak forest. Before ascending from the valley, there is a scenic little pub where Mona and I had lunch.
There are many more wonderful hikes in Dartmoor, check them out e.g. here.
