Walking near Meldon Reservoir, North Dartmoor

You can get a good taste of Dartmoor around Meldon Reservoir, yet choose how adventurous you want to be. Walk around the reservoir, head for the High Willhayes (the highest point in southern England), walk down to the viaduct or explore the geology of the valley.



The area around Meldon is a SSSI. There's a hazel wood with bluebells in spring (and a good population of dormice) just north of the Meldon Viaduct.

If you want to know more about the industrial archaeology of the area, see this site.

There's more about the ecology here.

And more about its geology here.

See the South West Lakes trust's page for meldon reservoir.


There are lots of pictures of the area at Tour by Tor's walk, Yes Tor & Meldon Reservoir.

Here's a link to a circular walk from Okehampton to Meldon and back.


Here's a great photo of the Meldon Viaduct, which now carries the Granite Way cyclepath (going from Okehampton to near Lydford).

Anglers can fish for brown trout during the season (15 Mar to 12 Oct in 2008). It's free, but you need an Environment Agency rod licence for anyone over 12.


Meldon Reservoir is about 17 miles from our Devon cottage and eco lodges. There's a car park, which has public loos.