Belstone Cleave and the Tors Pub

Belstone Cleave in early autumn - beautiful even if it's raining. Here's what Muttley thought in October 2009...





"It was one of those days - the humans weren't all that keen, but I asked in a nice high-pitched dog voice and they agreed. Don't know why they were relunctant - it stopped raining as soon as the walk took us to a bridge and ford. It's the River Taw here, though it's only a stream. There were loads of autumn berries on the trees, lichen dripping off everything - damp climate up on Dartmoor - one of the wettest in Devon. I got to sniff around in the bracken and fetch sticks. They played pooh sticks on the bridge and splashed in puddles. We all walked down the valley, alongside the river. We could have made it all the way to Sticklepath, another Devon village with a dog-friendly pub. But some of the shorter legs didn't want to walk that far.



I didn't meet any other dogs today, except when we got back. There were a couple of dogs and walkers in the pub where we had lunch - The Tors. The humans at the bar perked up when they read a notice about 50 different kinds of whiskers - you'd have thought one would be enough for anyone - dog or human. And I tell you, it looked more like what I leave behind on lamposts...

Good walk though, and the sun came out in the afternoon. I sniffed the circular walls of the old pound in Belstone village, where stray dogs used to wait for their owners - but that must have been before they turned it into a garden. No scents now - just flowers. There was a tree in the middle. I tried to sign it but to be honest I'd exhausted supplies by then. The humans tried out the ancient stocks - talking about rotten eggs. I thought it was only dogs that liked those sorts of smells, but apparently not..."


Belstone is about 13 miles from the cottage and lodges. Park in the carpark at the edge of the village. This is an out and back Devon dog walk along the beginnings of the River Taw, but you don't have to retrace your steps exactly - you're in open access country on the edge of Dartmoor. OS Explorer map 113 or OL28. Watch out for livestock.

The Tors Hotel, Belstone, NR Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1QZ
01837 840689.


View Belstone Cleave to Sticklepath in a larger map

Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo was originally built for self-made retail millionaire Julius Drewe.
Designed between 1910 and 1913, it took 20 years to build. Sadly, Drewe died, aged 76, a year after it was completed. The family gifted the house and grounds to the National Trust in 1974. It was the first 20th Century property they took on.
Drogo was special because the Edwardian building was designed by Edwin Lutyens.



Lutyens was arguably Britain's greatest 20th century architect. It’s a thoroughly modern castle he designed here – no dungeons! Yet it’s an awe-inspiring piece of design, with touches like interior courtyards to give natural light and internal windows build to suggest an older rambling building that has been built onto. I think my favourite room was the switch room, with all the old fashioned wiring. The wooden fittings in the kitchen, in use up to the 1960s, reminded me of my grandmothers’ house, though hers was somewhat less grand...






The formal garden is one of the highest in England - Drogo is so high that although a fig tree cloaks one of the castle walls, its fruits don't ripen.





But there are plenty of flowers in the borders,and you can play croquet on the enormous circular croquet lawn (hire equipment from the visitor centre - June to September)



But if other people’s grand houses are not your thing, exploring the grounds may be. Drogo is perched high up on the northern fringe of Dartmoor, overlooking the Teign Valley. You can hike down to the river, maybe even walk to popular Fingle Bridge if you’re feeling energetic. The visitor centre sells leaflets with details of walks if you don't trust our own nose. You can't take your dog into the house or the formal gardens, but elsewhere dogs on leads are welcome.




The Trust, of course, has a cafe as well as a shop on site. There are often optional extras such as tours of the roof or boiler rooms (and an explanation of how Castle Drogo is hoping to go carbon neutral) or seasonal trails for children. The house sometimes has a cast of actors explaining what life was like in this Dartmoor mansion.


Winter opening: Castle Drogo grounds and tea room(but not the house) are open at weekends in January and February, and on extra days (sometimes including the house) around the Christmas break

Summer opening: from mid March to the beginning of November Castle Drogo is open most days - check the National Trust website (see below) for details.

Castle Drogo is about 17 miles from our Devon eco lodges and cottage. For more information about events there, see our diary pages.

Castle Drogo
Drewsteignton,
nr Exeter,
Devon EX6 6PB
Telephone: 01647 433306

Find out more, check opening times etc...

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.

Riding on Dartmoor at Skaigh Stables

Dartmoor is England's largest wilderness, and on horseback is a fabulous way to see it. Skaigh Stables will take you off the tarmac roads and onto the moor.







It's ideal for intrepid and adventurous riders. The scenery varies dramatically, from wild and remote granite tors to gentle purple heather and yellow gorse-covered slopes.




You can book a morning or afternoon ride (arrive for 9.40 or 13.40, lasts 2 hours and cost £36 in 2008) or a pub ride to take you 20 miles or so (arrive for 9.40 and get back about 16.30, cost £60 in 2008 plus buy your lunch). If you want something different, you can ride by the hour for £18.

Children must be 8yrs or over and accompanied. There are also lots of good walks around Belstone for non riders - and a handy village pub!

Getting there: Belstone is about 16 miles from our ecolodges and cottage, on the northern edge of Dartmoor.

email: info@skaighstables.co.uk
tel: 01837 840429 after 6pm, 01837 840917 daytime.

Find out more, check opening times etc...

Finch Foundry

The National Trust's Finch Foundry is the last working water-powered forge in the country. On one of their regular guided tours you can find out what it really means to have your nose to the grind stone or to be pole axed ...



Finch Foundry is in the village of Sticklepath, on the edge of Dartmoor. When it's raining, this will show you what all that water was used for! The leat would originally have driven up to 10 water mills.
The forge made argricultural tools right up until the 1960s and is a sight to behold. They say the vibrations were powerful enough to shake glasses off the shelves in the next door pub. If you catch one of the guided tours you'll see one of the hammers in action.




This is a small National Trust property, but well worth a visit. There's a tea room in the grounds, and also Thomas Pearse's summer house. That's the Tom Pearse from the Widdecombe Fair song (plus Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all). He was a local serge maker, making the red material used to dress the British army.



There are also lovely woodland walks from the Forge. One takes you to Okehampton, where you can visit the Museum of Dartmoor Life. Or you can follow the river valley along to the village of Belstone (where there's a pub that does food).



Every November the Forge hosts the Sticklepath Fire show - a performance on a huge set which is burnt at the end of a fabulous fireworks display.

The Foundry is usually open from mid-March until early November between 11:00 and 17:00 every day except Tuesday. There are tours about once an hour.

Finch Foundry is about 13 miles from our cottage and lodges. This National Trust property sometimes puts on events - check out our diary pages for details...

Finch Foundry
Sticklepath, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2NW
Telephone: 01837 840046
Find out more, check opening times etc...

Lydford Gorge

Lydford Gorge is the deepest gorge in the south west of England, with the White Lady waterfall tumbling 30m (90ft). It's been voted the No. 1 most romantic spot in Devon and Cornwall. Ledgend says anyone who falls into the Lyd who sees a woman in white with long flowing tresses standing in the waterfall will not drown!



The main attraction of this National Trust property is its grounds and a spectacular walk that takes you through woodland trails to the famous While Lady waterfall, then follws a deep-cut ravine alongside the river Lyd. You'll need proper footware - it's narrow in places and can be slippery. The path takes you to the Devil's Cauldron - a shorter but still powerfull waterfall that has cut itself a cauldron shape cavern in the rock. You can go to a viewing platform along a walk way. Young children are not supposed to do this bit!


You can take your dog to Lydford Gorge, but an infirm or elderly pet might struggle with the narrow slippery paths.

Lydford Gorge is about 21 miles from Wheatland Farm, on the north western edge of Dartmoor. You could easily spend a day here, or combine a visit with other Dartmoor attractions - click on Dartmoor in the label list for ideas.


Lydford Gorge often has events, particularly for children - check out our diary pages for details..

Devon EX20 4BH
Telephone: 01822 820320

Find out more, check opening times etc...