Saturday 30th March 2024
After spending a few days walking through Dartmoor in 2020 I was keen to return and when I saw that Abbie Barnes of Spend More Time In The Wild had walked the Dartmoor Way in spring 2021 I thought that looked a good idea, which was strengthened when I saw the video on YouTube of Abbie’s walk. I actually planned to do the Dartmoor Way a year ago but then a High Court judge removed the right to wild camp on Dartmoor so I decided not to go. With that decision overruled on appeal I decided that this Easter I would do the Dartmoor Way, so I caught a train to Ivybridge on the southern edge of the National Park, where I had previously been in 2008 after traversing Dartmoor from north to south. With the sun shining I made my way beside the railway line to a road junction where I realised the Dartmoor Way passes, but the actual start was at the bottom of the hill. I considered ignoring the official starting point and proceeding along the Dartmoor Way from this point, but I wanted to do this properly so I headed done the steep road until I reached the medieval Ivy Bridge that lends its name to the town. Spring flowers greeted me and excited me for the prospect of my walk to come as I turned around and headed back up the same road that I’d just walked down. Soon I was hot in my fleece under the sunny skies as I climbed past the railway line, into Dartmoor National Park and eventually onto the open moor.
The ascent continued until I reached the trackbed of an old tramway where I turned right to follow it around the southern slopes of Western Beacon. I had planned to climb all the way up to the top of Butterdon Hill, but I was too tired so I kept to the Dartmoor Way gradually descending until I reached a small car park on the edge of the moor. A steep descent down a road brought me frustratingly back to the railway line and onto a busy road which I followed into the village of Bittaford where I turned left under an impressive viaduct and climbed back up the hill. Already, I was finding that the Dartmoor Way has a lot of seemingly futile and tiring ups and downs, but the good weather compensated with wild flowers, particularly celandines and primroses, decorating the banks. The agonising climb continued up the hill until I reached Wrangaton Golf Course on the edge of the moor where the walk continued beside the wall. The golf club was actually closed so no golf was taking place, which made me happy, though the boggy path was not so pleasing and I was glad when I reached the club house to start a prolonged spell of road walking. I knew there would be a lot of this on the Dartmoor Way so I was wearing my lightweight boots which I had worn on the Southern Upland Way last year. Celandines and primroses accompanied me beside the road, before crossing a number of wet fields to reach Lydia Bridge on the edge of South Brent.
The Dartmoor Way doesn’t go into the village so I diverted off to head into South Brent beside the delightful River Avon which was lined with wild garlic whose sweet fragrance filled the air. After buying some food I returned to Lydia Bridge to continue along the trail climbing steeply up the hill. Judging by the video, I’m sure Abbie missed out this next section by keeping to the road at the bottom of the valley, but I found it to the highlight of the day. A relentless climb eventually brought me onto Aish Ridge where I had views ahead of the high moorland while my track crossed a saddle and climbed over rocky ground to pass between the monumental stone gateposts of Corringdon Ball Gate. This led me into open moorland with little trace of a path so after a careful check of the directions I turned right to head across the moor, which provided me with some enjoyable, proper hill walking while the late afternoon sunshine illuminated the scenery around me across the Avon valley. The contrast between this stretch of moorland walking with the confines of road walking earlier was marked and added to the enjoyment of the former. Eventually I descended a steep, rocky path to the road at the bottom of the valley and soon I was at the popular car park beside Shipley Bridge where a tarmacked track up the valley passes spectacular rapids and small waterfalls.
This is a justifiably popular area and many people were coming down the valley as I made my way up until eventually I reached Avon Dam Reservoir, surrounded by open moorland that was very wet and with sketchy paths. Beyond the reservoir, at the crossing of the ancient Abbot’s Way I turned right to head over Dean Moor and as the light began to diminish I found a place to pitch up my tent. This walk was marred by being tired due to poor sleep, but I had been looking forward to this holiday for a long time. After the long wait through autumn and winter my walking season had finally begun and with great plans for the year I was eager to start. This walk was tedious while on roads, but great when I was on the open moorland and frustrating when I soon came back down, however I was thankful that the weather was good.
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