Walking Weekend
From temperate rainforests to hidden valleys and high tors, the landscapes around Chagford provide as much variety of attractions as the town itself.
THE CHARMING LITTLE town of Chagford, tucked away on the north-east side of Dartmoor National Park, always looks like it was made with walkers in mind. Hills, moors and woods seem to rise and fall in every direction from the central sloping square, where the old octagonal market house is locally known as the Pepperpot. Independent shops and cafés line the streets below the church and offer a hearty welcome to visitors.
It’s the sort of place where you might be tempted to linger – but put your boots on and enjoy energetic walks across high granite tors and through deep hidden valleys. Once you’re into your stride you’ll soon be wandering over a series of high commons and crossing silky smooth rivers. Damp woodlands are decorated with unusual mosses and lichens and, up on the tops, some of the paths pass the striking remains of ancient hut circles as well as the embanked defences of an Iron Age hill fort. There are thatched cottages and impressive manor houses too, all set within a landscape you will want to return to again and again.
We reach the open moors on our first walk, where the views stretch for miles and where nature has sculpted some remarkable rock basins. Then on day two we climb a granite tor and explore a temperate rainforest from the nearby village of North Bovey.
The word is…
Fans of the big screen will want to plan their trip for 25
