Your Dartmoor adventure awaits…..
Although Dartmoor offers 368 square miles of outstanding natural beauty combined with an abundance of walking routes from which to enjoy it you may wish to take a different path and explore Dartmoor by canoe, cycle, horse, helicopter or hot air balloon. All are possible, but if you want a break from all that stunning scenery you can always entertain yourself, and family, with a spot of archery, bouldering, caving and climbing or for the slightly less adventurous there’s always fishing and golf.
Archery
Dragon Archery (37 miles from the cottage)
A firm favourite with our family, we never visit Devon without a trip to Dragon Archery. We were first introduced to it by guests. Set in beautiful Devon countryside this is a unique, all weather experience. You will get to learn archery skills (no experience needed), with one on one tuition from a really friendly, family run team of archers.
What’s truly unique about this experience is their themed ranges which make it tremendous fun for the entire family. Suitable for ages 12+ and as a family we can proudly boast the oldest Dragon slayer, Paddy Mullen.
Dartmoor Archery Academy (6 miles from the cottage)
One on one experience, with Gordon personally teaching you how to hit a range of 3D targets. Its not just limited to archery target practice, you even get a chance to do target paintballing and archery paintballing games in the woods if you book a whole day’s fun.
Balloon Flights / Helicopter Rides
Balloon Flights (22 miles from the cottage)
See the dramatic and beautiful Dartmoor landscape from one of Virgin’s iconic red balloons which launches from Okehampton, on the edge of Dartmoor.
This is a perfect way to experience Dartmoor’s rugged landscapes, rivers, valleys and ancient granite tors, and not forgetting an opportunity to spot the famous Dartmoor ponies on the moor.
Helicopter Rides, (1 mile from the cottage)
Based in Lustliegh, just a short walk from Three Pound Cottage, AH Helicopter Services provide a really unique and thrilling way to see Devon, and with speeds of over 150 MPH you really get to cover some ground! AH Helicopter services will work with you to tailor a flight experience that ensures you get whatever you want out of your James Bond experience.
Bouldering, Climbing
Crag2Mountain (18 miles from the cottage)
Family run adventure activities company priding themselves on making adventure accessible for all ages and will ensure you have an amazing experience. They offer a range of instruction, coaching and guiding on climbing, mountaineering, navigation skills and caving for any level and any age.
Their activities can be accessed by families, children, adults, couples, groups. A great way to start a family adventure is to try their 3 hour Rock Adventure Session.
If you’re already a competent climber and just want to find out a bit more about the climbing available on Dartmoor, there’s a brief guide on Vertical Frontiers. Alternatively there are plenty of bouldering problems on Dartmoor for which Javu gives a pretty good guide. You’ll see there’s an excellent selection in Lustleigh Cleave.
Cycling
With the ability to pull in at any time to enjoy the breath taking scenery, cycling is a great way to explore Dartmoor. Although cycling is not permitted on open moorland, there is a vast network of quiet lanes as well as 350km of bridleways and byways on which you can cycle. In addition there are several designated cycle routes.
Staying at our holiday cottage in Lustleigh benefits from having the Wray Valley Trail pretty much on the doorstep.
The Wray Valley Trail is an 11km off road route between Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead following a disused railway line. It’s a multi-use path so you’ll come across walkers, horses with riders as well as fellow cyclists.
You can hire cycles from Dartmoor Bike Hire in Moretonhampstead (4 miles from the cottage).
Fishing
A holiday on Dartmoor presents a range of different fishing opportunities.
The various lakes and reservoirs on Dartmoor provide fishing for rainbow trout, brown trout, carp and pike. All these are available at the Kennick, Tottiford and Trenchford reservoirs only 4 miles from our Dartmoor holiday cottage. Please note the lakes and reservoirs on Dartmoor are run by South West Lakes and you will need to buy a permit to fish.
Alternatively a short trip to the Devon coast allows for a spot of sea angling or a boat trip fishing for mackerel.
Golf
If you feel the need to get back in the swing whilst holidaying on Dartmoor, there are 3 golf courses close by to our Dartmoor holiday home from which to choose. Each will welcome you as a visiting golfer.
Bovey Tracey Golf Centre is the closest at only 3 miles from the cottage. This is a 9 hole course and the centre has a family focus. As you would expect they have a driving range and they offer pitch and put, and unusually foot golf.
The other 2 courses are both 18 hole courses and only 7 miles from the cottage. Heading into Newton Abbot you have Stover Golf Club, a popular and well attended club which has easy access. Alternatively, and for a slightly different experience, there’s Bovey Castle in North Bovey. The course, designed by J F Abercromby in 1926, is in a stunning setting.
Horse Riding
Experiencing Dartmoor on horseback gives a very different perspective to walking the moor. As you would expect there are several riding stables on and around Dartmoor catering for all abilities ranging from a novice in the saddle to experienced show jumpers.
Although much further away from Three Pound Cottage, our particular favourite is Cholwell Riding Stables in Mary Tavy which also cater for riders of all abilities and novices of any age. They are situated on the west side of Dartmoor which gives very different scenery.
For younger children, as young as 2, Humaryn Shetland Pony Rides give a great introductory experience to riding.
Kayaking / Canoeing
The owners of the River Dart on Dartmoor allow canoeists to use the part of river below Dartmeet during winter months only ( 1st October to 31st March). Apart from the River Dart there is no general permission for canoeists to use any of the inland rivers on Dartmoor.
The River Dart offers some excellent white water runs. However it is suitable for experienced canoeists only as the water level can rise rapidly after rain.
If you’re not an experienced canoeist you can still enjoy river canoeing, including along the River Dart, with Go Coasteering who offer courses for all abilities as well as “have a try” sessions.
You can find details of the access and egress points along the river as well as a code of conduct and safety advice on the Dartmoor National Park Authority website.
If you want to experience canoeing in a less adventurous environment Adventure Okehampton (19 miles from the cottage) offer kayaking and Canadian canoeing in their private lake.
Letterboxing
Whilst walking on Dartmoor you’re likely to come across ‘boxers’ searching under rocks or in the nooks and crannies of a tor for a letterbox.
What is a letterbox? Well, a letterbox is a water tight container which houses a small pad of paper, a unique rubber stamp and an ink pad. If found, the ‘boxer’ will add the impression of the rubber stamp to their collection whilst placing their own stamp on the paper pad in the letterbox. Once the stamps have been exchanged the letterbox must be placed back in it’s secret location.
It would be nice to believe that Letterboxing originated by secret lovers passing messages to one another however the truth is much less romantic – the first letterbox was created at Cranmere Pool in 1854 by a Dartmoor Guide called James Perrot. It was simply a glass jar that visitors could place their calling card in.
Now there are hundreds of letterboxes hidden all over Dartmoor fueling this popular activity. It’s a fantastic way to entertain children whilst exploring and enjoying Dartmoor. You can find out more about letterboxing and how to take part by visiting the official letterboxing website.
“Proper” Dartmoor Tours
For those who wish to explore Dartmoor in a less adrenalin filled way, look no further than Proper Dartmoor Tours where Tich, and his luxury 6 seater land rover, offer a wide range of tours around Dartmoor and further afield. In addition, Tich is happy to create a bespoke tour tailored to your interests and places you would like to see.
As well as entertaining company, Tich is extremely knowledgeable in all things Dartmoor whether that be places, people, customs or legends. He uses this knowledge and understanding to give real insight on Dartmoor with any of his tours.
Now explore Places to Eat or Places to Picnic whilst on your Dartmoor Adventure
