A fantastic walk from Haytor Vale to Hound Tor, Dartmoor

Discover a fantastic circular walk from Haytor Vale to Hound Tor on Dartmoor, featuring iconic tors, a prehistoric settlement, disused quarries, a historic tramway, and a babbling brook.  With breathtaking scenery, wild ponies, and fascinating history, this 8.5 km (5-mile) walk is perfect for families and new visitors to Dartmoor National Park.

Haytor is probably one of the most popular tors in Dartmoor and is the ideal place to start your Dartmoor adventure.  It was our first visit to Dartmoor and it promised to be an exciting, varied walk which everyone would enjoy.

*contains affiliate links

The walk begins at the Haytor Visitor Centre, located near Bovey Tracey on the eastern edge of Dartmoor.

This spot is a hub for Haytor walks, offering convenient parking, toilets, and a gift shop stocked with trail maps and adorable plush otters!

If the main car park is full, two additional parking areas can be found a short distance along the B3387.

The first stretch leads from the Haytor Visitor Centre to Haytor Quarries.  Once a thriving industrial site, the quarry is now a serene area with a tranquil lake, lily pads, and vibrant wildflowers like heather and hollyhock

The only reminders of its industrial heritage are some rusty, old machinery used in the excavation works.

Passing around the quarry we exited via a gate onto Haytor Granite Tramway.  Built in 1820, the tramway used to transport granite from the quarry down to Stover Canal, then later to Teignmouth.

The tramway was unusual as it was made from local granite, rather than metal.  You can still see the parallel granite setts embedded in the moorland.

From the tramway, head toward Smallacombe Rocks, a large rocky outcrop.  It’s worth climbing up for spectacular views across Dartmoor.  This was our first Tor on Dartmoor and it was an exhilarating climb.

However, it was extremely windy, so take a warm jacket, even if it’s sunny.  Descending from the Tor we followed a narrow trail down into the Becka Valley.

Hiking up the other side of the valley was a bit tougher on the legs.  However, we could see the mighty Hound Tor in the distance which kept us pushing on.  At this point, we took a slight detour via Greator Rocks, which provides another fun climbing opportunity.

It was here that we saw our first Dartmoor ponies.   Although they are actually owned, the ponies graze freely across the moors, which provides essential maintenance for the moor’s landscape.  The ponies are beautiful, but you shouldn’t approach them as they are unpredictable.

Dartmoor is rich with wildlife.  As well as Dartmoor ponies, we saw grazing sheep, and cattle.  Birdwatchers can spot skylarks, buzzards, and kestrels soaring above the moors.  During spring and summer, the landscape bursts with wildflowers, attracting butterflies and lots of dragonflies.  One of the boys also spotted a giant horntail (sawfly), which looks like a wasp, but is far friendlier!

From here it was an easy walk to the Hound Tor Prehistoric Settlement, which was the ideal place for a picnic.

At the base of Hound Tor, you can see the remains of a deserted medieval village, including a cluster of 13^th century longhouses and farmsteads.  These granite ruins provide a glimpse into the lives of Dartmoor’s early settlers.  Farmers in this period lived with their animals, which occupied a separate partition within the longhouses.  Evidence suggests that Dartmoor has been settled for over 4,000 years, with remnants dating back to the Bronze Age.

After lunch, continue to Hound Tor, one of Dartmoor’s most popular landmarks.

As you’d imagine, there’s plenty of folklore and mystery surrounding the Hound Tor rocks.  Legend has it that Hound Tor’s rocks were once a pack of hounds turned to stone by a witch.  This tale is said to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, about a ghostly dog that haunted Dartmoor.

It’s a fairly easy climb to the summit at 414 m (1,358 ft), from where you’ll get far-reaching views across the moors.

The return journey to Haytor, took us along a short stretch of road, where we bumped into a flock of very stubborn black sheep.  They were hogging the road and not really prepared to move for anyone.

Eventually we joined a narrow track that took us through some overgrown ferns and the most butterflies I’ve seen in a long while.  I had to remember to keep my mouth shut.  This was a very different landscape to the open moorland and rocky outcrops we’d seen all morning.

A gate led us though to the Becka Brook, an idyllic clearing with a picturesque Clapper Bridge.  This peaceful spot is ideal for a break, with shallow waters perfect for kids to paddle or swing from a rope swing left by previous visitors.

Eventually, you’ll arrive at Haytor.  As Dartmoor’s largest tor, it’s a popular tourist spot and you can expect to see many more people climbing the popular landmark.  Ror a shorter walk, you can park and walk directly to Haytor.

We started with the smaller, western outcrop “Lowman”, before crossing to the other rocks.  There are steps cut in the side of the rocks and an iron handrail, but it’s still a big stretch for kids.

As you’d expect, the views from the summits are fantastic.  We also had a great feeling of being on top of the world.

Overall, it was a fantastic hike and superb introduction to Dartmoor.  The landscape was spectacular, there was lots to see and for the most part we were alone!

End your day with refreshments at the Old Inn in Widdecombe-in-the-Moor, a charming Dartmoor Village.

This cosy pub offers hearty meals and refreshing local ales, making it a perfect reward after your hike.  Don’t miss the resident hens roaming the garden!

If you don’t want a long hike, you can do a simple out-and-back route from the Visitor Centre to Haytor Rocks.  This is about 400 metres each way.

Alternatively, you can do a 4km circular walk, exploring Haytor Quarries, the tramway and Haytor.  For this route, follow the first part of our walk, but return when you get to the tramway.   You could also do it in reverse, by starting at Haytor.  This circular walk is 4km (2.5 miles) and takes about an hour.

If you wish to stay in Dartmoor, the nearest hotels to Haytor are The Moorland Hotel or The Ilsington Country House Hotel.  Alternatively you could stay at the Two Bridges Hotel, which is nearer to Princetown.

For more budget accommodation, there are several excellent guest houses and self-catering accommodation options.  We stayed in nearby Buckfastleigh, a market town on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.

Have you done any hiking near Haytor?  We’d love to hear your comments below.

You may also like:

• 4 awesome family walks near Princetown in Dartmoor
• A walk to the enchanted Wistman’s Wood, Dartmoor
• A visit to Burgh Island, Devon
• A family day out in Buckfastleigh, Devon

Pin for later:  A Fantastic walk from Haytor Vale to Hound Tor, Dartmoor

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. (Read our full Disclosure Policy)