Walk · Devon

Fernworthy Forest and reservoir

Chagford · TQ13 8EA
Fernworthy Reservoir N 440 YD © OpenStreetMap contributors
3.8MILES
1h 55mON FOOT
110mCLIMB
CircularSHAPE
The route A-road B-road Lane Track Path Water Woodland
Off-road 94% 6% shares tarmac with cars
Field & moor path 24%Lane & track 70%Road with traffic 6%

Our drawing of the route, over road and path data from OpenStreetMap. It shows where the walk goes and what it goes through. It is not a survey and not a navigation aid — carry OS Explorer on the hill.

Starts at
Forestry England car park at Fernworthy dam TQ13 8EA
Parking
Free Forestry England car park by the dam, around 60 spaces with seasonal toilets; four miles of single-track lane from Chagford
Directions to the start →

A sheltered 3.8 miles round the reservoir and its spruce plantations, about two hours with 110 metres of climbing almost entirely on forest road and stone track, with a stone circle and two bronze age cairns just off the route. Start at the Forestry England car park by the dam, four miles of narrow lane south-west of Chagford, free with toilets in season and a decent bet on a wet or windy day when the open moor is unpleasant. Dogs are welcome and the forest roads are wide and firm for a long off-lead run with water at the reservoir edge, but the shoreline is a drawdown zone that turns to deep sticky mud in summer, the plantation gates open onto grazed moor at the western end, and the access land beyond carries the 1 March to 31 July lead rule.

THE SMALL PRINTBeyond the forest gates this is open moor with grazing sheep and ponies, where Dartmoor access land rules require dogs on a lead between 1 March and 31 July. The reservoir drawdown margin is deep mud when water levels are low.

House rules, decoded

Off-lead OK
Livestock — leads on
Water bowls
REGION · DEVON
GRID · 50.6448, -3.8830
SOURCE · HTTPS://WWW.FORESTRYENGLAND.UK/FERNWORTHY-FOREST
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