Walk · Devon

Mardon Down above Moretonhampstead

Moretonhampstead

3.2MILES

1h 45mON FOOT

160mCLIMB

CircularSHAPE

The route A-road B-road Lane Track Path Water Woodland

Off-road 88% 12% shares tarmac with cars

Field & moor path 70%Lane & track 18%Road with traffic 12%

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. Off-lead information here is what walkers reported or what signage allows — never our advice. Whether and when a dog is off the lead is the owner’s decision and legal responsibility; keep dogs under control near livestock and follow signs on the day.

Starts at

Verge parking at the cattle grid on the Mardon Down lane, north-east of Moretonhampstead

Parking

Free verge and layby parking on the down, about a dozen spaces; no facilities, and the lane is single track with passing places

Directions to the start →

A 3.2-mile circuit of a broad heather and gorse common on the eastern edge of the moor, an hour and three quarters with 160 metres of climbing on moor grass tracks, a short lane and one stony descent, taking in the Headless Cross and a stone circle. Park on the wide verge at the cattle grid where the Moretonhampstead to Clifford Bridge lane crosses the down, which is free and holds a dozen or so cars, or walk up from the town square in twenty-five minutes. This is common grazing so sheep, cattle and the odd pony are always somewhere on it and the 1 March to 31 July lead rule applies to the access land, there are no stiles anywhere on the route, and the only water is a boggy runnel on the north side, so bring a bottle.

THE SMALL PRINTDartmoor access land and common grazing: dogs on a lead between 1 March and 31 July, and under effective control near the sheep and cattle that graze the down all year.

House rules, decoded

Off-lead allowed

Livestock — leads on

REGION · DEVON

GRID · 50.6690, -3.7455

SOURCE · HTTPS://WWW.DARTMOOR.GOV.UK/ENJOY-DARTMOOR/PLANNING-YOUR-VISIT/VISITING-WITH-YOUR-DOG

Mardon Down above Moretonhampstead

House rules, decoded

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Get the new stamps first.

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