Imagine! You’ve made an extra early start to squeeze the most out of the day. The stiff climb from the bustling little town at the foot of the moor has certainly burned off the calories of the previous night’s glorious evening meal. And there now, laid before you, is the reward.

The early morning mists still hang over the lower ground to form a magical cloudscape. Hummocks and tors rise through it, and appear as islands in a milky sea, glowing golden with the colours of late autumn in the sunshine. This could be heaven!

Getaway on your bike and experience the ‘Dartmoor Way’; a cycling route that sweeps around the Dartmoor National Park for over 90 miles linking towns and attractions along its length.

Although the full route (see map) is not for the faint-hearted, the ‘Dartmoor Way’ offers a wide variety of cycling experiences on different sections over its length, to suit most abilities. For the casual leisure cyclist, the quiet leafy lanes, sheltered valleys and sleepy villages around the moorland edge are an ideal introduction to the route. The more adventurous will relish the challenging climbs (rewarded by long downhill sections!), and the wide skies, and panoramic vistas of the open moor.

NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK

From Okehampton to Tavistock the ‘Dartmoor Way’ shares its route with the Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 27. An optional section crosses the dizzy heights of Meldon Viaduct on a former railway line before dropping on to quiet country lanes.

Test your fitness, as you ascend the moor to Princetown - the highest point on the route at over 500m./ 1,600 ft. For the very hardy, there is also an off-road alternative along the route of the former Princetown railway.

It’s (more or less!) downhill to Buckfastleigh before tackling a moderate section through Ashburton and Bovey Tracey. Enjoy the tranquil surroundings of Trenchard Reservoir before continuing onwards through Moretonhampstead and Chagford. A final climb from Sticklepath takes you to the village of Belstone perched on the edge of northern Dartmoor, before descending back to the bustling town of Okehampton.

PLANNING YOUR ESCAPE!

You can have total flexibility in the way you choose to explore the ‘Dartmoor Way’. Take a day out or perhaps a long weekend to cycle a short section of the route, or treat yourself to a longer break to tour the full route, taking time to explore along the way.

For those not wishing to bring their own bike, there are cycle hire outlets around the ‘Dartmoor Way’.

Click to enlarge Cycling Route map