Princetown to King's Tor
| LOCALITY: |
Prince Town, DevonPrint this page |
| DISTANCE: | 5 miles (8.05 km)
|
| FACILITIES: |
There & back, Parking, Suitable for wheelchairs, Toilets, Cafe |
| OS MAP: |
Dartmoor |
| GRADIENT: |
A few ups & downs |
| TERRAIN: |
Medium |
Walk description:
An easy to follow five mile walk across Dartmoor along the track of an old railway. It takes you from Princetown to the disused quarries at Foggintor and Swelltor with some fantastic views along the way.
Princetown lies at the junction of the B3212 and the B3357
Parking is in the car park in the centre of Princetown.
This is a walk along the old railway line from Princetown is an ideal route.
The path follows the track of the disused Princetown to Yelverton railway as it snakes westwards to King's Tor, Swelltor and Foggintor. Along the way you'll get to see some fascinating remnants of Dartmoor's industrial archaeology.
It's an easy five mile walk with a firm path underfoot and only gentle gradients. You can turn back anywhere along the way, but the entire walk should take you around two hours.
The walk starts at the car park in the centre of Princetown. Standing with the car park behind you, turn left at the entrance and walk along the road towards a row of cottages.
You'll see a path on the left just after you pass the fire station which takes you onto the old railway. From here the track is easy to follow as it heads out onto the moor.
After about a mile you'll reach a turning on your right which leads to Foggintor Quarry - once one of the largest granite quarries on Dartmoor.
The main walk continues along the old railway track to King's Tor. The track skirts around the back of King's Tor and emerges close to the disused Swelltor Quarry. Here the track divides - you need to follow the left fork as it heads up the old quarry siding.
Walk past the quarry entrance and continue on the path as it winds its way around the old workings. For a short distance the path here is slightly less easy to follow and the terrain a little uneven underfoot.
After a while the path rejoins the old railway line close to Foggintor Quarry. From here you turn right and retrace your steps back to Princetown.
Additional notes:
There are eating facilities at either end of the walk
28/08/2008| Walk posted by Admin Team
