Winnies Walk
This walk has been kindly written (and walked) for us by Denise Horner of Dartmoor Nordic Walking with her dog, Winnie.
www.dartmoornordicwalkng.co.uk
‘Dartmoor Nordic Walking’ and ‘Walks with Winnie’ are on Facebook.
Distance - Approximately 4.5 k
Time - Approximately 1 hr 15 mins allowing time to stop and admire the view.
Difficulty - mostly flat apart from one steep hill
A circular walk starting at Dogmarsh Bridge, near the Mill End Hotel, Chagford. It follows the River Teign with great places for you and the dog to swim!
Take the gate into the open fields with the River Teign on your right hand side and follow this path. Passing a bridge on your right hand side, continue to the field gate. As you pass through this gate you will be able to see Castle Drogo up on the hill on your left hand side.
Stay on this path until you reach the next gate, taking the bridge to cross the river. A great spot here if you like to wild swim - you can almost swim lengths!
Take the path up the stone steps and over the wall. On the other side of the wall, you have two choices. If you don't mind a steep climb, take the narrow path directly in front of you and up the slope, alternatively turn left and after a few feet, take the path up the slope on your right, a more gentle climb.
Staying on this narrow path you will start to climb uphill and into the woods. This is where it starts to get steep. This path can be muddy during wet weather, but the climb will be worth it. Just when you think you have had enough, the path starts to level out as you come to a tree-lined walk way, leading through an opening in the stone wall with a Peter Randall-Page sculpture at each side of the entrance.
Continue on the path to the top. Looking to your left, you will again see Castle Drogo. Follow the path to the right, through the woods and out into the open. The views from here are worth the climb and you may be lucky enough to see the white deer. There is a hut here should you need to shelter from the weather. With the hut on your left, continue on the path - it’s all downhill from here! Through the woods, the path winds its way down the hill. As you reach the path at the bottom, turn right until you come to the stone bridge. Cross the bridge, go through the gate, along the path and on the right after the house, pass through the gate. This is a narrow path between the woods and the fields. At the end of the path, take the steps right, down toward the river. Turn left out of the gate until you reach the bridge, crossing this, turn left again in to the open fields. You will now see Dogmarsh Bridge in front of you.