Wistman’s Wood Circular Walk on Dartmoor
There are so many walks to choose from on Dartmoor and it can be a bit overwhelming for anyone not very familiar with the overall area to decide where to choose to walk. Wistman’s Wood is one of those places I’ve heard about quite frequently and finally had the chance to explore the area.
What is Wistman’s Wood
This ancient woodland has become very popular with photographers because of it’s mystical looks and the opportunity for very atmospheric images. The woods itself is not very large but is a dense area of ancient twisted trees, gnarly roots and boulders covered with moss and ferns. Add in it’s location on the edge of a hill near a river and you can imagine misty mornings, shafts of sunlight and tales of it being haunted all add to the mystery.
The downside to a place being too popular is that measures have been taken to reduce the footfall of this delicate eco-system. We can blame the Covid lockdown for this!
To protect this unique woodland, the footpath has been diverted to the higher side of the woods. When walking from the shortest way to the woods (an easy path from Two Bridges) there is a sign asking people not to enter them.
Best Way to See Wistman’s Wood
You can still walk around the top and bottom edges of the woods and there are places to peer in and carefully take photos. I would check the direction of the sunlight to decide the best route to take.
My confession is that we came from the opposite end and unknowingly walked into it. However it is quite dense and difficult so we treaded carefully and quite quickly decided to break out to the outer edge.
Where is Wistman’s Woods
The Wistman’s Wood Nature Reserve area is pretty much right in the centre of Dartmoor with the nearest parking place at Two Bridges where there is a small free carpark opposite a hotel. It’s about 2 miles from Princetown. Access to this part of Dartmoor is on rural narrow roads, about half an hours drive from the main trunk roads like the A38 or A386 at Tavistock.
Our Wistman’s Wood Circular Walk
Being fairly fit and prepared for a decent hike I planned a route that first took us to Beardown Tors to the West of Wistman’s Wood. From the tor we descended down and across the West Dart River and then followed the river to the woods and back to Two Bridges, so it was quite straightforward.
I really recommend having OS Maps downloaded as a navigation tool which you can check your progress on. Unless you are extremely good a using a paper map (also worth keeping with you for reference) and a compass for emergencies .
Walk Details
From the car park opposite the hotel we headed along the road over the newest of the Two Bridges with the hotel behind us and to our left. We quickly found a footpath on the right. This followed the river for a while through woods which was very pretty and past a basic camp site .
It then passed up hill through a farm where you can also camp. At this point keep an eye on the footpath signs heading up hill and to the right as we went a little off course!
Once out of the farm it took us over a style and through a beautiful pine forest where we followed the route of a man made stream.
Out of the woods we came onto moor land and kept following the stream. From here you could see Wistman’s Wood off to the right in the valley below.
Beardown Tor
Our first objective was Beardown Tor and this required a step hike up the side of a hill – that got the lungs working!
Beardown actually has two Tors and I focused on one with a radio mast and flag pole on it. It’s worth noting that this area is right on the edge of the Army’s live firing ranges. The route we took was outside the range area but be careful to check for flags and markers so you do not stray in to dangerous territory.
The views were great from there and we were lucky to have a fine day. It’s a fairly bleak area of Dartmoor looking out across.
Crossing the West Dart River
From the tor we followed a rough route down to the river and we made our way picking out the most worn path. At the river there was a dam and we managed to cross over on some big boulders.
Now the advice is to head up hill a couple hundred metres away from the boggy ground near the river and bring yourself up above the level of the woods. This would be the worst part for getting wet feet especially in the winter.
An option here is also to hike up to Higher White Tor if you have the time and the energy.
Wistman’s Wood and other Copses
Before reaching the main area of Wistman’s Wood we came across two other smaller copses that were also beautiful and ancient.
What was interesting to me is that the woods are actually oak trees. Usually oak trees grow tall and magestically instead of the twisted stunted versions here. My research tells me that the oak trees were copiced in order to make charcoal for smelting tin in the Bronze age. In fact if you walk above the woods there is evidence of a Bronze age settlement.
We skirted around the lower part of the woods and but there is also a path on the higher side and you can peer into the woods from there. It really is unusual but I thought it isn’t as large as I expected. Interestingly there are recent reports in the BBC news about how the woodland is going to be expanded and local conservationists have been collecting acorns to grow to help preserve this unique ecosystem.
From here there is a clear easy path that takes you straight back to the car park about 1 mile away. If you only want to see the woods for a short walk or with any accessibility issues this would be the best option for you.
If you like to follow a route then take a look at our walk which you can see here on the Ordnance Survey website or app or look at the map below to plot your own route.
I hope you enjoy discovering Dartmoor which I feel with some good planning and preparation is not too scary! Please go prepared for all weather with the right gear even if you set out on what seems like a lovely day.
Have a look at these other posts on Dartmoor like the Merrivale Standing Stones or driving trip that we did a few years ago when there was an Otter Trail.
Hi! I am Clare and I live in glorious East Devon with my family.
Join me in finding new places to explore in the West Country as well as further afield.
I hope you enjoy reading and taking inspiration from this website. 
This is great, such a clear explanation of the route and some fab landmarks to look out for! I’m saving this for our next trip down.
thank you it was a great walk
This is a great walk, circa 5-6 miles, takes in “Wiseman woods” and the tin miners’ workings.
It looks like the route on the map takes you through Wsitman’s Wood, the wood shouldn’t be walked through but walked round.
Yes I do mention that in the post. We came from the north and initially did enter the woods unaware of the restrictions, but we actually came out quite quickly and went along the river. Afterwards we realised that the main path is above the woods.