Welcome to my travel guide for Dewerstone Rocks
This incredibly scenic place near the edge of the National Park has some seriously impressive rock formations that provide an amazing natural viewpoint of the ancient forest and valley below. If you’re looking for a picturesque spot on Dartmoor, Dewerstone will not disappoint!
What it’s all about…
Found less than 10 miles from the centre of Plymouth and overlooking the river Plym, Dewerstone rocks is a wonderful historic site that has been visited by people for centuries. It’s thought that there may have been a settlement around the rocks from as early as the Neolithic period and evidence can still be seen today of the Iron Age hill fort. Legend has it that the devil would gallop across the moors on horseback with his pack of hounds to the rocks and chase unsuspecting travellers over the cliff edge to their deaths. Hence the name ‘Dewer’ which is an old Celtic word for the Devil!
What to do while you’re there…
As well as the rocks there’s so much to explore around Dewerstone. The site is surrounded by beautiful woodland, waterfalls and wildlife.
The area is a popular spot with climbers and there are over 100 listed climbs nearby. There’s also loads of great spots for scrambling and bouldering if that’s more your thing!
The walk to Dewerstone takes you through ancient woodlands alongside the river Plym before detouring off up to the rocks. However the paths continue up stream alongside the river for miles and I definitely recommend taking some time out to have a wander through these beautiful woodlands. There is a lovely walk on the opposite side of the valley, we walked along this path after climbing up to Dewerstone and it was really interesting to see the rock faces from a different viewpoint! There’s also lots of lovely wild swimming spots further up stream.
How to get there…
As the site is on the South edge of the Moors it’s easily accessible from the city of Plymouth. There is free parking at the National Trust site of Dewerstone Woods near the village of Shaugh Prior which is a good place to start.
The postcode for the car park is PL7 5HE, if this car park is full there is another just around the corner over the bridge on the right hand side. This car park is also better if you have a larger vehicle as the first car park can get quite busy. Both car parks are free of charge and have no height barriers.
Nearest place to grab a bite…
The White Thorn Inn can be found in the village of Shaugh Prior nearby and is open 7 days a week, serving food from 12pm to 9pm.
Where to stay…
If you would like to explore the area for a little longer there are a range of accommodation options nearby.
Wild camping – It is possible to wild camp on many areas of Dartmoor with a tent but unfortunately you’re unable to park up overnight in a campervan. If you wish to wild camp you need to make sure that all of your equipment can fit in your backpack and you pitch your tent at least 100m away from any roads. Please don’t forget to treat the area with care and leave no trace. Full details on wild camping guidelines along with a map on which areas you can camp at can be found on the Dartmoor website.
Campsite goers – There are several campsites around 20 to 30 minutes drive away including Dartmoor caravan park and Magpie leisure park.
Hotels and B&B’s – The Moorland Hotel can be found less than five minutes drive away and offers room from £70 per night.
Other places nearby…
This part of Dartmoor is a great place to explore from with easy access to both the coastline and the moors further inland. If you’re planning to head further North into the depths of Dartmoor why not check out Venford Reservoir and Bench Tor.
it looks amazing hannah but i can’t do heights anymore unfortunately, i found out at the summit of snowden. i love to see the views so maybe i should try and conquer my fears lol