Wistman's Wood Walk
Local walking guide and Dartmoor expert Simon Dell takes us on a walk from the Two Bridges Hotel to the ancient and mysterious Wistman's Wood.
Our walk to Wistman’s Wood and Crockern Tor will take about 2 hours (excluding any stops), and is about 5 miles (8 Kms). There are paths and also a steep uphill section to Longaford Tor. Stout walking shoes or boots are advised along with a waterproof coat because of unpredictable Dartmoor weather. There are high stiles to negotiate.
From the Two Bridges Hotel, come out of the front door and turn right, crossing the road to the cottage opposite and through the small car park and gate to Crockern Cottage along the track beside the wall. Please close the gate!
Pass Crockern Cottage and follow the footpath alongside the cottage garden wall and you will soon have fine views up the West Dart valley to Wistman’s Wood. You will reach a wall which you go through. On your left just before the wall is a man-made rabbit burrow mound, known on Dartmoor as Pillow Mounds. These were used by the Warrener who bred the rabbits for meat.
Continue towards Wistman’s Wood and through another wall with a stile. As you approach the wood you can take a look inside by using a path between the rocks and moss-covered boulders. Continue your journey to the very end of the woods where if you search well enough you can find a platform where the Wistman’s Wood Warreners’ little wooden cottage used to stand.
After looking at the woods, home to over 100 species of lichens, re-join the path as it goes alongside the higher right side of the woods. A second area of woodland, much larger than the first, appears. Carry on along this path but keep an eye out on the left just inside the wood perimeter for the huge triangular Buller Stone about 3 metres high. There is a little path going down to it.
It is here that we turn right uphill to the high pointed Longaford Tor for fine views over this area of Dartmoor. You can get to the very top on a path which follows the ridgeline from the south.
From Longaford Tor the return journey follows the high ground south along a path to Littaford Tors and to a high stile in a wall corner. Cross the stile and you see you have a choice here. You can fork right across the ground downhill in the direction of the distant high television mast if the visibility is clear. That path will take you back to the rabbit pillow mound by the wall and you can walk back to two Bridges in the distance.
Alternatively you can carry on along the level ground to Crockern Tor where you can find the Parliament rocks and Seat which is situated to the right of the outcrop and just past it. It stands all alone. From the seat walk towards Two Bridges and the television mast and through the wall gate and follow the path back to Crockern Cottage, and the Two Bridges Hotel for a well-earned Cream Tea!