A road-based series along around seven miles of quiet roads in two loops, combining open moorland, quiet country lanes and leafy woods. The series was laid and maintained by bicycle, but can be walked or even driven (Although not all caches will have convenient pull-ins for a car). Each cache is within ten meters of the road and most are too small for TBs.
The views are at times stunning, looking West over Mortonhampstead and Chagford and well into the deep moor. On the Northern loop, the lanes pass close to two ancient hill forts which may be worth a detour.
There are bronze age remains higher on Mardon Down, including stone circles and ring cairns. More recent history includes the Downs being used as a US Army Field Camp during the second world war, and their foxholes and earthworks are evident amongst the gorse and heather on the western edges – taking advantage of the vista of approach. Interestingly, this was the 392nd Engineer General Regiment – and during the second world war, the Americans still practiced segregation and so this was made up of exclusively black American soldiers.
Permission kindly granted by Dartmoor National Park
The first cache in this series is here with parking info.