20 Attractions to Explore Near Dartmoor Prison Museum

Wistman's Wood is an ancient forest that has largely been left to grow wild, free of destruction, or shaping by humans or large animals. This National Nature Reserve of 170ha mainly consists of a model example of the upland heathland and has a wealth of moorland birds. Wistman’s Wood is in the Dart river valley and has views of wild Devon that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.

Dartmoor National Park is a vast moorland in the county of Devon. Covering 368 sq miles, this vast national park feels like it’s tumbled straight out of a Tolkien tome, with its honey-colored heaths, moss-smothered boulders, tinkling streams, and eerie granite hills. One of the iconic attractions in this area and gives a new experience in the middle of nature.

Burrator Reservoir is situated within Dartmoor, and the tranquil water and surrounding mixed woodland contrast sharply with the open moor and the rugged Dartmoor tors. The reservoir is popular with walkers, cyclists, and horse riders due to its wealth of footpaths and bridleways. Many of the trails lead on to Dartmoor so it makes an ideal starting point for longer trips.

The Garden House is an exceptional garden on the fringes of Dartmoor in Devon. It's funded entirely by the work of a small charity; 'The Fortescue Garden Trust'. Packed with plants and colors for all seasons, it is well worth visiting most of the year. The tower in the walled garden offers magnificent views of the landscape. There is a new Arboretum which has great displays of colors in the Autumn.

Buckland Abbey was built in the thirteenth century as a Cistercian monastery. It retained its function until the mid-sixteenth century, when Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries. The last Drake descendant to live there was Captain Richard Owen-Tapps-Gervis-Meyrick (1892–1948) who sold the Abbey in 1948, after it had been gutted by fire in 1938.

The National Trust's Lydford Gorge, Devon, is the deepest gorge in the South West and has a spectacular 30m waterfall. The waterfall trail is a moderate circular walk of about an hour on a mostly one-way route. The gorge is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology, flora and fauna.

Fernworthy is a great place to Discover the Dartmoor Story. It has an abundance of archaeology and is a haven for wildlife including some rare species. One of the beautiful reservoirs which is home to many water species and also the location is naturally beautiful for a picnic.

A historic copper port has been restored as an outdoor museum of industrial heritage. See a miner's cottage, waterwheel, assay laboratory, smithy, cooperage, lime kilns and other buildings that create a fascinating experience of the history of the area. This small mine has many features characteristic of the other mines found throughout the Tamar Valley, but here you can actually journey underground and experience something of the working conditions of the miners during the 19th century.

High Willhays is the highest point on Dartmoor and in the UK south of the Brecon Beacons. Climb to the highest point on Dartmoor on this splendid circular walk in the Dartmoor National Park. The walk starts at the car park at Meldon Reservoir and takes you to the 621 metres (2,039 ft) summit via Longstone Hill and Black Tor.

Dartmoor Zoo is a beautiful 30-acre zoo just north of the village of Sparkwell. It was opened in 1968 by Ellis Daw who ran it until its licence was revoked and it was forced to close in 2006. It has over 70 different animal species, including some endangered and critically endangered species. The zoo has a breeding program with common marmosets, tapir, slender-tailed meerkats, Kafue lechwe, and wallaby.

The River Lyd rises at Lyd Head by Corn Ridge to the north of Woodcock Hill. It's a flat, boggy landmass that's relatively difficult to walk across. There are the remains of extensive peat works to the southeast of Lyd Head including the evocatively named Bleak House.

It is a heavily weathered granite outcrop. It consists of two separate rock masses which lie on a north-westerly alignment. The highest point of the tor is on the south-westerly pile which stands at 1,358ft. The site is administered by Dartmoor National Park Authority for English Heritage as it includes the ruins of a medieval village, alongside prehistoric works of stone construction nearby.

The miniature pony centre sitting on the edge of wild and magical Dartmoor in Devon is a hidden gem of all things small, cute and cuddly. Unicorns, Miniature Shetlands and their foals, Miniature Pigs, Harris, our Suffolk Punch horse, miniature, and Mammoth Donkeys are all waiting to meet you and your family when you visit us on the Dartmoor National Park.

The National Trust's Cotehele, Cornwall, is a Tudor house with superb collections, garden, quay and estate. The house was probably founded around 1300 and various alterations were made in the early fifteenth century. It includes a mill, 15 century chapel and Cotehele Quay. They receive around 100,000 visitors a year to its Barn Restaurant and Edgcumbe Arms Tearoom.

Buckfast Abbey is a modern Benedictine monastery in a peaceful setting on the verge of Dartmoor. . The monastery was surrendered for dissolution in 1539, with the monastic buildings stripped and left as ruins, before being finally demolished. The former abbey site was used as a quarry, and later became home to a Gothic mansion house.

Meldon Reservoir is a local Dartmoor beauty spot in the northwest section of the National Park. The reservoir sits below Yes Tor and High Willhays which are the only two mountains in southern England. Explore open moorland, dramatic tors and a Scheduled Monument: boasting a special combination of industrial heritage, wildlife and nature trails, Meldon is the perfect location to enjoy a unique day outdoors.

Situated on the southeastern edge of Dartmoor, Haytor has spectacular views across Dartmoor and the South Devon coast and offers good opportunities for you to experience Dartmoor’s fascinating past and the stunning wildlife and heritage within a short walk of the National Park Visitor Centre. One of the nice trekking destinations and also you can spend a nice time here.

The SDR is a seven mile former Great Western Railway branch line, built in 1872, which runs along the stunning valley of the River Dart between Buckfastleigh and Totnes. It is the longest established steam railway in the south west, celebrating over 50 years in preservation. The railway's headquarters and museum are located at Buckfastleigh railway station.

Buckfast butterfly farm with Dartmoor otter sanctuary is a wildlife centre in Buckfastleigh, Devon. It is an all-weather attraction run by a family who care for several types of otters. The butterfly farm is in a giant hot and humid greenhouse. There are usually a vast number of butterflies fluttering around. There are also several terrapins, Iguanas and Koi Karp. They also have an ant exhibit where you can see thousands of ants hard at work.

Pennywell Farm is packed full of animals, activities, shows and displays. It’s the biggest activity farm in the South West and there’s something new happening every hour. It is a centre for the breeding of miniature pigs, a variant of the New Zealand kune kune breed.