Sight · Dartmoor National Park
A short waterside loop with a longer moorland and gorge walk
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Dartmoor Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Dartmoor National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Venford Reservoir and Bench Tor“You're approaching Venford Reservoir, a waterside stop beneath the craggy slopes of Holne Moor.”
Plays as you drive up to Venford Reservoir in the Parkwolf Dartmoor Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Venford Reservoir is one of Dartmoor’s smaller reservoirs, set among the craggy slopes of Holne Moor. A roughly 1.5 km path loops around the water, making this a pleasant, contained stop if you want a walk with a clear destination rather than another tor climb.
The longer circuit is about 2.8 km. It crosses the dam, climbs over rocky Bench Tor, then drops through White Wood beside Venford Brook. There are two short steep sections, and the stream crossing on the return deserves care. For one extra detour, continue downstream to small Venford Falls. From the dam, look south across the reservoir; the crossing gives you an open view over the water.
Use Venford West Car Park as the arrival point. Dartmoor’s authority lists public toilets at Venford seasonally, from April through October. Take the short loop for a contained waterside walk, or the Bench Tor circuit for a fuller mix of open moorland, woodland and a wooded gorge.
Wildlife
32 sightingsWestern Roe DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
10 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
37 sightingsEuropean RabbitMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
34 sightingsGreat Spotted WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
20 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Dartmoor. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateVenford Reservoir and Bench Tor Walk2.8 km · 1.5 hr · At the trailheadA reservoir crossing, open moor, and a granite tor above Dart Gorge.
ModerateCombestone Tor to Aune Head Mire8.5 km · 3.8 hr · 1.6 km awayFind the Avon’s source among open pools and peat.
ModerateSpitchwick Manor Circular10.6 km · 3.5 hr · 2.6 km awayA riverside start leads to three high tors above Dart Gorge.
ModerateHexworthy Walk5 km · 2.5 hr · 3.2 km awayFarmsteads, tin-mill ruins and one proper moorland climb.
ModerateHembury Woods Walk6.6 km · 2.3 hr · 5.5 km awayA riverbank loop skirts an ancient hillfort through deep woodland.
ModerateThe Lych Way20.1 km · 6.8 hr · 6.6 km awayA full-day moor crossing to an old church, with river fords.
EasyBellever Forest Easy Access Trail0.6 km · 15 min · 6.6 km awayA level forest path reaches a picnic spot on the East Dart.
EasyCycle and Tramper Trail at Bellever Forest3.9 km · 1.5 hr · 6.6 km awayA forest loop with archaeology on mostly surfaced tracks
Sight · 0.5 km awayVenford FallsA tucked-away mossy cascade with a steep approach.
Sight · 2.3 km awayHigher UppacottA rare, intact Dartmoor longhouse with a story in every room.
Sight · 2.4 km awayDartmeetTwo crossings beside where the East and West Dart meet.
Campground · 4.8 km awayRiver Dart Country ParkA 90-acre family adventure park with lake play and camping.
Campground · 4.8 km awayCockingford CampsiteQuiet grass pitches beside a stream, with Dartmoor walks close by.
Restaurant · 6.3 km awayThe Rugglestone InnA streamside garden makes this moorland pub worth lingering over.
Sight · 6.4 km awayChurch House and Sexton’s CottageA 16th-century hall and cottage gallery beside Widecombe church.
Sight · 6.5 km awaySt Pancras ChurchSpot the three hares hidden among the roof carvings.Parkwolf’s Dartmoor ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
