Parking
Main Hembury Woods car park at the southern end. Starting at Buckfast Abbey adds about 2 miles to the outing.
Overview
About Hembury Woods Walk
Why go
- Woodland, riverbank and hillfort history in one circuit.
Heads up
- Unmarked junctions, steep uneven sections and muddy river paths.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Dartmoor alerts
- CautionDartmoor military firing restricts accessDo not cross the Okehampton, Willsworthy or Merrivale training-range boundaries when warning signals are displayed.Official details
- CautionAccess restriction at Huccaby FarmAccess to CROW Access Land at Huccaby Farm in the West Dart River Valley is subject to a current restriction notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Dartmoor Tour Guide
Your drive to Hembury Woods Walk, narrated.
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 area
The Tower the Fire Left0:00 / 0:30
“Holy Trinity stands on a hill above Buckfastleigh, and its ruined walls tell a much newer story than you might expect.”
Plays on the road 1 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Dartmoor Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Buckfast Abbey's Glass and Gardens
- The King, Knave and Queen of the Dart
- Four Monks and an Abbey
- A Fish Route at Buckfast Abbey
- 298 audio storiesacross Dartmoor’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Western Roe Deer, Red Fox, European Rabbit, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 59 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Hembury Woods Walk
A longer woodland loopHembury Woods Walk is the 4.
Hembury Woods Walk is the 4.1-mile full loop from the main car park at the south end of the woods. It descends through woodland to the River Dart, follows the bank northeast, climbs around Hembury Castle, then returns beside Holy Brook. Allow 2–2½ hours and expect about 236 m of ascent. This is the longer circuit; shorter walks in the woods are separate route choices.
River and hillfortOld mine adits beside the Dart are reminders of silver, lead and copper workings.
Old mine adits beside the Dart are reminders of silver, lead and copper workings. Dippers and grey wagtails regularly use the river edge. Hembury Castle began as an Iron Age hillfort and later held a Norman motte-and-bailey castle. The woodland paths are obvious on the ground but there is no signed set route, so follow the mapped line at junctions.
Footing and startExpect unsurfaced, uneven paths, steep sections and muddy riverbank stretches, especially in…
Expect unsurfaced, uneven paths, steep sections and muddy riverbank stretches, especially in winter and spring. The route is not suited to pushchairs. Dogs are reported allowed on a lead. Start at the main Hembury Woods car park; no toilets or water were confirmed there. The nearest toilets are at Buckfast Abbey or in Buckfastleigh. Starting at Buckfast Abbey adds about 2 miles to the outing.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Dartmoor
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.
