Parking
Roadside parking at the top of Station Road, just below the railway viaduct in Ivybridge.
Overview
About Longtimber Woods Walk
Why go
- A broad gravel path follows the River Erme through woodland.
- Small falls, pools and a riverside picnic area make a worthwhile short outing.
Heads up
- The return retraces the same path.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Dartmoor map
Full mapElevation115–146 m
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 Longtimber 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 Pool Before D-Day0:00 / 0:27
“The old swimming pool in Longtimber Woods has a wartime story. Men from the American 116th Infantry Regiment trained here while they were based in Ivybridge before D-Day.”
Plays on the road 0.4 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Dartmoor Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Bridge Turner Painted
- The Swimming Pool in the Woods
- Brunel's Piers Beside the Train
- The River That Made Paper
- 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 Longtimber Woods Walk
The walkLongtimber Woods Walk is a gentle 2 km (1.
Longtimber Woods Walk is a gentle 2 km (1.2 mile) out-and-back beside the River Erme in Ivybridge. From the top of Station Road below the railway viaduct, follow a broad gravel path upstream for about 1 km to the riverside picnic area, then return the same way. Allow roughly 30–45 minutes at a relaxed pace; longer if you want time by the water.
Along the ErmeThe sheltered path stays close to the river, passing small waterfalls and pools before reaching…
The sheltered path stays close to the river, passing small waterfalls and pools before reaching an information board and picnic area overlooking the water. This is a short woodland outing rather than a summit walk; its appeal is the changing river and shaded banks. The stone-and-brick railway viaduct at the start dates to 1894 and replaced Brunel's earlier structure, whose piers remain nearby.
Access and footingRoadside parking is at the top of Station Road, just below the viaduct.
Roadside parking is at the top of Station Road, just below the viaduct. The route is described as suitable for most walkers, with a gentle gradient and wide gravel surface, but that is not a guarantee of step-free access for every mobility need. The path can be uneven or slippery when wet. Keep dogs on a lead. Public toilets are at Watermark Centre in Ivybridge, a separate town stop. For a photo, frame a pool or rapid with the boulders and wooded bank rather than shooting straight down the water.
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.
