Author Topic: Two Moors Way tips please  (Read 4386 times)

maxmarengo

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Two Moors Way tips please
« on: 09:23:21, 19/07/15 »
I am doing the Two Moors way in September (accommodation already arranged). I would appreciate any tips on the route - I see there are alternatives in places. Anything I should watch out for or avoid?

russwalk.co.uk

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #1 on: 11:17:15, 19/07/15 »
Did this walk last year and really enjoyed it. Be prepared for constant ups and downs, even in the centre between moors.
Are you staying at the Church House Inn - Holne on a Sunday? If you are they do serve food to residents (with a free drink if I remember right) but not to non residents.
If your staying at Knowstow (at B&B) the B&B is the best - however the cost of meals at the pub is astronomical-be prepared with a mortgage.

For a taster you can watch this:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUtK2ZUpkl4 [nofollow]

Any questions feel free to ask

Russ

Snowman

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #2 on: 18:48:06, 22/07/15 »
I walked the 2 Moors Way some time ago and absolutely loved it.   I assume  you're doing it South to North?    The only real problem I had was not long after leaving Dartmoor, I hit a point where the OS map was, at the time, incorrect.     I don't know what the current situation is, but just in case this is a quote from the Cicerone Guide by James Roberts (which I wish I'd read properly before I got there):


(This is a short distance after Hittisleigh) 'Immediately after the pink-painted Hill Crest bungalow, turn left down a lane into Horwell Wood.   The path has been diverted for a short stretch off the forest track ...'.    I made the mistake of not reading this bit, and looking for the path where it was shown on the OS map, but when you get to the point at which you're supposed to turn off the road there's no path.   This quote above explains it.    Of course this was a few years ago so the OS map might now be correct, or the path 'undiverted'.    The problem I had was that instead of taking the 'over field' route, I ended up walking some busy main roads until I picked up the path again north of Copplestone.


As already pointed out, don't underestimate what I call the 'middle section', i.e. between the moors.    If you look at a large scale relief map of the area you'll see that it's a number of East/West ridges, whereas you're walking South/North so crossing them, with the result that you do a lot more ascent that you'd expect.


You state you've already got accommodation sorted out.    That's good because I went with tent (just in case) and hoped to be able to get B&B.    I was only disappointed a couple of times but it was early June and out of the school holiday period.    There are some sections where there simply isn't much in the way of accommodation.


Look forward to the last few miles into Lynmouth.   The day we arrived was wonderful and you're quite high up so get a superb view as you approach the sea.   In fact we took a couple of days off in Lynton and then walked the coast path around to Combe Martin which is a good additional bit of walking if you haven't had enough.   After that the coast path isn't so spectacular so we got the bus to Barnstaple and train back to Ivybridge where I'd left the car.


It's a great route so hope the weather stays good for you.


S.








Snowman

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #3 on: 19:01:03, 22/07/15 »
Hi Russ,


Took a look at your photos, great aren't they?


Just one thing I noted was that the 2 Moors Way was described as a 'coast to coast' walk?     When I did it, it started at Ivybridge and there were rumblings that since Ivybridge is so close to the sea, it seemed a shame not to make it a coast to coast.    This was what was said in the Cicerone guide:


'Something that does not yet exist is a link route from the South Devon coast path, up the River Erme from Erme Mouth to Ivybridge, so that the Two Moors Way can be walked as a true coast to coast route.'


So it is now extended is it?


S.

devonboy

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #4 on: 20:02:22, 22/07/15 »
The old Two Moors Way links to the Erme Trail to make it a coast to coast walk search for two moors way on Devon.gov website

russwalk.co.uk

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #5 on: 20:52:58, 22/07/15 »
As Devonboy has stated, you can extend the TMW to the coast on the Erme Trial which is also signposted as the Coast to Coast.
It took me about 5 hours walking from Wembury to Ivybridge - well worth it to make the C2C complete

maxmarengo

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #6 on: 19:52:26, 24/07/15 »
Thanks for the comments. Too late to add in the stretch to the sea, but I have done Ivybridge to the sea before. My choice would have been to start from the mouth of the Erme rather than Wembury or Plymouth. The view up the river to Dartmoor from the East side is truly spectacular. Alternatively the beach at Mothecombe is really beautiful.

Will study the route comments - my guidebook is about 20 years old, so they will be a great help.

Wurz

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #7 on: 17:37:19, 02/08/15 »
The Devon site is here http://www.devon.gov.uk/walking/two_moors_way.html The guidebook for a fiver is pretty good and can be bought from that address or in most local bookshops. 

Phileas

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Re: Two Moors Way tips please
« Reply #8 on: 19:42:26, 14/08/15 »
I can recommend the official guide book, assuming it's the same slim booklet I bought, belatedly, in Chagford.

I made a mistake when I did it a few years ago by not buying a map before starting at Wembury and missing the official path inland (partly because I decided not to bother going to the beach but starting at the church). I ended up walking along the coast to the Yealm ferry crossing (by which time I'd realised my error). I took the ferry to Newton Ferrers and walked from there, rejoining the official route at Yealmpton.

I had no OS map for that area either initially, although I had a roadmap on my phone, until the battery ran out a couple of miles from Ivybridge, just after I realised I must have missed an official left turn. Anyway, I made it to Ivybridege eventually but learned my lesson.
Robin

 

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