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There are some really, really beautiful parts of the UK. Dartmoor National Park in Devon is one of those places. It’s a captivating landscape of vast moorland and rugged hills and majestic castles. And most importantly? There are loads and loads and loads of wild ponies.
There’s one snag, though. Without a car, it’s been pretty hard to get to the national park, as public transport options are few and far between. Until now. As of tomorrow (November 20) a new train line will take you right to the heart of Dartmoor.
To get there, you’re going to want to take the 40-minute train from Exeter to Okehampton. From there, you can hike or cycle into the park. The line has been closed for 50 years, but thanks to a £40 million upgrade, it’s now easier than ever to explore the area. Trains will run every two hours for the rest of the year and hourly throughout 2022. Oh, and this is the only place in England that allows wild camping (so don’t forget your tent).
Take note: the weather can be temperamental, which means you’re going to want to take walking boots and waterproofs. Locals claim it’s haunted, too. ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ was set here, and rumours of swirling gusts and mischievous supernatural beings persist to this day. But that’s all part of the thrill. And tbqh, the constant mist only adds to the beauty of the landscapes down here.
So, with it now being easier than ever to get to this most beautiful of national parks, why not pencil in a little trip?
Looking to make a holiday of it? Here are the 13 best things to do in Devon right now.