Dartmoor

Dartmoor is one of the few places in England where the landscape genuinely feels remote. The high moorland plateau is crossed by narrow lanes and ancient tracks, with granite tors rising above the heather and views stretching for miles in every direction. Wild ponies graze freely across the open moor, standing stone rows and circles mark routes that predate recorded history, and the sound on a still day is extraordinary in its absence of traffic.

The moor rewards slow exploration – taking a lane off the main B roads and following it to wherever it ends up is one of the better ways to spend a morning. The higher routes around Princetown, Postbridge and Grimspound give the best sense of the open plateau, while the wooded river valleys at the moor’s edge – the Dart, the Teign, the Tavy – feel entirely different and much more enclosed.

Overnight parking on the moor itself is subject to Dartmoor National Park guidelines, and the rules around where you can park overnight have been subject to legal challenges in recent years. Checking the current situation before arriving is important, and established campsites and motorhome stopovers within and around the park are the most reliable option.

The market towns around the edge – Tavistock, Okehampton, Ashburton and Moretonhampstead – all have parking suitable for a night in the van and make useful bases for exploring the interior. Princetown, right on the high moor, has limited but usable overnight parking and gives the most direct access to the wildest parts of the plateau.