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Wistman's Wood

Dartmoor

4/5

Based on 5 reviews

Rare mosses and lichens festoon the trees and granite boulders in this ancient oak wood. With its eerie, gnarled, moss-covered trees, it's easy to see why local legend has it that Druids once performed Pagan rituals here. Today, Devon's oldest woodland is a National Nature Reserve and a hotspot for moorland birds in the summer months. Reach it on foot from the nearby village of Two Bridges at the crossroads of the B3357 and B3212.

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Reviews

May 2012

Realm of the Quercus Gods

To those like myself and my better half who are not pagan but follow those traditional Arte's of our Isle, Wismans wood is a realm certain to leave an impression not just for its familiarity but for it's pure presence. Haunting, ethereal, eerie, disquieting and much more, this is somewhere that beckons you to enter but doesn't wish you to leave.
The moss-covered rocks can be slippery to traverse and there were a few trips and falls, also there are adders present (I nearly stood on one as it darted beneath a rock but got caught and sadly lost part of its tail) so people taking canines or young children should be mindful.

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Apr 2012

A really beautiful walk to a very atmospheric place!! Not too far, and well placed to stop for lunch at the Two Bridges Hotel afterwards!

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Mar 2009

User Review

There is something quite eery yet fascinating about Wistman's Wood! I would recommend packing a picnic and taking a trip to visit the wood as the mosses and weavy trees are not like any other.

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Feb 2009

The Woods Between the Worlds

The stunted oaks covered in moss give Wistman's Wood an otherworldly feel. Walking here, you could be in Narnia's 'woods between the worlds'. A very atmospheric place.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

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Oct 2008

User Review

This is also a popular place for letterboxing (an outdoor hobby that combines orienteering and problem-solving and involves finding boxes hidden in various outdoor locations to collect special stamps). Many boxes have been sited around the wood over the years, and it is thought that Dartmoor is where letterboxing first originated.

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