With plenty to offer both road and off-road riders, Dartmoor is a hotspot for cycling. Moorhayes is the ideal base, with 3 of the UK’s Top 10 Climbs within 10 miles of the cottage:
No.8 Dartmeet
Of the 3 climbs, this one is our favourite due to the stunning scenery on the ride from Moorhayes to the base of the climb just before the river Dart (see below for the route).
The climb itself is short and sharp, at just 1km long with an average gradient of 11%.
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No.9 Haytor Vale
The most popular climb in the area, this takes the road from Bovey Tracey up to Haytor. It starts sheltered and then gives way to expansive views as you get onto the moor.
This climb is a frequent feature in the Tour of Britain, at 5.3km long with an average gradient of 6%.
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No.10 Widecombe
The steepest of the 3 climbs, this one starts in the beautiful village of Widecombe and ascends east towards Haytor. A nice straight & well-surfaced road gives great visibility all the way.
The climb is 1.4km long at an average gradient of 12% it is a great challenge.
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Some of our favourite routes to get your started:
Intro Ride (23km / 14 miles / 450m climbing):
This short route from Moorhayes is a great one for cyclists to get used to the roads and climbs, without tackling anything too taxing. This route takes you down Haytor Vale towards Bovey Tracey, then turns sharply left to climb up quieter roads to loop back to the cottage, passing Becky Falls National Park on the way. If you’ve never ridden in the area previously, we recommend doing this route first.
Click the right format to download to your cycling computer. If unsure, choose GPX which is compatible with most cycling computers. (GPX / TCX / FIT).
Haytor Vale: (50km / 31 miles / 1,066m climbing):
This flexible route from Moorhayes takes a nice descent off the moor on quiet roads down to Bickington, before turning north-east to head towards Heathfield and then Bovey Tracey. The route then goes up the Haytor Vale climb. At the top of the climb, once past the cattle grid (at 28km / 17 miles), you can then choose to return to Moorhayes if the legs are aching or you can continue to follow the route which descends down towards Ashburton before crossing the River Dart and heading up to take on the Widecombe climb.
Click the right format to download to your cycling computer. If unsure, choose GPX which is compatible with most cycling computers. (GPX / TCX / FIT).
Dartmeet: (35km / 22 miles / 905m climbing):
This is our favourite route with quiet, well-surfaced roads and stunning scenery throughout the whole ride. This route takes you down off the moor heading south towards Ashburton, then heads west towards Hexworthy, passing the beautiful Venford Reservoir. After then taking on the short, sharp Dartmeet climb you get around 6km to recover before you reach the base of the Widecombe climb and then head up back to Moorhayes.
Click the right format to download to your cycling computer. If unsure, choose GPX which is compatible with most cycling computers. (GPX / TCX / FIT).