Guess what!

Advise needed yet again! - days out in winter

I'm staying on the moor for a couple of nights between Christmas and new year at the powdermills bunkhouse, with my family. Our kids are 4 and 6 but my sister in law and her boyfriend (who are about 18 ) are coming down from Manchester to join us. It is their first time on the moor and they haven't spent much time out and about up there, however they are both physically fit and have a healthy sense of adventure.

I am strugling for ideas about where to take them, ideally I want somewhere where there are a few boxes, a couple of decent climbs (no ropes!) and where we aren't walking too many miles from the road (given the age of my kids).

If anyone has any ideas I will be grateful to hear them. (I can remember seeing some wonderful sights and going to some wonderful places with my Grandparents years ago, but since that was when I was younger than 12 I can't remember where they were! When I had the means to get to some moorland under my own steam I was living in Manchester and, lovely as the lakes and the peak district are, there were no boxes).

Apologies for the long ramble, now that my kids are old enough to start enjoying the moor I can't get enough!

i have just noticed a smiley face where the number 8 should be. don't know whythis happened or how to edit it

apoogies

I edited it for you... it is all down to the smilie codes if you put the 8 and the closing ) together you get the face so next time put a space between the 8 )

Its a while since my kids were small but you can try one or more of the walks we used to do (sorry some not circular - you'll need a driver to start walk then go back and drive the car round
1. Scorhill gate 662 877- Scorhill Circle - North Teign falls - cross 2 clapper bridges - then back to Scorhill gate - or on to Batworthy (driver can go back to Scorhill and drive round to Batworthy)- then up Kes Tor for some rock scrambling
2. Moortown 528 728 to Pew Tor (lots of boxes) then Windy Post (Cross and Leat with bullseye stone) on to Merrivale - Merrivale Stone rows - then refreshments in Dartmoor Inn, Merrivale (again someone need to walk back to car and drive it round to Merrivale
3. Haytor to Hound Tor - Haytor climbing - Haytor quarry (boxes) then Smallacombe rocks- follow footpath to bridge 753 786 then path to medieval village - then Hound Tor - then Burger van in car park - then drive into Widecombe for tourist stuff (and Rugglestone Inn)
4. Dartmoor Inn 524 853 - up lane at side to car park - straight ahead to Brat Tor and Widgery Cross - loads of boxes
5. Belstone - park by waterworks building 617 936 - follow clues for My Ten Grandchildren (and many other boxes) - make sure you get the Belstone Badger and the Belstone Fox - count the Nine Maidens (not nine) then back to the Tors Hotel
Poor Weather walks - stay in valleys and woods
4. Bellever woods 656 773 to Bellever Tor - either back to car or through woods to Postbridge (clapper and East Dart Hotel)
5. Dartmeet - hop over rocks - then if water isnt high - cross W Dart stepping stones 673 732 and if someone can take car round - walk across field to Combestone Tor - then back to Forest Inn Hexwothy and Pixies Holt (garden gnomes)
6. Holne 706 698 to New Bridge thru woods by the Dart to New Bridge - throw stones in Dart then drive onto Tavistock Inn Poundsgate
Happy rambling

Many thanks for that Mr Fox, greatly appreciated.

Another new complication: My wife will be on crutches! If there is anywhere (other than Hound Tor, Hay Tor and Sadle Tor which we seem to do every time we are down there) where there are some nice rocks to scramble around on fairly close to where we can park, that anyone knows of then that would be fantastic.

I am genuinely grateful for the advice that you lot have given me on this and other topics as I know that to you lot I must seem like a rank amature (apologies for the spelling!)

Scan the map -there a quite a few Tors within 400 yds of a road
Closest I can think of is Bonehill 733 775 - you can park about 20 yds from the Tor - great views over Widecombe (on a clear day) - from same spot to Bell Tor 300yds. Sharpitor 560 704 is 400 yds but uphill