Yarner Woods
This large woodland area near Bovey Tracey is part of the East Dartmoor Woods and Heaths National Nature Reserve.
It's a great area for walking with miles of woodland paths to follow. The area is dominated by ancient oak but there are other species such as birch, scots pine, larch and beech. Other flora includes flowers such as cow-wheat and bilberry, and various Lichens and mosses.
Look out for an abundance of wildlife including doormice and butterflies. Birdlife includes pied flycatcher, redstart, buzzards, sparrow hawks and nightjars.This circular walk starts at the car park at the eastern end of the woods but you could also follow the Templer Way from nearby Bovey Tracey to reach the woods.
Yarner Woods Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Yarner Woods Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Yarner Woods OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Yarner Woods Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
The Bell Inn in Bovey Tracey is a great option for some refreshments. The friendly, cosy pub has a good menu and a very fine garden area to relax in on warmer days. You can find it at Town Hall Place with postcode TQ13 9AA for your sat navs.
Less than half a mile south of the woods you'll find the little village of Haytor Vale. Here you can visit the Rock Inn, an impressive 18th century former coaching inn. The inn has a lot of character with a cosy interior and a nice sunny beer garden to relax in on warmer days. There's a very good menu and an on-site restaurant featuring local meat, game and fish. The Rock also has a free car park and is dog friendly with a separate dining area where you can eat with your dog. They provide good quality accommodation too, if you need to stay over. It's a popular place for walkers to go after climbing Hound Tor and Haytor being located just a short distance from both. Postcode for your sat navs is TQ13 9XP.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The climbs to Haytor and Hound Tor are located very close to the woods. They are two of the more popular landmarks on Dartmoor and well worth visiting if you have time after exploring the woods.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
As this path veers across a gridline, it emerges into a more open stretch, the trees set back on either side.
Common Cow-wheat. In many woods on the edge of Dartmoor Melampyrum pratense is the dominant flowering plant in early summer. Here it is growing in a relatively open position by a path across the central hill in the nature reserve.
Bovey Tracey: Haytor Tramway in Yarner Woods. Haytor Quarries on Dartmoor were opened circa 1820 and a means of transporting the granite to New Quay, Teignmouth – whence it was shipped to the metropolis and used in the construction of London Bridge, now in Arizona – had to be devised. An 8.5 mile tramway was constructed from granite blocks quarried at Haytor, linking the quarries with the Stover Canal at Teigngrace. Barges then conveyed the cut granite to waiting vessels at Teignmouth. The tramway gauge was about four foot and the trucks, each carrying up to 3 tons, were horse drawn.
Looking south-east across the northern of the two valleys that cross this square, which is almost entirely filled by the western part of Yarner Wood nature reserve.
Ride, Yarner Wood. This ride runs along a terrace on the south side of the Yarner Stream valley (right) and must surely be associated with the nearby copper mine, but does not appear on the 1:25000 map.
Yarner Wood in the Autumn. Abundance of trees with autumnal colours...fast approaching winter
A trickle of water has become a small stream thanks to recent heavy rain, at this sharp bend where a path turns beside an ash tree to run along the contour on the southern side of the Yarner Stream valley.
Buildings in the woods. The nature trail around the reserve passes these, which stand in the valley bottom below the remains of the Yarrow Cooper Mine.