Ernest Bassett Walk

Distance: 4 miles
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Start/End point: Okehampton

Ernest Bassett was an Okehampton man and a lover of Dartmoor. He appreciated it in all its moods, but also realised that it had its dangers. As a result, in 1971 he became a founder member of the Dartmoor Rescue Group, a body of volunteers for whom many have had cause to give thanks.

He also encouraged people to visit and appreciate the moor and its surroundings and as such devised three fairly easy walks based on Okehampton as an introduction to the area's attractions. He was an active member of the Okehampton Rotary Club and, when he died, the Club dedicated the walks to him as a memorial, naming them the Ernest Bassett Walks. The walks are 2.5, 3 and 4 miles in length; this is the 3 mile walk slightly lengthened at the Okehampton end to take in more of the town centre.

Relevant maps/guides: Explorer (1;25,000) no. 113 Okehampton; Outdoor Leisure (1;25,000) no. 28 Dartmoor; Landranger (1;50,000) no. 191 Okehampton and North Dartmoor.

Facilities along route: Okehampton (all facilities); Okehampton Station (refreshments, toilets and information).

Notes on route: One steady climb; 2 stiles
Theme: Moorland
Special Interest: Nature, Wildlife
Area: Dartmoor National Park