The West Dart River is one of the two main
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...
of the
River Dart
The River Dart is a river in Devon, England, that rises high on Dartmoor and flows for to the sea at Dartmouth.
Name
Most hydronyms in England derive from the Brythonic language (from which the river's subsequent names ultimately derive fr ...
in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
, England.
Its source is about 2 km north of Rough Tor on north
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous P ...
. It flows south to
Two Bridges, then south east past
Hexworthy
Hexworthy is a hamlet on Dartmoor, in Devon, England. It lies on the West Dart River a mile upstream from Dartmeet. Historically in the parish of Lydford, since 1987 it has been in the civil parish of Dartmoor Forest.
Hexworthy has an inn, ...
to meet the
East Dart River
The East Dart River is one of the two main tributaries of the River Dart in Devon, England.
Its source is to the west of Whitehorse Hill and slightly south of Cranmere Pool on Dartmoor. It flows south and then south-west for around 9 km to ...
at
Dartmeet
Dartmeet is a popular tourist spot in the centre of Dartmoor, Devon, England at .
It lies at the end of the B3357 road, about east of Two Bridges. From here, the road continues eastwards as a minor road with restrictions on the size of vehic ...
.
On the left bank of the river about a mile above
Two Bridges is the broadleaved
Wistman's Wood
Wistman's Wood is one of three remote high-altitude oakwoods on Dartmoor, Devon, England.
Geography
The wood lies at an altitude of 380–410 metres in the valley of the West Dart River near Two Bridges, at grid reference SX612772.
The sourc ...
, "fascinating high-level woods that are quite unlike anywhere else".
Tributaries include the Cowsic River which rises near
Devils Tor and flows south below Lydford Tor, to join the West Dart at Two Bridges. Other right bank tributaries include the
Blackbrook River
The Blackbrook River, also known as the Blackabrook River, is a tributary of the West Dart River on Dartmoor in Devon, England.
Course
The river's source at Blackbrook Head in the Merrivale Range Danger Area just north of Black Dunghill, from ...
,
River Swincombe and the
O Brook
The O Brook is a short tributary of the West Dart River on Dartmoor in Devon, England. It lies near the village of Hexworthy, and the lower part of the stream forms the boundary between the parishes of Holne and Dartmoor Forest (formerly Lydfo ...
. The
Cherry Brook joins the West Dart on the left bank near Sherberton.
References
*Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 scale map of Dartmoor. OL28.
*
Dart
Dart
River Dart
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