ノースルーの湖・トップ6

No swimming permitted either!

It is on private land

Roadford Lake is a reservoir fed by the river Wolf. It's the largest area of water in the south-west and is used to supply drinking water for north and South Devon. As a runner there isn't a trail that allows you to circumnavigate the lake, but you can run along the northeastern shore.

Roadford lake was once farmland before being flooded to create a reservoir in 1989. The water in the lake supplies North Devon and anything over capacity runs into the River Tamar. The concrete structure that can be seen from the dam is the valve tower. On open days, usually twice a year, it is possible to walk in the tunnels underneath the water and up the tower, which provides spectacular views.

Roadford Lake is set just outside Dartmoor National Park so is the perfect place for a rolling ride with a backdrop of dramatic tors and hills. You can tur your hand at plenty of watersports here including sailing, kayaking, fishing and paddleboarding. For further details please see the website https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/pages/site/activities/category/roadford-lake

Going up is a bit of a challenge on a gravel bike. Loose gravel, larger rocks and steep sections mean it's easy to lose traction.

Today the old Meldon Quarry plays host to many visitors, some come to walk or cycle, others to swim, a few come for some extreme sports such a bungee jumping whilst others visit the remains of the redundant railway. For whatever reason what they see today is normally a peaceful landscape, albeit an industrial one, however not that long ago it would have been a hive of activity. It’s believed that the first quarrying began around the late 1700s when the local limestone was extracted. Over the years this gradually gave over to aggregate quarrying and apelite quarrying until its final closure. The original owners of the quarry was the London and South Western Railway and then came Britsh Rail and finally EEC Aggregates.

Meandering river valleys, expansive moorland, ancient history, and green countryside where wild ponies roam free – Dartmoor is a unique place to cycle. Covering a 368 sq mi (953 sq km) area, the vast moorlands and granite hilltops are just waiting to be discovered. You can find more information about visiting the park, here: https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/