Hello, a few friend and i are planning to do a spot of wild camping through Dartmoor next week and wondered if any of the water there is good to drink and where? also the best places to do some fishing and are we good to start a camp fire? Thanks. John.
Some of the water may well have minute quantities of bacteria due to animal faeces.
I don't usually bother to treat, but I may well be resistant due to my work/lifestyle, and drinking such water for 30 years! Many people won't risk it spoiling their trip.
If not used to drinking water like this, best to purify - filter or tabs or boil.
If near a spring (marked 'spr' on map) then will be 'cleaner', but they are few and far between...
Fishing I know nothing about.
Fires are not really recommended due to peat soil and damage to soil. The woodlands on the high moor are very sensitive areas which are limited in size so shouldn't have deadwood disturbed as they are vulnerable habitats.
John - agree with Mole. I never treat the water, but sense is needed on source, e.g. avoid downstream from obvious stock drinking/crossing places. Springs are good. As with all such places, fast-running streams are best.
Some streams go really quite red in the summer, and whilst they are still fine to drink, the colour can be a little off-putting. I saw one up the E Dart 2 weeks ago which was the reddest I've seen - like a dam had burst, but this had reduced by morning to its normal, reddish colour.
Re fires, most of Dartmoor is SSSI so fires are actually illegal.
It's a great place - enjoy! I wonder what part you're heading for?
.JPG)
