Burrator Arboretum & Nature Reserve
Burrator Reservoir, Yelverton
About this walk
If you would like to wander in the woodland, meander in the meadow, spot dragonflies, count the different birds you can hear and listen to the rippling Narrator Brook, then put an hour aside for a wildlife encounter in the Burrator Arboretum.
The Arboretum and associated footpaths was originally created following the storms in the late 1980s as a collection of native and non-native trees. One of its primary functions is to provide easy access to reservoir visitors who may find it more difficult to explore other areas of the site. A network of ponds was developed to make this area a unique wetland ecosystem, with a variety of habitats that support a rich and diverse range of species.
Distances
Easy access footpath 0.9 miles (1.5km)
Time
Allow an hour
Start/Finish
Burrator Arboretum car park SX 568689
Terrain
Flat compacted aggregate footpaths and boardwalk, only a slight gradient in one place
Maps
OS Explorer OL28 Dartmoor
Public Transport
Number 48 First Bus operates Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from Plymouth to Burrator. It will stop and collect from Burrator Dam and Burrator Turning Point. For the Arboretum it is best to get off at the ‘Turning Point’ stop and then walk along the road and over Norsworthy Bridge to reach the Arboretum, allow 20 minutes for this.
Parking
The Arboretum has its own car park. On reaching the main Burrator Dam follow the road to your left keeping the reservoir on your right. Drive over Norsworthy Bridge and follow the road past Norsworthy Bridge car park and continue round the bend until you reach the Arboretum car park on your left.
Refreshments
Ice cream van at the main Burrator Dam and sometimes at Norsworthy Bridge car park.
