Crazywell Pool and Devonport Leat Circular

In the depths of Dartmoor National Park lies Crazywell Pool, which can easily be depicted as something off the beaten track. Located around 4 miles from the village of Yelverton, it is a pond which, as legend states, is a bottomless pit of water. However, it is recorded only to be 16 feet deep, which isn’t as exciting as something never-ending when swimming downwards.

The route to this legendary pond begins at Norsworthy Bridge car park, situated next to the River Meavy. A path at the entrance to this car park escalates slightly before turning left to run parallel to the river. A longstanding bridge is approached, and upon hiking past this, the path continues on its gradual incline up towards the Devonport Leat, where a view of the distant Burrator Reservoir emerges to the right.

The view looking back towards the Burrator Reservoir

This is the perfect opportunity for hikers to keep walking and stop to admire the view of this reservoir before slowly approaching Crazywell Cross. This cross marks a beacon to indicate that Crazywell Pool is very close by, and upon turning left, Crazywell Pool begins to come into view.

At this point, any hiker wearing swimwear underneath their clothing can dive in and embark on a wild sim. They may even want to swim downwards as much as possible to locate the bottom of this pool and ignore the legend, which states that it is bottomless. Or they could still do this, only to find that it isn’t as deep as initially hoped and reach the bottom of the 16-foot deep pool.

The Crazywell Pool, which legend describes as bottomless

After a short wild swim, hikers can embark beyond this pool to get to the Devonport Leat. The path then becomes somewhat unstable while running parallel to the stream, which provides a relaxing tune as it wades along. A small wooden bridge then presents itself, which crosses over the stream before the path itself continues on the other side along it.

Hikers can cross this bridge and continue to follow the stream, which starts flowing downhill.

The rocks and uneven ground continue to be obstacles for those scrambling along.

The stream flows downhill to the wooden bridge.

Eventually, they reach the downhill slope, where the sound of a waterfall grows louder. The waterfall is approached, and the lock is also in sight, where a wooden bridge runs over the stream below. Hikers then can turn right to embark on a slightly rockier climb or turn left and stick to the route along the River Meavy.

Hikers turning left and following the river to the left will be treated to a more pleasurable stroll. The path continues on a level gradient for some time, providing a relaxing atmosphere and time for hikers to take in the silence around them. The outline of a forest shortly comes into view, and another bridge crossing the river can also be seen. Upon passing this crossing, hikers continue past a deep dark wood to the left, which does not appear to offer a friendly essence.

The Devonport Leat flowing on a downhill gradient

The path eventually takes hikers through another wood on a winding rocky decline. The road leading to the starting point then comes into view, thus ending the adventure of finding Crazywell Pool. While obscure to those visiting Dartmoor, this pool is worth the find should those who want to test the water while on this hike to uncover its proper depth.

The Travelling Foodie's Facts and Figures

• The starting point for this hike was the Norsworthy Bridge Car Park, next to the Burrator Reservoir. The car park provides free parking for visitors all year round.

• You can Click Here to use the map I followed for this hike.