Round trip tour of Dartmoor from Exeter.

Dartmoor National Park has no fuel stations so we start from Sainsbury’s Supermarket for fuel, there are more fuel stations on the return leg after visiting Louis Tea Room.
Wild, open moorlands and deep river valleys, with a rich history and rare wildlife, Dartmoor is a unique place.
This route soon heads into the beautiful Devon countryside, through narrow twisty lanes and onto 3 reservoirs and two dams. The open moorland which this route travels through is breathtaking but please be advised that there is a speed limit of 40mph (64kph) throughout the National Park to protect the livestock that freely roam.
For centuries the Dartmoor folklore and legends have encompassed tales of pixies, ghosts, witchcraft, weird happenings and a host of deep seated beliefs. These have been passed down through the generations via fireside stories, books, and local tradition all of which have played their part in keeping the tales alive today.
There can be no question that Dartmoor and its landscape has helped fire people’s beliefs and imagination. From the thick mists that suddenly appear and roll across the moor to the dark, bottomless mires and the craggy granite tors, each lends an air of mystery and magic, all ripe for associated legends and tales.
One of these legions is sited on a stretch of the B3212 between Post Bridge and Two Bridges known as The Hairy Hands! According to the story surrounding them, the Hairy Hands are a pair of disembodied hands that appear suddenly, grab at the steering wheel of a moving car or the handlebars of a motorcycle, and then force the victim off the road. In some cases the hands are described as being invisible.
In most instances, the victims ran into a verge and survived. Their experiences remained a local curiosity, until June 1921, when Dr. E.H. Helby, the medical officer for Dartmoor Prison, was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle combination. Two young girls, children of the prison governor, who had been riding in the sidecar, survived.
Several weeks after Dr Helby's death, there was another incident in which a coach driver lost control, injuring several passengers who were thrown out of their seats. Then, on 26 August 1921, an army Captain reported that a pair of invisible hands had taken hold of him and forced his motorcycle off the road, after which the story was picked up by newspapers in London and the story became known nationwide.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was said to have been inspired to write the Sherlock Holmes novel Hound of the Baskervilles from tales he heard about Dartmoor while staying at the Duchy Hotel in Princetown, which is now the High Moorland Visitor Centre.
Don't let this put you off the riding, the breathtakingly beautiful landscape that Dartmoor has on offer will soon clear your head of ghosts and ghouls.

There is a suggested lunch stop at Louis Tea Rooms, a well known biker stop. Another nice place for great food or a coffee stop is at the Café on the Green at Widecombe in the Moor. This route passes by some of the best sites and sights that Dartmoor has to offer and ends in Exeter at Bridge Motorcycle shop, main dealers for Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Triumph.
Enjoy.