Westcountry Rivers Trust From the gathering raindrops that trickle into the Dartmoor landscape at the sources of the River Dart and its tributaries, to the gushing waters that flow into the sea at Dartmouth; there lies 60 km of this breathtaking waterscape to explore.
As the river journeys, it carves its way into the hillsides, cascades down waterfalls, surges under historic clapper bridges and winds its way though stunning Devonshire scenery to the coast.
And with every stretch of the river, there comes a unique landscape to explore and countless opportunities to enjoy it.
https://wrt.org.uk/project/river-dart/
Wikipedia The River Dart is a river in Devon, England which rises high on Dartmoor, and releases to the sea at Dartmouth.
The river begins as two separate branches (the East Dart and West Dart), which join at Dartmeet. The paths along these rivers offer very attractive walking, and there are several small waterfalls. The rivers are crossed by a number of clapper bridges, notably at the hamlet of Postbridge.
After leaving the moor, the Dart flows southwards past Buckfast Abbey and through the towns of Buckfastleigh, Dartington and Totnes. At Totnes, where there is a seventeenth-century weir (rebuilt in the 1960s),[4] it becomes tidal, and there are no bridges below the town.
A passenger ferry operates across the river from the village of Dittisham to a point adjacent to the Greenway Estate. Formerly the home of the late crime writer Agatha Christie, this has stunning views across the river, and the house and gardens are now owned by the National Trust and are open to the public.
The Dart estuary is a large ria and is popular for sailing. The village of Kingswear and town of Dartmouth are on the east and west sides of the estuary, and are linked by two vehicle ferries and a passenger ferry. The Kingswear Regatta is held each year. The deep water port of Dartmouth is a sheltered haven.
The entrance to the river from the sea is a rocky entrance with cliffs either side. On the East side Kingswear Castle sits very close to the water's edge, and on the west side Dartmouth Castle is built on a rocky promontory at sea level. The castles once operated a defensive chain across the estuary, which was raised at dusk to destroy enemy ships attempting to attack the harbour. The remains of the operating mechanisms for the chain are still visible in Dartmouth castle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Dart
River Levels:
https://riverlevels.uk/river-dart-buckfastleigh-austins-bridge
