Cadover Bridge

Cadover Bridge carries the road over the River Plym on the south-western edge of Dartmoor, about two miles north-east of Shaugh Prior. The bridge you see is a single-arched stone structure of the 19th century. Treks and Tors says it replaced a double-arched bridge, which in turn replaced an earlier clapper bridge of the Postbridge type, and a Geograph caption notes there used to be a clapper bridge over the ford here.

A free car park beside the river is looked after by the National Trust, which also cares for much of the surrounding land. There are no toilets, overnight parking is not allowed, and the Trust says dogs must be on a lead from 1 March to 31 July because of livestock on the common land. The Trust's sat nav postcode is PL7 5EH.

This is the usual start for walks up to Great and Little Trowlesworthy Tors, the stone rows and Trowlesworthy Warren, and Wigford Down is a short walk from the car parks. The river here is also a popular summer spot for paddling and picnics, and the stretch from Cadover down to Shaugh Bridge is the upper canoeing section of the Plym.

A medieval wayside cross stands just to the north-west, above the river on the slopes of Wigford Down. The clay country begins close by: a 1979 photograph shows the Lee Moor workings reaching the road from the bridge, and the track towards Trowlesworthy Farm crosses the Lee Moor leat.

Sources: treksandtors.co; www.nationaltrust.org.uk; dartmoorcam.co.uk; en.wikipedia.org; commons.wikimedia.org; commons.wikimedia.org