Inspiration for Nordic walking in Devon and Dartmoor. Explore new areas and improve your health and fitness with Hill and Moorland Leader Fiona Swan.
Nordic Walking training and regular walks are held at Haldon Forest Park, National Trust Killerton, and other Devon locations on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
23/03/2026
Well done to everyone who attended my Nordic Forest Fitness class at Haldon today. This week we discussed heart rate monitoring and how the various hills are great for interval training.
Raising your heart rate for 150 minutes a week can really make a diffence to overall physical health. And doing this in a beautiful forest setting can really lift your spirits.
Who needs the gym when we have a fabulous forest on our doorstep.
Fab day for a Dartmoor walk reccy. This time exploring the cascades and rapids of the East Dart Waterfall, (north of Postbridge), along with the Grey Wethers double stone circles.
The circles are called Grey Wethers, as from a distance the stones are thought to resemble sheep or wethers, an alternative name for a sheep.
For Dartmoor 365's the waterfall is square I10 and the Grey Wethers H10.
Also of interest near Sittaford Tor was what looks like a large glacial erractic (an out of character boulder) left on the landscape.
Yet another amazing part of Dartmoor for us all to enjoy!
Hope you can join me for a walk soon.
11/03/2026
I must go up to Haldon in the evening. I bet it's a really special time.
Happy 💚
Did you know our woodlands give wildlife over a quarter of a million hectares to call home? 🦌
Over half of England’s rarest species can be found in the nation’s forests, including red squirrels, water voles, goshawks, nightjars and ospreys 🪺
Here at Haldon we are delighted and lucky to have a many nightjar that call our forest home 💚
If you come up in the summer on a still calm evening you maybe able to hear them or if you're really lucky see one!
08/03/2026
Great post from Parkinson's South West on how exercise can help manage symptoms.
Physical activity has a positive impact both physically and mentally. It can be as important as getting the right dose of medication.
Being active is important for everyone. It can make you feel good inside and out. It can maintain your health. It can lift your mood. And if you have Parkinson’s, it can help manage your symptoms. The more physically active you are, the easier it is to live well with Parkinson’s.
We are fortunate in the South West to work with some amazing physical activity providers as well our local groups, many of which offer regular physical activity alongside their support group meetings.
Great to get out on a Mountain Training Association peer led night navigation session last night. It was suitably foggy to start with, enabling us to practice micro-navigation in low visibility conditions.
Really grateful to the session co-ordinators who help to keep our skills up to date.
An invigorating way to spend a Wednesday evening! Meanwhile my partner and son were having a slap up meal in the Moorland Hotel!
22/02/2026
Love this. Who knew there were 20 different tree species at Haldon Forest Park.
I'll definitely look out for these tomorrow.
21/02/2026
🌸Love Dartmoor this Spring!🌸
Do a Friday walk once a month with Hill and Moorland Walk Leader Fiona Swan. See the Feb to April walks below. 👇
All walks have been planned with variety in mind and a focus on enjoying the moor.
Please note, that with this year's exceptional rain, adaptations to routes will be made if necessary. Surprisingly, the area around Mis Tor and The Merrivale Complex was quite well drained last weekend when I was out on a walk reccy.
If you would like to attend any of the walks, please email fiona@nordicwalkingdevon.co.uk, and full details will be sent to you.
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FRIDAY DARTMOOR WALKS – 2026
Explore Dartmoor with one of my day walks – take time to enjoy the view, take pictures, picnic and enjoy! Discover more about the nature and rich industrial heritage of Dartmoor. Feel free to use Nordic or other walking poles.
Is the walk right for me?
Please note that a moderate to good level of fitness is required for these walks. The walks show the distance, the minimum walking time, and the amount of ascent to help you decide if it's right for you.
What constitutes a challenge can be very subjective, so please contact Fiona to discuss any concerns around your fitness levels.
Friday 27th Feb – 10.00 – 2.30pm – Badgers Holt, Corndon Down and Yartor
From Badgers Holt, walk part of the East Dart River to open moorland rich in history and intrigue. Taking in fine views from Corndon Down visit Yar Tor and the distinctive Sharp Tor (filming site of Werwulf). We also visit various points of interest, (that feature in the John Haywood’s Dartmoor 365 book) such as the Coffin Stone (N13), the Money Pit (N14) as well as the WW1Memorial Cross on Corndon Down.
Distance – 5.8 miles, Elevation 1077ft Terrain: Moorland paths & open moorland. Time: Minimum 3 hours of walking with plenty of stops and rest.
Level: Moderate
Friday 27th March 10.00 – 2.30pm – Foggin Tor Quarry, Kings Tor, Merrivale Stone Rows, and Great Mis Tor
See evidence of Dartmoor throughout the ages with this varied walk to the NW of Princetown. From the SW slopes of Great Mis Tor see Pillow mounds, evidence of past rabbit farming and open cast mining. At Great Mis Tor enjoy fabulous views before descending a main track back towards Foggin Tor quarry and Kings Tor. The walk completes with a visit to the Merivale Stone Rows and Cairns, where time is taken to sit and marvel at just how extraordinary they are.
Distance – 6.5 miles, Elevation 863ft Terrain: Moorland paths, tracks, disused railway line & open moorland. Time: Minimum 3hrs.10mins walking with plenty of stops and rest.
Level: Moderate
Friday 24th April 10.30 – 2.30pm – 4 Tors, Buckland Beacon & The Ten Commandments Stone
Starting with fine moorland views from Saddle Tor walk via Hemsworth gate onto Top Tor and Pil Tor overlooking Foal s Arrishes Settlement. Crossing Blackslade Ford we then cross Buckland Common to Buckland Beacon and the unique 10 Commandments Stone. Return via Rushslade Common and finally Rippon Tor, one of the highest points on this part of the moor, with cairns, evidence of tin mining and the half-finished cross.
Distance – 6.43 Miles, Elevation 967ft Terrain: Open moorland, moorland paths, country road. Time: Minimum 4.14 hours of walking with plenty of stops and rest.
Level: Moderate
COSTS
£20 per walk
Or book 10 walks for £100 – Please note all ten walks must be completed in 2026
Book 5 walks for - £62.50
A payment link will be sent to you upon booking.
Thanks, and I hope to meet you soon.
Fiona
20/02/2026
🌳Join me and Learn to Nordic Walk at beautiful Haldon Forest Park🌳Get lots of fresh air and learn something new.
I have two courses coming up shortly that are available to book online⬇️
Learning the correct technique can be a great investment, as Nordic walking can enable you to
➡️Walk further and faster with improved posture and confidence. Nordic walking is an effective way to improve cardiovascular fitness, burn calories, and improve body composition.
➡️Nordic walking is also great for rehabilitation - If you’re recovering from an injury or managing a neurological condition such as Parkinson’s, the technique helps to maintain your overall fitness.
Research shows that it aids good posture, balance, functional fitness, and overall quality of life.
Many clients report walking further and faster than they ever thought possible.
What a great scheme 'The Moor Boots' initiative is.
Getting kitted out is so expensive. If you know any young person doing 10 Tors or DoE please do have a look and share.
I remember wearing some terrible plastic boots, inappropriate waterproofs (back in the 1980's/90's) and having some pretty miserable days out! 💦
In the words of Orchard Manor School: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!”
The DPA are delighted to support more young people than ever, through our Moor Boots essential equipment grants. These small grants go directly to the young adventurers who need them, whether they're training for Ten Tors, Duke of Edinburgh or taking part in other outdoor learning on Dartmoor.
Commenting on a recent training day, Orchard Manor School said: 'Thankfully, we had all the right gear on, which meant we could enjoy a fantastic day out on the moors training for Ten Tors.
The conditions may have been challenging, but our students showed great resilience, teamwork and determination throughout. We are so proud of their positive attitude and commitment as they continue preparing for this incredible challenge!
Onwards and upwards!'
Applications for Moor Boots grants are still open. Please share this post so that as many young people can benefit from a grant as possible.
18/02/2026
Another good one from woodlarking. Funny but true. 😂
17/02/2026
Follow link in the article to see how you can support the maintenance of our fabulous SW coast path. Options range from membership to volunteering.
Address
Haldon Forest Park, Bullers Hill, Kenford Exeter EX68PP
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Nordic Walking Devon is run by Fiona Swan, Nordic Walking UK instructor. Fiona is also a Level 4 specialist in ‘Exercise for Lower Back Pain’, a Pilates instructor and GP Referral qualified.
Fiona’s ethos is very much about being people centred and providing high quality and enjoyable classes that many will want to return to time after time.
During the Covid 19 outbreak Fiona is also running online Pilates and Strength and Resistance classes for the very first time and is finding it’s an effective way for individuals to keep fit and well at home. Online classes combined with other outdoor activities could well become the most time efficient way to keep strong and active.
Fiona runs training and walks at beautiful Haldon Forest Park and National Trust Killerton. Nordic walking, using poles to walk, is a full body workout which uses the upper body as well as the legs. It’s effective cardio vascular exercise which is kind to joints. To find out more see www.nordicwalkingdevon.co.uk
To find out more about Pilates and have a look at my page and my website www.pilatesinexeter.co.uk to find out how to get started. Pilates is a great way to stretch and strengthen the whole body. Plus if you have any joint or muscular issues it’s a very gentle and careful way to exercise. Beginning with the Pilates fundamentals my classes will introduce you to the basics and a series of exercises to work the whole body. Exercises are layered or adapted so that you can work safely and at your own level.
I hope you will come along to one of my classes soon. You will be given a very warm welcome.
Fiona
To find out how to get started see the Nordic Walking Devon website www.nordicwalkingdevon.co.uk A warm welcome awaits!
Fiona is Insured and is a Registered Exercise Professional, Membership Number: R0121658
