Dartmoor offers majesty, the great outdoors ... and plenty of bad weather refuges

"English" and "wilderness" are two words not often used together. And for good reason. This is a country of mostly gentle landscapes, heavily cultivated, intensively managed, densely populated. It's rare to be anywhere in England that's out of sight of civilisation. Houses, cars, farm borders and communications towers snake through even the richest pastoral landscapes, reminding you that you're never that far from the hand of man.

Dartmoor is the wild and glorious exception to this rule. Occupying the centre of the southwestern county of Devon, Dartmoor's 365 acres are crossed by just two main roads. There are a handful of villages, but at its heart it's classic moorland. Rolling, heather-clad hills, many topped by impressive piles of granite boulders the size of houses ... as if some race of giant children had left their toys behind. Called "tors" locally, these granite-scattered hills are both majestic and a bit ghostly. The other-worldliness of the place is enhanced by generous sprinklings of neolithic monuments. Stone circles, standing stones and the foundations of ancient houses abound, made in a time of milder weather. Now the moors tend to catch the extremes; changeable weather, high winds and cold winters make the landscape more suited to sheep and the wild Dartmoor ponies than to humans. Thus you can add a glorious isolation to the drama of the views.

Of course, the isolation melts away in the summer, when crowds flock here to enjoy some of the best walking in the country. But even then, a mile's walk can take you past the day trippers to proper wilderness.

I had great plans our four-day Easter weekend. Lots of long, solitary walks through that magnificent landscape. Dog at my heels. Plenty of time and solitude to think. Hearty exercise to balance the four-course, non-weight watchers meals I was planning to consume at my B&B. Sadly, the English weather didn't cooperate. It could have been worse ... there were moments of sunshine ... but it was so changeable, and often turned so nasty, that it wasn't wise to wander too far from cover. I had no desire to become one of the handful of tourists every year who get lost on or rescued from the moors in bad weather. We managed a couple of miles a day, usually just up a tor within clear sight of the car park and back. On three days the wind was harsh and bitterly cold, on the fourth it was calmer but wetter. On all four, the dog doubled his pace when we turned around and headed back to the car. No fool, he was anticipating a sprawl in front of the fire at the local pub.

This was my seventh visit to Dartmoor, and I have to admit that bad weather has outweighed good. And yet I keep going. I find it one of the most magical places in England, and well worth a return visit in any conditions. Here are a few of my top tips.

Cherrybrook Hotel - I've stayed here on all of my visits. A small (just 7 rooms) place in an old farmhouse at the heart of the moor, just above where the two main roads cross, it is surrounded by spectacular views and is a long way from anything else. Most importantly to me, they welcome dogs. What, after all, would a walking holiday be without canine companionship? The rooms are basic but comfortable, meals particularly good and the hosts warm and welcoming. You can take some fantastic walks using this as a base, abandoning your car for the day. Excellent value for money, especially with dinner added. If you've put in a long day of walking, it's a pleasure to settle in for the evening rather than having to venture out for food. Guests gather in a snug, stone-walled lounge before and after dinner; I always seem to meet interesting and cheerful people here. Their web site is www.cherrybrook-hotel.co.uk

The Warren House Inn - Reputedly the third highest pub in England, Warren House sits on the highest part of the moor. Making it either the perfect place from which to set off on long rambles, or a remarkable lonely spot, depending on the weather. Either way, the pub is a classic and provides a warm welcome at all times. Stone floors, rough wooden tables, wood-burning fires at each end of the main room and a few horse brasses tacked up for decoration, this place looks like it hasn't changed much for more than a century. The bar serves up a respectable variety of beers and ciders, and the food is of the hearty, delicious pub variety that's disappearing as they all become gastropubs. You can come here with a large group and hold court for the evening, or settle by yourself in the rocker in front of the fire and be left alone to read the papers. I've done both, and both are equally delightful.

Hound Tor - One of my favourite tors because of its accessibility. The car park is right at its base, and it's a fairly gentle walk over spongy turf and heather before you're up amongst the granite boulders. Lovely views from the top, and if you want to hike down the other side you'll find yourself in the ruins of a medieval village.

Neolithic monuments at Merrivale - Again, nice that these aren't too far from the car parks. In fact, if you look carefully you can see the standing stones that mark the ancient processional way from the road. Not too far beyond that is a small stone circle with its separate standing stone beyond and to the east.

Pixieland - I find it reassuring that it's not just the Americans who have tacky tourist attractions. Pixieland is a small shop crammed with tourist knick-nacks in a forested dell in the middle of the moors. It's defining element is the surrounding garden, populated by pixies (aka garden gnomes) in every conceivable posture. If you've ever dreamed of finding a football-playing gnome in your favourite team's kit, this is the place. In addition to the tat, however, the shop actually has a great range of leather and woolen goods crafted from those hearty Dartmoor sheep.

All the places mentioned here are easily trackable on the internet for more information. Any first time visitors to Dartmoor should stop into one of the visitor information centres (the main one is in Pricetown) to pick up maps and further information. In my next entry I'll list some of my favourite spots to visit around the fringes of the moor.