Otterton To High Peak Circular Walk

This 4.6mi/7.4km circular walk starts and ends in the village of Otterton. There are no car parks here, so find one of the quiet side roads to park on if arriving by car (Maunders Hill usually has plenty of roadside spaces). This walk takes you along quiet footpaths, past Ladram Bay, onto the coast path and up a steep track to High Peak. This walk is fairly strenuous in places, with rough terrain, especially the climb up to high peak (although this part is optional). Sturdy footwear with good grip is needed and parts of the coast path do get muddy after very wet weather. There is an honesty cafe at Stantyway Farm, as well as a chance to stop off for refreshments at The Three Rocks at Ladram Bay. Once back in Otterton you have the choice of The Kings Arms pub and Otterton Mill for food and drink. Dogs are welcome on the whole walk, just be aware of keeping them on the lead around any livestock and near the cliff edge.

After parking on Maunders Hill, walk up the road and turn left down ‘Behind Hayes’. Continue along this road until you see an ‘unmetalled footpath’ sign pointing right up Lea Lane. Take this track that will soon turn stony, and then becomes sheltered by trees leaning overhead. It’s a great area to spot fungi growing on the sides of the track before it turns into a gravel path. Ignore a footpath that you’ll pass on your right, instead continue round a bend to the left. Here I heard goldfinches flying over, then saw swallows dipping down over the fields on either side of the path. There were also several speckled wood butterflies flitting between the leaves along the hedgerows as I reached the end of the path. Have a quick look over at the sea ahead of you, before turning left up the lane where you’ll soon pass Stantyway Honesty Cafe on the left, a good refreshment stop before carrying on down the lane on the right with the T junction sign beside it.

When you arrive at Monks Cottage, take the public footpath to the right, where you’ll soon pass through a gate into a field with stunning sea views over Ladram Bay. Keep to the right and walk the trodden path through the field, on a clear day you’ll be able to see Sidmouth’s red cliffs as well as the white cliffs near Branscombe and Beer. At the bottom of the field, turn left and continue along the path towards Ladram Bay holiday park. Here a flock of linnet flew over the field calling out, I sometimes see rabbits popping out of the hedgerows here too, but not today. Be sure to notice the big hill ahead of you, encompassed by trees, this is Peak Hill and High Peak, which we will soon be climbing. Once passed through a kissing gate, you’ll enter into a field owned by the holiday park, leave this field at the other end and walk down the slope, taking the path on the right passing Ladram Thatched Cottage on your left. If you want a refreshment stop, you’ll soon be passing The Three Rocks on your left (check the opening times).

Pick up the path to the left of the play park, where you’ll soon see a coast path sign, opening up into a field. Walk straight ahead towards another gate, then up the dusty track and over a board walk. Parts of this track will be sheltered by hedges and trees, the shade very much welcome on a hot day, there were also lots of sloe berries growing on the blackthorn here. Listen out for buzzards, they can usually be spotted circling above the fields on the left, with views of the heaths in the distance. After an incline you’ll pass through a kissing gate (with lovely views of Ladram stacks if you look back behind you) and into a wooded area. This can be a bit of a workout walking up this hill whilst also dodging the tree roots underfoot, it was lovely hearing the goldcrests calling out in the trees here, and before long the track will soon open up again at the top. Continue ahead until you see a stony track on your right. This is the route to High Peak, if you’re fit and able, I always think it’s worth the steep climb up the uneven, stony track and wonky steps to the trig point at the top, for the panoramic views of the East Devon coast and countryside. There were so many swallows flying about at the top when I did this walk, as well as a family of buzzards hovering above. As I carefully walked back down the track, I heard Jays calling out in the woods below.

Don’t forget to look back as you leave through the kissing gate

Once back at the bottom of the track, turn right and walk the path with pine trees on either side of it. When you get to a crossroads, take the path to the left signposted ‘Bar’s Lane, Otterton’. This is a lovely leafy lane with teasing views of the rolling hills between the trees on the right. I usually hear blackbirds and wrens foraging in the brambles here, then hearing their alarm call when they think they’ve been spotted. Take the signposted path on the right down a shaded sunken lane (Radway Lane), the dappled light through the trees was gorgeous here on the moss covered tree roots. When you get to a choice of two paths, turn left and walk up a dirt track, again shaded by trees. When you reach the end of this part of the track, turn right and walk down a gravel path (Chockenhole Lane). Ignore a permissive footpath on your left at the end and turn right where you’ll now arrive onto Ottery Street.

Dappled light on the moss covered tree roots

Turn left and walk down the lane towards Otterton, being careful of any traffic that may pass you. You’ll soon pass a sign welcoming you back into the village, keep walking along this lane, passing beautiful thatched cottages as you do so. Turn right when you reach the main road through Otterton, passing a telephone box library on your right and soon a stream flowing through the village on your left. You’ll soon pass The Kings Arms pub on your right, another great place to stop off for lunch or a drink. When you arrive at the village green, cross the road opposite the bus stop and walk up Maunders Hill where we began the walk. Otterton Mill is also just down from the green for food, drink and a look around the Mill and gift shop. If you enjoyed this walk, be sure to keep an eye on other coast path walks I’ll be putting on here soon.

At the end of our walk by the village green

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Jonathon Cauchois 9/25/26 Jonathon Cauchois 9/25/26

Bovey Valley Woods Circular Walk

This 3.6mi/5.7km circular walk starts at the free Pullabrook car park (what3words: ///host.retract.condense) and takes you through woodland, heathland and along the River Bovey. There is so much wildlife and nature on this walk, passing two bird hides, moss covered trees, the lichen trail and so many species of fungi. There are some inclines with uneven terrain in places, so sturdy footwear is advised. There are toilets halfway along the walk at the Natural England Offices (Yarner Wood), but no refreshment stops on the route. There is a cafe at National Trust Parke (7 minute drive), as well as Ullacombe Farm Cafe & Shop (6 minute drive). Lustleigh is the nearest village (5 minute drive) which has a pub and cafe. There are also picnic benches in Yarner Wood by the National England Offices car park.

From the car park, follow the main track through the gate, passing some timber stacks. Take a minor path on your right before the second lot of timber stacks where you’ll pass several trees in the woods with bat boxes attached. You’ll first hear the River Bovey on your right, then as you pass though a gate, the river will be in sight on your right. Continue along this path, walking alongside the river on your right. Keep an eye out for grey wagtails and dippers in the river, especially any rocks they may perch on in the middle of the water. When you arrive at a gate in front of you, ignore this and continue to the right where you’ll soon pass over a stile and into some woodland. Here we heard long tailed tits calling out continuously and goldcrests squealing as we took the trodden path up the hill. Be careful of rocks and tree roots as you walk to the top, then turn right, taking a narrow path until it reaches a lane.

The gate leading to East Dartmoor Nature Reserve

Turn left up this lane that’s decorated with moss covered trees, stones and beautiful ferns as the path soon turns into a gravel track. When you arrive at a rocky path on the right, take this route between the ferns which will soon open up into a car park. From here, exit the car park on the right, walking a short distance up the road until you pick up a track on the other side of the road (by a bus stop with a bench). Take the bridleway to the left of the locked gates, then ahead of you, pass through the gate signposted as Yarner Wood (there’s a sign here stating that dogs need to be on leads). We heard and saw a group of meadow pipits here as we turned right at the end of this path, and on the damp September day we did this walk grasshoppers were still hopping around on the ground. Passing a gate on your right, take the path ahead of you, then turn left down a stony track with tree roots underfoot. We saw an impressive wood ant nest on the left here as we walked down the hill. The views ahead and to the right of the trees in the valley were beautiful as we turned right at the end of the track, then through a gate which leads into a car park.

Plenty of leaflets of the local nature and wildlife

Crossing the bridge by the picnic benches

There are toilets here in this car park by the National England Offices, as well as some information leaflets on the local wildlife and nature you may encounter. After picking up a couple of leaflets we left the car park through a gate opposite the offices, then crossed over a wooden bridge. We walked the gravel path, passing picnic benches on our left by a stream, then at the end of the path, turned right, passing moss covered trees up the hill. We could hear several jays calling out in the trees here, a busy time of year for them at the moment, collecting and caching acorns to store and eat over winter. At the top of the lane, we stopped off at the bird hide before taking the track on the right hand side. When you get to a fork in the path, take the track to the right; we saw a group of chaffinches foraging on the path here as we walked under the canopy of trees. Keep an eye out for lichen and moss on the stone walls and tree roots along this track too. Turn right down a path with a post beside it which will take you down some steps then across two wooden bridges. We then turned left at the end of this path, then right, up a hill and through a gate, then taking a path to the left. (We then took a detour to the path straight ahead by the metal railings which took us to a bird hide overlooking a beautiful reservoir). Once arriving at an information sign, we took a path on the right and passed through a gate, crossing a road and entering into a car park. We picked up a grass path straight ahead in the car park, which took us right, down the hill, boasting lovely views of the valley and trees, it was lightly raining at this point, which seemed to make the landscape even more beautiful. Ignore the first left turn, instead take the second left and continue on a rocky path down the hill.

So much moss and lichen on the trees and stone wall in this area

Walking the path towards the two wooden bridges

When you arrive at the bottom of the path, you should notice you’ve been on this track before. Turn left down the hill and keep an eye out for different fungi along this route, there will be a lot more popping up soon, now we’re entering into the damp autumnal days. When you pass a boulder, turn right through a gate where you’ll arrive at Hisley Bridge, a beautiful old stone packhorse bridge. After crossing over the bridge, turn right where you’ll soon pass through a gate and onto a gravel track, we saw a dipper perched on a rock in the river, so keep an eye out as you walk this path alongside the water. When you pass a sign saying ‘Hisley Woods’, take the path to the right, keeping to the riverside walk.

Eventually you’ll pass through a gate into a field with the river still on your right. Follow the trodden path that takes you to a metal gate to the left. After passing through the gate, we noticed some broken snail shells on the stone wall to the right, signs that a song thrush has most probably used the stone as an anvil to get to the snail inside. We turned right and walked down the lane then right again at the end, where soon you’ll pass over a stone road bridge and arrive back at the car park on your right. This is one of many beautiful walks Dartmoor has to offer. I’ll be posting more on here soon to enjoy, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

Hisley Bridge, the old stone packhorse bridge

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