COUNTRY WALKS
in
NEWTON ST CYRES
This leaflet details six circular walks in the parish of Newton St Cyres. The walks vary in length from 1.25 to 7.2 miles and are all of easy to moderate difficulty, mostly on public footpaths.
The production of the first edition of this leaflet was funded by a grant to the Newton St Cyres Parish Council from the Big Lottery Fund Awards for All programme. This revised edition is funded by the Newton Wonder. Maps reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. ©
Walk 1
An easy to moderate walk of 4.6 miles starting at Smallbrook and following a circular route to the east around Hookway and Fordton, mostly through rolling farmland with panoramic views Smallbrook is on the A377. When approaching from Newton St Cyres towards Crediton turn left as the main road takes a sharp bend to the right.
There is a speed warning as you approach the bend and the turn is directly after the first chevron denoting the bend. A few yards after you have left the main road there is limited parking to the right of the Parish Notice Board (by kind permission of Mr Phillip Browne).
Proceed down the lane away from the main road for about 400 yds before taking a marked footpath to the right shortly after Swallowdale. Go round the field with the hedge on your left and leave at the top corner through a gate. Proceed diagonally right across a very large field heading to the far uppermost corner where a hedge ends. Bear right on leaving the field and keep the barbed wire fence on your right.
There are extensive views both to the north and the south. Go straight across the next field, heading for a tree at the left end of a row (the return route re-joined at this point).
Follow the footpath signs directly across a track and proceed down a path between banks to Hookway Farm. Turn left about 30 yds before a crossroads of tracks. This turn is easy to miss. It directly follows a house on the left and some laurels partially obscure the path which goes across a small stream and through a 5-barred gate before entering a field. The path follows the boundary up the slope with the hedge to the right and through a gate to the next field with the hedge still on the right.
Leave this field through a gate and proceed along a track through Rudge Farm bearing right on the concrete road through the farmyard. Follow the footpath sign on a track to the right about 100 yds after the last farm building. At the end of the track go through a gate with the field boundary to your right. Leave the field by a gate and turn right on to the minor road.
Proceed along the road for about a mile going straight across Fordton Cross and then turning right after about 300 yds on to a footpath just before the bridge over the River Yeo. The footpath has the river on the left, but after about 200 yds the footpath goes to the right up a few steps and through a gate. Follow the field boundary to the left for about 300 yds and then take another gate to the left to enter the Golf Course.
Watch out for golf balls. The path through the golf course is not well marked, but follow the boundary to the left and keep to the lower side of the Clubhouse and pond before exiting the golf course near a wood. Follow a track a few yards until it meets a minor road
Follow the road for about 0.5 mile and at the top of the hill through a narrow sandstone cutting take a track with a footpath sign to the right. Excellent views to the left towards Killerton. After nearly 0.5 mile there is a footpath sign to the left. You have now joined up with the outward route. Retrace the route across the field and back to Smallbrook
Walk 2
A circular walk of 7.2 miles of moderate difficulty encompassing farmland and woodland with hills and excellent views.
From the village car park turn left into West Town Road following the Shuttern Brook. Take the first right turn (following the main route) and proceed on the road up Riscombe Hill for about 0.3 mile. Left at footpath sign and walk down the field with hedge on right. At bottom of field go over the stile and proceed diagonally right across the field to the lowest corner and over a stile (it’s often muddy here) and then a bridge across a stream ascending steeply on path the other side to enter field by a stile and follow footpath along field edge with hedge on left for some distance until the third gateway on the left. Follow the footpath arrow left through the gate and continue uphill with the hedge now on your right until exiting the field through a gate on to a quiet lane. Turn left along the lane and follow the sign towards Venny Cleave and Sherwood for about 200 yds, before taking a marked footpath to the right. Proceed on the path at the top of the field with good views to the left. Exit the field at a gate and go down a slope to rejoin the road heading right and passing between two substantial pillars.
Take a footpath to the right. This is about 80 yds before the cattle grid across the road as it enters the grounds of Sherwood The path is well used and passes through deciduous woodland, mainly oak and beech but with some holly and hazel, for about 1 mile parallel with, but some distance away from, a stream to the right. This path eventually meets a forestry track in Whiptail Wood which you follow left for only about 30 yds before turning right on a marked footpath to go up hill through a conifer plantation for about 0.7 miles, crossing two forestry tracks. Follow this path until you enter a field through a gate on the right. Continue up the gentle slope with the hedge on your right. After about 400 yds the path becomes a green lane with hedges either side. Turn left when you meet a road. Keep left at the next junction (Twiscombe Corner) following sign to Whitestone Church. Keep left at the next junction (signed to Whitestone Church and Exeter). Continue on the road past Glebe Farm, and follow the Rowhorne sign at the next junction and then Waddles Down communications mast on your left. There are excellent views to the right with Dartmoor in one direction and Exeter and the Exe Estuary in the other. Raddon Hills are in front of you and Crediton to the left.
Leave the road about 300 yds after Rowhorne Farm at a rather acute angle on a signed bridleway to the left. After about 100 yds go through a gate and the track becomes a path. On entering the field follow the hedge on the left keeping on level ground, although the field to the right falls very steeply. At the end of the field go through two gates in quick succession and enter another field following the field edge with hedge to the right. At the end of the hedge proceed straight ahead through a gate into Newton Wood following the bridleway sign. The path goes quite steeply downhill through a conifer plantation and across a forestry track. The path becomes a track with woodland to the left and fields to the right, joining a metalled road about a mile after you entered Newton Wood. There are often piles of timber at the end of the track awaiting collection. Proceed down the metalled road for about 0.8 mile passing Widdon Cottage and Coldharbour Turn left at the first road junction (New Barn Cross), going down the hill towards Newton St Cyres and into Pump Street, where the road goes through Shuttern Brook by ford, but you walk over an old stone bridge. Turn left shortly after the ford, where the road meets the main Exeter- Crediton A377 road. Turn left again into West Town Road and return to the car park and Parish Hall on the left.
Walk 3
A walk of 1.3 miles starting in the Parish Hall car park and including the centre of the village. The walk is mainly on quiet roads, but includes a footpath on a grass field. There are two hills. The car park is signed from the A377 in the village centre. Turn right out of the car park, but on approaching the A377 main road follow the path to the right with the Green on your left. At the end of the row of bungalows turn right into Pump St and take the footbridge over Shuttern Brook. The house Old Beams on the left of the road used to be a pub - The Agricultural Inn. Proceed up Pump St past the pump and out of the village centre. Pass Lilly Farm and go uphill for about 0.3 mile to meet Sand Down Lane at New Barn Cross. Turn right for about 150 yds and then take a signed footpath to the right opposite Ridgeway House. Follow the hedgerow to the left around the field boundary and down a steep hill to go over a stile on the left before the bottom of the hill. Proceed down the slope with the field boundary on your right until going over a second stile on the right and
turning right into the lane. After about 250 yds the lane meets West Town Road with Halses in front of you. Go straight ahead with the Shuttern Brook on your right. Consider a short diversion as you approach the Parish Hall and car park. The road to the left takes you to the beautiful Church of St Cyr and St Julitta and the Arboretum. After visiting the Church, retrace to West Town road and turn left for the car park. The Village Stores and Post Office and the Crown and Sceptre Public House are just the other side of the A377.
Walk 4
A circular walk of 5.4 miles north of Newton St Cyres with good views starting from the Recreation Ground and passing through Shute, Efford and Shobrooke Mill. This is a walk of easy-moderate difficulty mainly through farmland with
some stretches on quiet roads. Park in the car park at the Recreation Ground, Station Road, Newton St Cyres. This is about 0.5 mile north of the village centre (signed from A377 Station, Sweetham). Turn right out of the car park and go over the railway bridge and straight ahead at the cross roads with The Beer Engine on your left. This is a narrow metalled road with no through way signs. Shortly after a gate labelled Lake Barton, take a marked footpath to the right. Follow the footpath to the left as it skirts the field with hedge and then wire fence on the left. Follow the fence line with Lake Farm on your left (ignore footpath going across field to right) until turning right along a road. Continue for about 0.5 mile passing Rewe Cross and going in the direction of Shute. About 30 yds after a second road junction and signs for Newton St Cyres Golf Club, take a footpath to the left with the golf course to your left. After a few yards the footpath goes through a gap in the hedge. Keep going uphill along the field boundary with a new orchard appearing on your right. The path bends to the right at the top of the hill continuing to follow the field boundary for a further 100 yds. Follow the footpath through a gate and right along a field boundary with a hedge on the right. The hamlet of Shute can be seen to the right. On meeting a road, turn right for about 200 yds and then left at a T-junction going north towards and through Efford. After going through Efford turn left onto a track signed Oak Barn (where a metalled road goes to the right)and follow the public footpath sign. It is about 100 yds before some recent barn conversions on the right. Proceed for about 150 yds and continue along a smaller track and through the right hand gate. This becomes a path going up a slope between banks with over-hanging trees. After about 400 yds the path enters an orchard. Turn right following the field
boundary, go through a kissing gate and across a further field, before bearing to the left at a footpath arrow and following the path along the field boundary with the hedge on your right for about 0.5 mile until meeting a road. Turn right for about 40 yds and then left at the road junction following the rather twisty road through Pennicott. Take the second signed footpath to the left just as you leave the hamlet. This is easily missed as the footpath sign and the stile are set back, tucked directly after a hedge next to an obvious field gate. Follow the path down the slope between post and wire fences on both sides. There are good views of Shobrooke to the right. Take the footbridge over the stream. Proceed straight ahead for about 100 yds and through a gate, before turning left and following the field boundary. The path soon follows the stream (on the left). Proceed for about 0.5 mile until going through a kissing gate on the left and over two footbridges. Turn right for nearly 0.5 mile with a dry leat on your right. The path joins a road at Shobrooke Mill. Turn left at the Mill and follow the road for 0.6 mile to Wyke Cross, passing Wyke Hill Nursery. Go straight ahead at the cross roads following the sign to Newton St Cyres, until you come to The Beer Engine on your right. Turn right and over the railway bridge and you are back at the car park.
Walk 5 (can be combined with Walk 6)
An easy circular walk of about 5 miles starting at the Recreation Ground car park and following the River Creedy towards Langford and Bidwell, returning to Newton St Cyres through Winscott and Sweetham. This is a gentle flat walk
passing mainly through farmland with good views. Park in the car park at the Recreation Ground, Station Road, Newton St Cyres. This is on the right of the road about 0.5 mile north of the village centre (signed from A377 - Station, Sweetham). Turn left out of the car park and follow the road until a footpath signs to the left just before the bridge over the River Creedy. The footpath follows the river. After about a mile and going through four fields, go over a stile and turn left away from the river (there is a bridge over the river at this point). The path soon goes through some disturbed wasteland and after about 400 yds leads over the railway line – TAKE GREAT CARE CROSSING THE RAILWAY – and straight across a field which is exited by a small bridge on to a footpath. Go straight ahead through two gates until meeting the road at Langford after about 400 yds. Turn left along the road for about 100 yds and then turn right into a grassed track, Bidwell Lane. The entrance to the lane is easy to miss; it begins along the nearside of Langford House. After 0.5 mile, as the lane bears left, turn to the right for a few yards and then follow the marked footpath to the left through a gate then diagonally across a field towards Upton Pyne Church, but at the field boundary turn sharp left to follow footpath along the hedgeline. At the end of the field take the footpath that goes straight ahead, down a short slope and though a gate. Continue straight ahead keeping Bidwell Barton on your left, until you meet the Upton Pyne to Shute road. Turn left and follow the road past the Equestrian Centre, keeping straight ahead at Jackmoor Cross until a footpath on the left, just after a stone bridge. The footpath follows the stream for about 500 yds. At the end of the field turn right through a gate and then immediately left following the field boundary on the left for about 200 yds. Follow the path right and up the slope to pick up and follow another hedgeline on the left until reaching the road. Turn left for only 30 yds to Winscott Cross and then right following the sign to Newton St Cyres. The remainder of the walk is on the road, passing Winscott Barton and Norton Farm and through the hamlet of Sweetham, following signs for Newton
St Cyres. After 1.3 miles turn left into Station Road over the railway bridge (alternatively visit the Beer Engine Public House in front of you!) until you reach the Recreation Ground car park on your left.
Walk 6 (can be combined with Walk 5)
An easy circular walk of 4.5 miles starting from Langford and passing through Upton Pyne and Brampford Speke before returning to Langford. This is a gentle flat walk passing mainly through farmland and villages with good views. There is limited roadside parking in Langford on the road from the A377 at New Bridge towards Shute. A good place to park is in the lay-by on the right hand side by the post box and village notice board, 0.6 mile from the A377. Proceed north from this parking place for about 300 yds and then turn right into Bidwell Lane. The entrance to the lane is easy to miss; it begins along the nearside of Langford House. After about 0.5 mile, as the lane bears left, turn to the right for a few yards and then follow the marked footpath to left through a gate then diagonally across a field towards Upton Pyne, with the church being prominent to the south and extensive views of the Raddon Hills to the north. Proceed towards Upton Pyne following the path along the field boundary with the hedge to the left. Exit the field through a gate and follow a farm track for about 200 yds. As you leave the farm buildings take a narrow unmarked path (easy to miss) along the church boundary for about 100 yds. Proceed along a short cobbled road with old cottages on the right to meet the main road going through Upton Pyne at Pierces Farm Follow the road left for about 300 yds, turning right following the footpath sign towards Cox’s Hill Farm. After about 100 yds at a footpath junction take the path that bears right. After nearly 0.5 mile the well-signed footpath goes through a gate to the right and across three bridges with wet meadows to the right of the path. Enter a short lane and then go straight ahead following the boundary of two fields and go through a gate into a narrow path to join the road through the center of Brampford Speke. Turn left and pass the Lazy Toad public house. Take a left turn into Sandy Lane, directly before the school on the right. Follow the lane for about 0.3 mile until it bears sharply to the left. At this point go straight ahead through the five-barred gate and diagonally across the field towards Long View kennels. Join the road at Long View turning left for a few yards and then enter a footpath on the right which goes across a field before following a raised path through some wet woodland and emerging to go straight ahead along a field boundary for about 400 yds, before entering a track to the right which then meets a road. Turn left for only a few yards and then right following a footpath across a field and then proceed with the hedge on the right (and Upton Pyne Church in sight across the fields to the left). On the exit from the field go diagonally across the next field. On leaving the field, ignore a marked footpath that goes down to the right through a gate, BUT turn left keeping the field boundary to your left (this is a public footpath, but at the time of writing it was not signed in this direction). At the end of the field take a sharp right to go back diagonally across the field. You have now joined your outward route and proceed along Bidwell Lane to Langford. Autumn in Newton St Cyres The Parish of Newton St Cyres Newton St Cyres is about four miles north west of Exeter and is cut by the A377 Exeter to Crediton road. The population is 900 and the area some 1800 ha. Inaddition to the main village, the hamlets of Half Moon, Langford, Smallbrook and Sweetham are in the civil parish and the ecclesiastical parish also includes Cowley and Three Horseshoes. The main village is on the Shuttern Brook just south of the River Creedy. The parish is rural with most of the land being farmed with milk production, cereals and oilseeds being important. The altitude varies from about 60 ft by the River Creedy to 650 ft in the south west of the parish, Most of the north is on well-drained rolling farmland, with the mid part comprising the floodplain of the Creedy and fertile red sandstone soils, whilst the southern part is on poorly-drained soils with several deep valleys. Much of this area is wooded. The village has a Primary School, Village Stores and Post Office, Farm Shop and two public houses, the Beer Engine and the Crown and Sceptre. There is a Church, Parish Hall and Recreation Ground. There are frequent buses to Exeter and Crediton. Newton St Cyres Station is away from the village centre in Sweetham and is on the Tarka Line from Exeter to Barnstaple. More details about the village are given on
www.newtonwonder.net and on http:// parish.middevon.gov.uk/newtonstcyres
Newton St Cyres is well served with buses between Exeter
and Creditonfrom Stagecoach
route 5 (www.stagecoachbus.com).
Although there is a station on the Exeter to Barnstaple Tarka Line, only a few trains stop at Newton St Cyres
This leaflet is produced by the Newton Ramblers with assistance from Devon
County Council. Copies are available from the dispenser in the Parish Hall
Car Park and from 01392 851337. It can be downloaded from
www.newtonwonder.net .
e to edit.
in
NEWTON ST CYRES
This leaflet details six circular walks in the parish of Newton St Cyres. The walks vary in length from 1.25 to 7.2 miles and are all of easy to moderate difficulty, mostly on public footpaths.
The production of the first edition of this leaflet was funded by a grant to the Newton St Cyres Parish Council from the Big Lottery Fund Awards for All programme. This revised edition is funded by the Newton Wonder. Maps reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. ©
Walk 1
An easy to moderate walk of 4.6 miles starting at Smallbrook and following a circular route to the east around Hookway and Fordton, mostly through rolling farmland with panoramic views Smallbrook is on the A377. When approaching from Newton St Cyres towards Crediton turn left as the main road takes a sharp bend to the right.
There is a speed warning as you approach the bend and the turn is directly after the first chevron denoting the bend. A few yards after you have left the main road there is limited parking to the right of the Parish Notice Board (by kind permission of Mr Phillip Browne).
Proceed down the lane away from the main road for about 400 yds before taking a marked footpath to the right shortly after Swallowdale. Go round the field with the hedge on your left and leave at the top corner through a gate. Proceed diagonally right across a very large field heading to the far uppermost corner where a hedge ends. Bear right on leaving the field and keep the barbed wire fence on your right.
There are extensive views both to the north and the south. Go straight across the next field, heading for a tree at the left end of a row (the return route re-joined at this point).
Follow the footpath signs directly across a track and proceed down a path between banks to Hookway Farm. Turn left about 30 yds before a crossroads of tracks. This turn is easy to miss. It directly follows a house on the left and some laurels partially obscure the path which goes across a small stream and through a 5-barred gate before entering a field. The path follows the boundary up the slope with the hedge to the right and through a gate to the next field with the hedge still on the right.
Leave this field through a gate and proceed along a track through Rudge Farm bearing right on the concrete road through the farmyard. Follow the footpath sign on a track to the right about 100 yds after the last farm building. At the end of the track go through a gate with the field boundary to your right. Leave the field by a gate and turn right on to the minor road.
Proceed along the road for about a mile going straight across Fordton Cross and then turning right after about 300 yds on to a footpath just before the bridge over the River Yeo. The footpath has the river on the left, but after about 200 yds the footpath goes to the right up a few steps and through a gate. Follow the field boundary to the left for about 300 yds and then take another gate to the left to enter the Golf Course.
Watch out for golf balls. The path through the golf course is not well marked, but follow the boundary to the left and keep to the lower side of the Clubhouse and pond before exiting the golf course near a wood. Follow a track a few yards until it meets a minor road
Follow the road for about 0.5 mile and at the top of the hill through a narrow sandstone cutting take a track with a footpath sign to the right. Excellent views to the left towards Killerton. After nearly 0.5 mile there is a footpath sign to the left. You have now joined up with the outward route. Retrace the route across the field and back to Smallbrook
Walk 2
A circular walk of 7.2 miles of moderate difficulty encompassing farmland and woodland with hills and excellent views.
From the village car park turn left into West Town Road following the Shuttern Brook. Take the first right turn (following the main route) and proceed on the road up Riscombe Hill for about 0.3 mile. Left at footpath sign and walk down the field with hedge on right. At bottom of field go over the stile and proceed diagonally right across the field to the lowest corner and over a stile (it’s often muddy here) and then a bridge across a stream ascending steeply on path the other side to enter field by a stile and follow footpath along field edge with hedge on left for some distance until the third gateway on the left. Follow the footpath arrow left through the gate and continue uphill with the hedge now on your right until exiting the field through a gate on to a quiet lane. Turn left along the lane and follow the sign towards Venny Cleave and Sherwood for about 200 yds, before taking a marked footpath to the right. Proceed on the path at the top of the field with good views to the left. Exit the field at a gate and go down a slope to rejoin the road heading right and passing between two substantial pillars.
Take a footpath to the right. This is about 80 yds before the cattle grid across the road as it enters the grounds of Sherwood The path is well used and passes through deciduous woodland, mainly oak and beech but with some holly and hazel, for about 1 mile parallel with, but some distance away from, a stream to the right. This path eventually meets a forestry track in Whiptail Wood which you follow left for only about 30 yds before turning right on a marked footpath to go up hill through a conifer plantation for about 0.7 miles, crossing two forestry tracks. Follow this path until you enter a field through a gate on the right. Continue up the gentle slope with the hedge on your right. After about 400 yds the path becomes a green lane with hedges either side. Turn left when you meet a road. Keep left at the next junction (Twiscombe Corner) following sign to Whitestone Church. Keep left at the next junction (signed to Whitestone Church and Exeter). Continue on the road past Glebe Farm, and follow the Rowhorne sign at the next junction and then Waddles Down communications mast on your left. There are excellent views to the right with Dartmoor in one direction and Exeter and the Exe Estuary in the other. Raddon Hills are in front of you and Crediton to the left.
Leave the road about 300 yds after Rowhorne Farm at a rather acute angle on a signed bridleway to the left. After about 100 yds go through a gate and the track becomes a path. On entering the field follow the hedge on the left keeping on level ground, although the field to the right falls very steeply. At the end of the field go through two gates in quick succession and enter another field following the field edge with hedge to the right. At the end of the hedge proceed straight ahead through a gate into Newton Wood following the bridleway sign. The path goes quite steeply downhill through a conifer plantation and across a forestry track. The path becomes a track with woodland to the left and fields to the right, joining a metalled road about a mile after you entered Newton Wood. There are often piles of timber at the end of the track awaiting collection. Proceed down the metalled road for about 0.8 mile passing Widdon Cottage and Coldharbour Turn left at the first road junction (New Barn Cross), going down the hill towards Newton St Cyres and into Pump Street, where the road goes through Shuttern Brook by ford, but you walk over an old stone bridge. Turn left shortly after the ford, where the road meets the main Exeter- Crediton A377 road. Turn left again into West Town Road and return to the car park and Parish Hall on the left.
Walk 3
A walk of 1.3 miles starting in the Parish Hall car park and including the centre of the village. The walk is mainly on quiet roads, but includes a footpath on a grass field. There are two hills. The car park is signed from the A377 in the village centre. Turn right out of the car park, but on approaching the A377 main road follow the path to the right with the Green on your left. At the end of the row of bungalows turn right into Pump St and take the footbridge over Shuttern Brook. The house Old Beams on the left of the road used to be a pub - The Agricultural Inn. Proceed up Pump St past the pump and out of the village centre. Pass Lilly Farm and go uphill for about 0.3 mile to meet Sand Down Lane at New Barn Cross. Turn right for about 150 yds and then take a signed footpath to the right opposite Ridgeway House. Follow the hedgerow to the left around the field boundary and down a steep hill to go over a stile on the left before the bottom of the hill. Proceed down the slope with the field boundary on your right until going over a second stile on the right and
turning right into the lane. After about 250 yds the lane meets West Town Road with Halses in front of you. Go straight ahead with the Shuttern Brook on your right. Consider a short diversion as you approach the Parish Hall and car park. The road to the left takes you to the beautiful Church of St Cyr and St Julitta and the Arboretum. After visiting the Church, retrace to West Town road and turn left for the car park. The Village Stores and Post Office and the Crown and Sceptre Public House are just the other side of the A377.
Walk 4
A circular walk of 5.4 miles north of Newton St Cyres with good views starting from the Recreation Ground and passing through Shute, Efford and Shobrooke Mill. This is a walk of easy-moderate difficulty mainly through farmland with
some stretches on quiet roads. Park in the car park at the Recreation Ground, Station Road, Newton St Cyres. This is about 0.5 mile north of the village centre (signed from A377 Station, Sweetham). Turn right out of the car park and go over the railway bridge and straight ahead at the cross roads with The Beer Engine on your left. This is a narrow metalled road with no through way signs. Shortly after a gate labelled Lake Barton, take a marked footpath to the right. Follow the footpath to the left as it skirts the field with hedge and then wire fence on the left. Follow the fence line with Lake Farm on your left (ignore footpath going across field to right) until turning right along a road. Continue for about 0.5 mile passing Rewe Cross and going in the direction of Shute. About 30 yds after a second road junction and signs for Newton St Cyres Golf Club, take a footpath to the left with the golf course to your left. After a few yards the footpath goes through a gap in the hedge. Keep going uphill along the field boundary with a new orchard appearing on your right. The path bends to the right at the top of the hill continuing to follow the field boundary for a further 100 yds. Follow the footpath through a gate and right along a field boundary with a hedge on the right. The hamlet of Shute can be seen to the right. On meeting a road, turn right for about 200 yds and then left at a T-junction going north towards and through Efford. After going through Efford turn left onto a track signed Oak Barn (where a metalled road goes to the right)and follow the public footpath sign. It is about 100 yds before some recent barn conversions on the right. Proceed for about 150 yds and continue along a smaller track and through the right hand gate. This becomes a path going up a slope between banks with over-hanging trees. After about 400 yds the path enters an orchard. Turn right following the field
boundary, go through a kissing gate and across a further field, before bearing to the left at a footpath arrow and following the path along the field boundary with the hedge on your right for about 0.5 mile until meeting a road. Turn right for about 40 yds and then left at the road junction following the rather twisty road through Pennicott. Take the second signed footpath to the left just as you leave the hamlet. This is easily missed as the footpath sign and the stile are set back, tucked directly after a hedge next to an obvious field gate. Follow the path down the slope between post and wire fences on both sides. There are good views of Shobrooke to the right. Take the footbridge over the stream. Proceed straight ahead for about 100 yds and through a gate, before turning left and following the field boundary. The path soon follows the stream (on the left). Proceed for about 0.5 mile until going through a kissing gate on the left and over two footbridges. Turn right for nearly 0.5 mile with a dry leat on your right. The path joins a road at Shobrooke Mill. Turn left at the Mill and follow the road for 0.6 mile to Wyke Cross, passing Wyke Hill Nursery. Go straight ahead at the cross roads following the sign to Newton St Cyres, until you come to The Beer Engine on your right. Turn right and over the railway bridge and you are back at the car park.
Walk 5 (can be combined with Walk 6)
An easy circular walk of about 5 miles starting at the Recreation Ground car park and following the River Creedy towards Langford and Bidwell, returning to Newton St Cyres through Winscott and Sweetham. This is a gentle flat walk
passing mainly through farmland with good views. Park in the car park at the Recreation Ground, Station Road, Newton St Cyres. This is on the right of the road about 0.5 mile north of the village centre (signed from A377 - Station, Sweetham). Turn left out of the car park and follow the road until a footpath signs to the left just before the bridge over the River Creedy. The footpath follows the river. After about a mile and going through four fields, go over a stile and turn left away from the river (there is a bridge over the river at this point). The path soon goes through some disturbed wasteland and after about 400 yds leads over the railway line – TAKE GREAT CARE CROSSING THE RAILWAY – and straight across a field which is exited by a small bridge on to a footpath. Go straight ahead through two gates until meeting the road at Langford after about 400 yds. Turn left along the road for about 100 yds and then turn right into a grassed track, Bidwell Lane. The entrance to the lane is easy to miss; it begins along the nearside of Langford House. After 0.5 mile, as the lane bears left, turn to the right for a few yards and then follow the marked footpath to the left through a gate then diagonally across a field towards Upton Pyne Church, but at the field boundary turn sharp left to follow footpath along the hedgeline. At the end of the field take the footpath that goes straight ahead, down a short slope and though a gate. Continue straight ahead keeping Bidwell Barton on your left, until you meet the Upton Pyne to Shute road. Turn left and follow the road past the Equestrian Centre, keeping straight ahead at Jackmoor Cross until a footpath on the left, just after a stone bridge. The footpath follows the stream for about 500 yds. At the end of the field turn right through a gate and then immediately left following the field boundary on the left for about 200 yds. Follow the path right and up the slope to pick up and follow another hedgeline on the left until reaching the road. Turn left for only 30 yds to Winscott Cross and then right following the sign to Newton St Cyres. The remainder of the walk is on the road, passing Winscott Barton and Norton Farm and through the hamlet of Sweetham, following signs for Newton
St Cyres. After 1.3 miles turn left into Station Road over the railway bridge (alternatively visit the Beer Engine Public House in front of you!) until you reach the Recreation Ground car park on your left.
Walk 6 (can be combined with Walk 5)
An easy circular walk of 4.5 miles starting from Langford and passing through Upton Pyne and Brampford Speke before returning to Langford. This is a gentle flat walk passing mainly through farmland and villages with good views. There is limited roadside parking in Langford on the road from the A377 at New Bridge towards Shute. A good place to park is in the lay-by on the right hand side by the post box and village notice board, 0.6 mile from the A377. Proceed north from this parking place for about 300 yds and then turn right into Bidwell Lane. The entrance to the lane is easy to miss; it begins along the nearside of Langford House. After about 0.5 mile, as the lane bears left, turn to the right for a few yards and then follow the marked footpath to left through a gate then diagonally across a field towards Upton Pyne, with the church being prominent to the south and extensive views of the Raddon Hills to the north. Proceed towards Upton Pyne following the path along the field boundary with the hedge to the left. Exit the field through a gate and follow a farm track for about 200 yds. As you leave the farm buildings take a narrow unmarked path (easy to miss) along the church boundary for about 100 yds. Proceed along a short cobbled road with old cottages on the right to meet the main road going through Upton Pyne at Pierces Farm Follow the road left for about 300 yds, turning right following the footpath sign towards Cox’s Hill Farm. After about 100 yds at a footpath junction take the path that bears right. After nearly 0.5 mile the well-signed footpath goes through a gate to the right and across three bridges with wet meadows to the right of the path. Enter a short lane and then go straight ahead following the boundary of two fields and go through a gate into a narrow path to join the road through the center of Brampford Speke. Turn left and pass the Lazy Toad public house. Take a left turn into Sandy Lane, directly before the school on the right. Follow the lane for about 0.3 mile until it bears sharply to the left. At this point go straight ahead through the five-barred gate and diagonally across the field towards Long View kennels. Join the road at Long View turning left for a few yards and then enter a footpath on the right which goes across a field before following a raised path through some wet woodland and emerging to go straight ahead along a field boundary for about 400 yds, before entering a track to the right which then meets a road. Turn left for only a few yards and then right following a footpath across a field and then proceed with the hedge on the right (and Upton Pyne Church in sight across the fields to the left). On the exit from the field go diagonally across the next field. On leaving the field, ignore a marked footpath that goes down to the right through a gate, BUT turn left keeping the field boundary to your left (this is a public footpath, but at the time of writing it was not signed in this direction). At the end of the field take a sharp right to go back diagonally across the field. You have now joined your outward route and proceed along Bidwell Lane to Langford. Autumn in Newton St Cyres The Parish of Newton St Cyres Newton St Cyres is about four miles north west of Exeter and is cut by the A377 Exeter to Crediton road. The population is 900 and the area some 1800 ha. Inaddition to the main village, the hamlets of Half Moon, Langford, Smallbrook and Sweetham are in the civil parish and the ecclesiastical parish also includes Cowley and Three Horseshoes. The main village is on the Shuttern Brook just south of the River Creedy. The parish is rural with most of the land being farmed with milk production, cereals and oilseeds being important. The altitude varies from about 60 ft by the River Creedy to 650 ft in the south west of the parish, Most of the north is on well-drained rolling farmland, with the mid part comprising the floodplain of the Creedy and fertile red sandstone soils, whilst the southern part is on poorly-drained soils with several deep valleys. Much of this area is wooded. The village has a Primary School, Village Stores and Post Office, Farm Shop and two public houses, the Beer Engine and the Crown and Sceptre. There is a Church, Parish Hall and Recreation Ground. There are frequent buses to Exeter and Crediton. Newton St Cyres Station is away from the village centre in Sweetham and is on the Tarka Line from Exeter to Barnstaple. More details about the village are given on
www.newtonwonder.net and on http:// parish.middevon.gov.uk/newtonstcyres
Newton St Cyres is well served with buses between Exeter
and Creditonfrom Stagecoach
route 5 (www.stagecoachbus.com).
Although there is a station on the Exeter to Barnstaple Tarka Line, only a few trains stop at Newton St Cyres
This leaflet is produced by the Newton Ramblers with assistance from Devon
County Council. Copies are available from the dispenser in the Parish Hall
Car Park and from 01392 851337. It can be downloaded from
www.newtonwonder.net .
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