Devon

Glorious Devon rightly deserves to be one of England's favourite holiday destinations. It has everything from the the warm 'English Riviera' of the south coast to the dramatic rugged cliffs of the north coast, and is surely one of the jewels of England's richly varied countryside. Protecting the southern coast with its mediteranean flora, is the wild and brooding mass of Dartmoor National Park, a stunning contrast and providing a unique walking experience. In the north east, part of the softer fissured moorland of Exmoor tumbles over the county boundary. Central Devon is also enchanting with it's rolling green hills, narrow winding lanes and sleepy villages. The East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty provides a rich coloured tapestry of red, lush green and chalk white. The Blackdown Hills AONB, a series of ridges on the Devon / Somerset border, provide easy pleasant walking with very few people. The only problem with Devon is being spoilt for choice.

Long Distance Paths Traversing Devon
Celtic Way I Exe Valley Way I Macmillan Way West I Monarch's Way I South west Peninsular Coast Path I Tarka Trail I Two Castles Trail I Two Moors Way I Wessex Ridgeway

	Guide Books: [For further information or to purchase]
	Walking in Devon by: David Woodthorpe. In this book you will find 45 walks carefully researched by local journalist and writer David Woodthorpe. Each illustrates the range of landscapes and walking conditions in the county. All but one of the routes are round trips and include 16 coastal, 15 countryside and 14 Dartmoor walks. The walks range in length from 1.5 to 14 miles, from a gentle stroll to a demanding hike. Each route description includes a sketch map, details how to get to the start, refreshments along the way, where to park and, in some instances, bus routes. Each walk includes information making the walker's journey a tour through the history, flora and fauna, as well as the landscape of Devon.
	100 Walks in Devon and Cornwall compiled by: P. L. O'Shea and B. M. O'Shea. An omnibus of local walks covering the whole of Devon and Cornwall. The book is ideal as a valuable reference book for residents and visitors to the region. The wide choice of routes are spread fairly equally across both counties, with 58 walks in Devon and 42 in Cornwall. If you are on a touring holiday this guide is a good choice because of its comprehensive coverage of the region. The walks vary in length from 2 to 12 miles, the majority being in the 4/6 mile range. In addition to the route descriptions, details are given of points of interest along the way, places to eat and drink and where to park the car. Sketch maps and route descriptions are on facing pages.
	South Devon and Dartmoor Walks by: Brian Conduit. The walk locations are: Cockington Valley; Bench Tor; Stover Country Park and the River Teign; Exe estuary and Exminster Marshes; Silverton and Christ Cross; Broadhembury; Vixen Tor and Pew Tor; Gara Rock and Portlemouth Down; Dart estuary and Dartmouth Castle; Loddiswell and the Avon Valley Woods; the Yealm estuary; Venn Ottery Common; Trenchford Reservoir; Otter Estuary, East Budleigh and Otterton; Brixham and Churston Point; Ashburton and Whiddon Scrubbs; Prawl Point and Woodcombe Point; Start Point and Hallsands; Bolt Head and Salcombe estuary; Beer and Branscombe; Rippon Tor, Pil Tor and Buckland Beacon; Torcross, Slapton Ley and Stokenham; Widgery Cross and Great Links Tor; Yes Tor and High Willhays; Sidmouth, Salcombe Regis and Weston Combe; Princetown, Dartmoor Railway and Leather Tor; Dittisham, Cornworthy and Tuckenhay; Buckfastleigh Moor.
	Pub Strolls in Devon by: Michael Bennie. The 30 walks in this all-colour guide combine some of the most beautiful scenery in Devon with the opportunity to enjoy a meal and a drink in a good local pub. The strolls are between 1.75 and 4 miles in length. The full walk location list is: Lee; Georgeham; Fremington; Westleigh; Molland; Hartland; Parkham; Great Torrington; Halberton; Morchard Bishop; Stoke Canon; Sticklepath; Tedburn St Mary; Exeter; Branscombe; East Budleigh; Horndon; Near Postbridge; Kenton; Whitchurch; Bovey Tracey; Meavy; Newton Abbot; Shaldon; Plymouth; Dartington; Cockington; Dartmouth; Noss Mayo; Bantham.
	Adventurous Pub Walks in Devon by: Michael Bennie. In this guide the routes are from 7 to 12 miles, and a little more adventurous and challenging. The routes include Braunton Burrows, one of the largest sand dune systems in Britain; a beautiful old watermill in Bickleigh; breathtaking views from Haldon Belvedere; a delightful stretch along the Tarka Trail; and the ruin of Berry Pomeroy Castle which is said to be haunted by no less than four ghosts. The twenty walk locations are: Ilfracombe; Countisbury; Braunton; Hartland Point; Hawkridge; Torrington; Tiverton; Belstone; Steps Bridge; Fernworthy Reservoir; Woodbury Castle; Axmouth; Merrivale; Doddiscombsleigh; Widecombe in the Moor; Holne; Marldon; Shaugh Prior; Loddiswell; Bigbury on Sea.
	Tea Shop Walks in South Devon & Dartmoor by: Norman and June Buckley There's a Devon Cream Tea at the end of this walk, with glorious coastal scenery, the lovely fringes of Dartmoor and delightful Devonshire villages along the way. The walks have been carefully selected from the finest parts of southern Devon, from Branscombe and Sidmouth almost to Plymouth. The lengths of the walks vary from 2 to 7 miles and the great majority are gentle rambles using lanes and established footpaths. Each route is fully described and illustrated with a sketch map and excellent photographs. Introductory notes are included on car parking, maps, tea shops, landscapes, local history, interesting features met along the way and facilities available.
	Tea Shop Walks in North Devon by: Norman and June Buckley Wonderful walks, superb scenery, tempting teashops - what more could a walker wish for? This is the companion to 'Tea Shop Walks in South Devon and Dartmoor' with the same blend of good but not too-taxing walks and the heart-warming prospect of tea and scones to follow. There are 30 walks to take you along the coast, across rolling moors and through river valleys. The routes are described in detail and are illustrated with sketch maps and photographs. Introductory notes are included on car parking, maps, tea shops, landscape, local history, interesting features met along the way and facilities available.
	Village Walks in Devon by: Michael Bennie. Devon is justly proud of its villages. Within them or close by lies a rich heritage of old manor houses, ruined abbeys, thatched cottages, parish churches, rivers and footpaths. The thirty routes in this book introduce the walker to both the North and South Devon coasts, to the Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks, to magnificent woodlands, rolling hills and lush farmland. The villages on which the routes are based have been carefully chosen for their interest and beauty. Among the most picturesque are Clovelly, Dunkeswell, Trusham, Otterton and Tuckenhay. In addition there is a seperate section about places of interest to visit nearby The walks vary in length from 3 to 7.5 miles.
	Exmoor and the Quantocks Walks by: Brian Conduit. The walk locations are: East Quantoxhead and Kilve; Hunter's Inn and Woody Bay; Dulverton; Porlock Weir and Culbone; Lynton and Valley of Rocks; North Hill; Dunster Park and Withycombe Hill; Roadwater and Nettlecombe; Pittcombe Head and Robber's Bridge; little and Great Hangman; Brendon Forest; Lynmouth and Watersmeet; Wills Neck and Triscombe Combe; Exford and Room Hill; Hurlstone and Selworthy Beacon; Hawkridge and Anstey Common; the Foreland and Countisbury Common; Winsford Hill; Simonsbath and the River Barle; Haddon Hill and Wimbleball Lake; Parracombe and Challacombe Commons; Quantock Combes and Ridge; Porlock, Horner Wood and Stoke Pero; Dunkery Beacon; Lorna Doone Country; Withypool and Tarr Steps; County Gate, Brendon and Malmsmead Hill; The Chains.
	Mid Devon Country Walks compiled by: Mid Devon District Council. This is a pack of twelve seperate walking guides, each containing two walks focusing on a village or parish in Mid Devon. The guides fold out to give an A4 introductory page describing the history and features of the village and local area. The leaflet then opens to provide a further A4 spread for each walk giving full directions, details of points of interest, clear sketch maps and line drawing illustrations. There are 24 routes in total varying from 3 to about 7 miles. The towns and villages on which each guide is based are as follows: 1. Morchard Bishop, 2. Silverton, 3. Sandford, 4. Grand Western Canal, 5. Bampton, 6. Crediton, 7. Uffculme, 8. Bradninch, 9. Chawleigh, 10. Lapford, 11. Newton St. Cyres, 12. Cheriton Bishop.
	Walking the Blackdowns by: Michael G. Harding. The Blackdowns, that ridge of hills linking the counties of Devon and Somerset, offer some of the best and least frequented walking country in the South West. Here villages and farms lie hidden in deep wooded valleys where winding lanes, sheltered by high hedgebanks, lead the walker out onto the open hilltops of the Blackdowns. Here you are rewarded with a variety of landscapes: one moment striding through beautiful river valleys, the next looking out towards the far hills of Exmoor and Dartmoor, and beyond to the ocean. This is the world of the Blackdown; rich walking country with miles of footpaths seldom travelled. Twenty favourite walks are selected both for the variety of countryside they offer and to provide the walker with a fresh insight into the many delights of this largely untouched part of the west country. Most of the walks are between seven and ten miles.
	Walks in Historic Devon by: Michael Bennie. The 20 informative and fascinating walks in this guide aim to help uncover Devon's history while also exploring some of the most beautiful walking county in England. The 20 circular routes include Beer, where Jack Rattenbury, smuggler par excellence, pursued his trade and evaded the excisemen; Buckland Abbey, home of Sir Francis Drake; Great Torrington, scene of the last major battle in the Civil War. The walks vary in length from just over 2 miles to 7.5 miles. The walk locations are: Grimspound; Chittlehampton; Exeter Castle and town walls; Mortehoe; Lydford Castle; Exeter Canal and Powderham Castle; Dartmouth Castle; Dartington; Bideford; Buckland Abbey; Great Torrington; Barnstaple; Loughwood; Chambercombe Manor; Bickleigh; Beer; Princetown; Buckfast Abbey; Slapton Sands; Lynmouth.
	Rambles Beyond Railways in Devon by: Dennis Needham. This book is a collection of walks in Devon with train travel as the theme. That said, it is not targeted exclusively at rail users. Almost a third of the 20 walks are circular. If you are mindful, drive to the station, park your car and enjoy the walk. Or, from the station take a linear walk and use the train for the short return journey. From each station, carefully researched directions will take you on a most pleasing route to the finish point, whether that is back at the start, or another station. There is a wide mix of walks with country, town, farm lane and field. In addition to concise directions, clear sketch maps and all the practical information you might require, the author offers a wealth of background on the places visited and some of the human stories beneath the surface.