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England: Devon – 5 nights

  • 7 Night Route

    Price: from £1125
  • 6 Night Route

    Price: from £1020
    Dog-friendly
  • 5 Night Route

    Price: from £935
    Dog-friendly

A tale of two rivers

Back to Routes
The tors of Dartmoor

The tors of Dartmoor

Buckfast Abbey

Buckfast Abbey

Leaving Buckfastleigh

Leaving Buckfastleigh

Leaving Totnes

Leaving Totnes

South Devon Railway

South Devon Railway

Bow Creek

Bow Creek

'Greenways' - Agatha Christie's home

'Greenways' - Agatha Christie's home

Bayard's Cove

Bayard's Cove

Dartmouth

Dartmouth

The gardens at Dartington Hall

The gardens at Dartington Hall

  • 7 Night Route

    Price: from £1125
  • 6 Night Route

    Price: from £1020
    Dog-friendly
  • 5 Night Route

    Price: from £935
    Dog-friendly
Price: from £935
Nights: 5
Grade:
Walk: 4-6½ hr/day

On Foot Holidays made my planning and trip a remarkably wonderful experience. They provided me all the information one would need to have a successful solo walking experience. I cannot say enough about how beautifully they cover every possible scenario and solutions should problems arise. I am proud to say they are the top notch walking tour company.

Sheila Devitt, Bozeman, USA - September 2023

Very much liked the walking, meeting the hosts and others on the trail. Food was good, ales and ciders excellent, weather was great, people were very nice, and we didn't get lost.

Caley Hawkins, Little Rock, USA - September 2022

We had an outstanding trip. We have taken a number of similar trips around the world, and On Foot is one of the most organized and thoughtfully prepared that we have encountered.

Alan Camp, St Louis, USA - May 2022

What can I say except OFH is the perfect match for us. You pick the loveliest places to stay and give us such great instructions. We have our 'alone time' without feeling like we are on our own. You take all the worry out of independent travel. We feel so lucky we found you and can't wait for our next trip.

Heather Amsden, Newton, USA - May 2022

We liked the contrasts that the route provided, the open spaces of Dartmoor, walking along the wooded riverbanks and the interesting places the route took us through like Buckfast Abbey, the Dartington estate, the Sharpham vineyard.

Because we never walked more than 13 miles a day we were able to visit 2 National Trust properties, Castle Drogo and Greenway.

Sue Johnson, Skipton, UK - September 2021

Interesting to learn more about Devon, and to see the different parts we walked through. We liked the old paths, rivers and woods, great scenery, towns and villages and places of interest along the route.

Everyone was friendly and we felt that the hotels were taking the Covid precautions seriously. All the arrangements were seamless and worked well.

Penny Turley, Brighton, UK - July 2021

We loved the contrasts of the different scenery, the quiet and almost empty lanes and paths. We were overwhelmed by the beauty of the verges and foot paths. Maybe we were exceptionally lucky as bluebells were still in full bloom, but everywhere was a riot of colour.

Patricia Webster, Brentwood UK - May 2021

My sister and I booked the Devon walking tour in May and worked with Harriet and others at On Foot Holidays. We were delighted beyond belief - lovely scenery, perfect accommodations, good food and wonderful people!

On Foot staff were super accommodating, very detailed and replied to any query in a timely manner. I even spoke with them on the phone and they couldn’t have been more friendly and kind.

Barb - May 2019

It's the type of holiday I enjoy - walking from place to place. I couldn't arrange something like this on my own, so having the On Foot notes and maps (and GPS file) and luggage transfer is really the only way to do this. It makes the planning part so easy for me.

I really had a good time and enjoyed the variety along the way (moors, farms, rivers, trains, ferries, etc). It was the perfect antidote to my desk-bound life.

Jean McKenna, New York, USA - October 2018

Everyone in the family (teenagers included!) agreed it was one of the best vacations we've ever had. The walking route was a lovely combination of fields, moors, woods and small towns, and the beginning and end points were locations we could have spent a few extra days exploring.

It was an ideal vacation for us - surrounded by nature, active and challenging, but with a shower and fabulous pub meal awaiting us at the end. It was a luxury to focus on the countryside and our hiking, not the logistics of it all.

Jill Gibson, Wassenaar, Netherlands - June 2018

More independent feedback
A self-guided walking holiday in Devon (5 night) with On Foot Holidays

At a glance

5 nights (4 walking days) - miss Exeter and the Teign Gorge walk, start in Chagford, and combine two final days walking, with boat from Dittisham to Dartmouth. We recommend extra nights in any accommodation (upgrading for extra comfort). See 'Prices' tab for what's included.
Suggested route pairing: Cornwall, Welsh Borders, Coastal Exmoor, Dorset

Dog-friendly with alternative accommodations.

How much walking?

Full days: 13-21 km per day, 4-6½ hrs walking
Using shortening options: 11-21 km per day, 3½-6½ hrs walking

Max. Grade:

A tale of two rivers

Devon and Cornwall occupy the south-west peninsula of England, an area defined by England’s remarkable maritime heritage.  Devon, perhaps the lesser known of the two counties, nevertheless contains three great and ancient ports of which one, Dartmouth, forms the end of this route.

Your journey takes you through some of the most beautiful and varied country in the British Isles. After a night in stylish Chagford, the walk goes straight to legendary Dartmoor: windswept downs of a lonely and unsurpassable beauty and the background to much literature, both romantic and mystical.  Overnight in pretty Haytor, then a breathtaking walk along the fringes of the moor to the upper reaches of the River Dart, where your journey back to the sea begins.  Buckfast Abbey, Dartington Hall and the fine town of Totnes itself line themselves along this majestic waterway, winding down to the sea at the historic town of Dartmouth, from where many a buccaneer sailed and, more notably, the base from which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed in the Mayflower to colonise the New World.

Staying in country inns and carefully chosen B&Bs, and with a variety of ways to shorten and ease the walking (including a steam train and a river steamer!), the walker will experience the best that England can offer, though should be ready to navigate intelligently as the paths are not always well signed.

Dogs: this version is suitable for small or medium sized dogs subject to accommodation changes in Chagford and Dartington. Supplements apply (see “prices”).

Walked by On Foot staff: Simon, Harriet and Emma (and partially by Mary and Debbie)

Consider pairing this route – Devon/Cornwall (4 hrs by bus and train), Devon/Welsh Borders (6 hrs by bus, train and taxi), Coastal Exmoor/Devon (1½ hrs by bus and train) or Dorset/Devon (1 hr by bus and train) – for more details click here.

REVIEWS: For independent walker reviews of this route submitted to the Association of Independent Tour Operators visit AITO.com.

ARTICLES: Read articles about On Foot’s Devon holiday on the Silver Travel Advisor website here, and from The Sunday Telegraph newspaper here.

Writer Andrew Morris also managed to coincide with the annual Fair at Widecombe-in-the-Moor during his trip, and wrote about it here.

Route Highlights

  • Stylish Chagford
  • Dartmoor, wild hills and long views
  • Haytor Rocks, Hound Tor, Rippon Tor
  • Buckfast Abbey and Dartington Hall
  • Totnes High Street
  • The Dart estuary
  • Agatha Christie’s Greenway
  • Dartmouth

This route features the following characteristics and interests: Coast, Villages and farms, Birdwatching, Dog friendly, Drive to route, History

Things you should know

  • Lifts with the luggage are not possible.
  • There are few taxis in this area.
  • The weather can be unreliable!

We Recommend

Upgrades in various stops - stay at Dartington Hall, watching an arthouse film in the evening and dining in the vaulted hall.

How much Walking?

Full days: 13-21 km per day, 4-6½ hrs walking
Using shortening options: 11-21 km per day, 3½-6½ hrs walking

Reasonable signposting on most days, though navigational alertness needed, with careful attention to the route directions particularly Haytor-Scorriton across the moor. Highest point of route 530m. Underfoot conditions mainly good.

Medium-hard: Average cumulative uphill stretches (CUSs) 493m (350m-600m) per day.

Medium: CUSs 393m (300m-525m) using modest shortening options.

Acrophobia/vertigo warnings: None. This is a low-level route with no drops or challenging terrain.

Important note: Times given for each day are  walking times for an “average” walker and exclude stops.  “CUSs” stands for “Cumulative Uphill Stretches” and measures the aggregated ascents in each day, expressed in metres of climb.  See “Walk Grading” for more information.

When to go?

The best months to walk: May, June, July, August, September, October

Other possible months: April

The best time to go is any time between May and October, though the summer months can have accommodation availability problems so you may not get the accommodation you are hoping for. In early and late season the length of daylight can make the use of shortening options sensible.

Start Dates

Recommended
Possible
Unavailable

Weather Chart

 

Temperature and rainfall chart for Dartington

Itinerary

About the Route

Day 1 - Arrive in Chagford

You'll start in Chagford (by prearranged taxi from Exeter) - a fine moorland town with some excellent shops and inns.

Day 2 - Chagford to Haytor Vale

Today’s walk leaves Chagford with a steep climb in exchange for rewarding views and your first real taste of the moor. The walk then descends for some pretty walking through ancient farmlands and varied countryside before a dramatic re-entry up onto the moor and a spectacular finish. The day will take in some of Dartmoor’s most iconic sights such as Hound Tor and Haytor Rocks before an easy descent to your atmospheric moorland inn. (Easy-Medium: (4¾ hrs walking (allow 6¼ hrs), 17 km (10½ miles), CUSs 650m).

Day 3 - Haytor Vale to Scorriton

The day starts with exploration of Haytor Rocks and its remarkable granite quarry. This is followed by a steep-but-short climb of Rippon Tor for panoramic views and then a gradual, easy descent off the moor onto more inhabited ground. A short stint of walking through some delightful woodland brings you to river country and the wonderful River Dart. This marks a turning point in the scenery as the windswept drama of Dartmoor is replaced by gentle riverside paths and charming thatched-cottage villages. Leave the river (for today) at an ancient Medieval bridge, and one of only a few crossing points on this section of the river, to head up through farmland to Scorriton for the night. (Easy-medium:(4¾ hrs walking (allow 6¼ hrs), 15½ km (9½ miles), CUSs 500m)

Day 4 - Scorriton to Dartington

Today’s walk takes you away from the moorland landscape of Dartmoor, and into the softer South Hams, with its voluptuous rolling hills and hidden valleys. The walk starts with a gentle introduction through ancient woodlands and then on to beautiful Buckfast Abbey. After this you enter the bucolic South Devon countryside, walking the delightful ‘green lanes’ to Staverton, where you will meet the River Dart once again. Continue through Dartington Estate (world famous for its summer music schools, and its beautiful quad and Great Hall). It’s then an easy walk down to Dartington village, to a welcome pint in the lively Cott Inn. (Medium: 5½ hrs walking (allow 7¼ hrs), 21 km (13 miles), CUSs 650m).

Alternative: If you would like a shorter day or simply have some different fun, you can take a steam train for the stretch from Buckfastleigh to Staverton and save 8km of walking (Easy-medium: 3½ hrs walking (allow 4¾ hrs), 14 km (9 miles), CUSs 405m)

Day 5 - Dartington to Dartmouth via Dittisham

A long day, but a beautiful one. The moorland left far behind, you are following the River Dart to the tidal reach of the sea at Totnes and beyond towards the coast. Highlights of the day include time to visit the beautiful town of Totnes with its famous High Street, and the pretty sailing village of Dittisham. Then you take the ferry to Dartmouth, or cross over to Greenway to visit Agatha Christie’s house, and then take the boat to Dartmouth. (Medium-hard: 6½ hrs, 21 km, CUSs 525m, or enthusiasts can walk on from Dittisham to Dartmouth for a further 6 km, total 27 km)

Departure day

Depart for home, or why not stay extra nights in this fine old seaport? Whichever, your options for getting home include a steam train to the railhead at Paignton or a boat trip to Totnes!

Travel Information

ARRIVING BY TRAIN

Nearest railway station:
Start: Exeter
Finish: Totnes by bus from Dartmouth, or Paignton by private steam train in season

ARRIVING BY CAR
Leave car at Exeter St David’s railway station, ten minutes walk from Telstar Guest House and city centre. Pre-booking not available.  At the end use the bus and train from Dartmouth to return.

For those starting at places other than Exeter, a taxi back from Dartmouth to the start point would be best – contact On Foot Holidays for advice on the best parking spots.

ARRIVING BY AIR
The best “local” airport is either Exeter or Bristol. Intercontinental flights use London airports.

EXETER AIRPORT is situated close to the city. Local taxi best.

BRISTOL AIRPORT
Land by: 16:00 for shuttle + train to Exeter (~2 hrs).
Return flight earliest: 12:00 for train connections from Paignton or Totnes (~3 hrs) – accessed by bus or private steam train (Kingswear-Paignton, seasonal)

HEATHROW AIRPORT
Land by: 14:00 for shuttle to Reading + train to Exeter (~3 hrs).
Return flight earliest: 14:00 for train connections from Paignton or Totnes (~3 hrs) – accessed by bus or private steam train (Kingswear-Paignton, seasonal)

Flight information can change rapidly and not all flights run daily. Please do check directly with the airlines’ websites or Skyscanner (see below) before finalising any booking with us. Do not book your flights until we have confirmed that we have provisionally reserved accommodation for you.

For up-to-date schedules and flights from all airports check Skyscanner.

See “Getting to the start of the walk” below for transfer information

 

Getting to the start of the walk

The first hotel is in the city of Exeter or the villages of Dunsford or Chagford, depending on route version, and the last in the port of Dartmouth. Transfer times and methods are suggestions from London Heathrow airport, but you can also fly to Exeter or Bristol.

LONDON HEATHROW

Outward: Airport bus to Reading station, then train to Exeter (~2½ hrs), then short walk or local taxi to first hotel/B&B (or prearranged taxi on from Exeter train station to Dunsford/Chagford)
Return: Historic steam train from Kingswear to Paignton, train to Reading then airport bus to Heathrow (~4 hrs)

Alternatively, take the more efficient (if less exciting) bus from Dartmouth to Totnes to connect to the train network. The same bus also continues on to Exeter.

Full transfer advice, including timetables, is provided in your Walkers’ Pack. Contact us if you would like additional pre-booking information.

Where You'll Stay

A wonderful array of village pubs and B&Bs on this walk.  You can also upgrade in Chagford and Dartmouth.

Please note: walkers bringing dogs may not be able to do all route versions (check the tabs at the top of the screen) or have the same choice of accommodation. For this version, walkers with dogs require upgrade rooms/accommodation in both Dartington and Dartmouth. Supplements will apply (see “prices” tab).

Chagford – The Globe Inn (B&B)

Night 1

Chagford – The Globe Inn (B&B)

Good quality hotel in the village centre. Upgrade to a superior room for a small supplement.

Chagford – The Three Crowns (B&B)

Night 1 (Upgrade)

Chagford – The Three Crowns (B&B)

Former coaching inn with lots of space and comfortable rooms.

Haytor Vale – The Rock Inn (B&B)

Night 2

Haytor Vale – The Rock Inn (B&B)

A characterful moorland pub with an excellent restaurant.

Scorriton – The Tradesman’s Arms (B&B)

Night 3

Scorriton – The Tradesman’s Arms (B&B)

Great village pub with quiet rooms above, presided over by Kevin and Suzanne.

Scorriton – Mitchelcroft (B&B)

Night 3 (Upgrade)

Scorriton – Mitchelcroft (B&B)

Stunning modern B&B with three lovely rooms and a beautiful outlook. Owners Michael and Debbie are walkers too. Min. 2 night stay in peak times.

Dartington – The Cott Inn (B&B)

Night 4

Dartington – The Cott Inn (B&B)

Award winning pub with great atmosphere and comfortable rooms. Might be noisy on Fri/Sat nights and there are weekly live-music events. Please ask us for advice.

Dartmouth – The Royal Castle Hotel (B&B)

Night 5

Dartmouth – The Royal Castle Hotel (B&B)

Grand old lady of Dartmouth hotels in stunning position overlooking boating pool and Dart.

Dartmouth – Bayards Cove Inn (B&B)

Night 5 (Upgrade)

Dartmouth – Bayards Cove Inn (B&B)

Comfortable rooms above a restaurant in a historic building, close to the sea front. Some of the rooms are on the small side, but the atmosphere more than makes up for it.

Prices

Price: from £935 for 5 nights

Total 5 nights in double/twin room, all breakfasts and 2 picnics, luggage transfers between all hotels on walking route; full Walkers Pack with route directions, maps, transfer and background information; local telephone support.

All prices are per person unless otherwise indicated, and are based on a standard booking in May. Prices may vary seasonally and a fixed price will be given to you before you commit.

Single Room Supplement (SRS): From £350
Lone Traveller Additional Supplement (LTAS): From £180
Large party saving (LPS): Groups of more than 2 people (on an identical itinerary, on the same booking and booked at the same time) – discount of at least £15 per person
Maximum party size: 10

Dogs: As only certain accommodation accepts dogs, the night in Dartington is at an upgraded hotel so please allow an extra cost of £70 per person plus a dog supplement of around £10 per dog per night.

 

Add Ons

Extra nights and upgrades: Contact On Foot Holidays (seasonal pricing)

Sending Walkers Packs to addresses outside the UK:  £20-£60 (per pack, location dependent)

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Caroline Evans

Our local team

Caroline Evans

Caroline has lived in rural South Devon for 25 years. Now that her children have all left home, she spends her time teaching and producing art, attempting to master Spanish, and helping tend the smallholding, whilst her husband also fills the sheds with plenty of logs for the winter

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