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Julian Challis plots an 83-mile route through Devon that is packed with 45 trails to explore.
The south west of England is liberally scattered with fantastic lanes, so putting together a route is relatively easy. The trickiest part is agonising over which ones to leave out.
Our latest ride takes us on an 83-mile loop through the county, which includes a collection of 45 green lanes of varying length and difficulty to enjoy in between tarmac sections.
Because there are so many trails included, I haven’t been able to describe them all in detail, or include OS Maps for each, so I’ve created a GPX file for the entire route, which you can download from TrailVidz using the QR code on page 32 and import into a route-planning app or SatNav to follow the route on screen.
Before we begin, it’s worth bearing in mind that this is very much a route suited to trail bikes. This is because the green lanes in Devon tend to be either narrow and overgrown or rocky and technical, or indeed both. You could ride this loop on a larger adventure bike if you have 50/50 tyres or better, and a decent level of skill, but it would be a challenge. So, with that said, let’s get stuck in.
WESTON TO COTLEIGH
The route starts in Weston, just to the west of Honiton, where you’ll find suitable parking to leave a van if that’s how you brought your bike. The first trail is Tape Lane, a grassy unclassified road (UCR) just outside Weston that leads to a road and then onto the main drag into Honiton.
Riding through the town, the second UCR begins at Middle Northcote Farm, passing under a railway bridge and up to Northgate Hill. A pair of UCRs follow in quick succession to reach Cleverhayes Lane and then down past Southcote Farm.
From here, we head along another rocky and technical UCR going east into Court Wood and through a ford to Hayne Farm. Then follow the GPX route all the way to a small trail that will take you to the pretty little church at Cotleigh.
COTLEIGH TO LOWER CORY
After riding a brief UCR alongside the church, the next little lane is hard to see, especially as it’s overgrown and is marked as a footpath on the corner of the road. Press through the undergrowth and the tight little UCR will take you to Old Chard Road.
A bit of road work will then take you to Shrubbery Lane and a byway that leads you onto a wonderfully grassy byway around the top of Broadhayes Farm. A short distance further on, an overgrown and winding UCR begins at Heathstock. This takes you past some cottages on a rocky loop around Beacon Hill before you rejoin the road almost where you started.
We then follow the GPX route as it wiggles its way down to Ham to pick up the infamous Ham Lane. This green lane has been recently repaired by Devon TRF by using rubber caterpillar tracks filled with stone and, although it’s undoubtedly better than before, it’s a tricky lane, even in the dry. It would be very tough in winter as it follows a winding and tortuous path along the stream bed and down to a ford just before Lower Cory.
LOWER CORY TO KILMINGTON
After catching your breath, follow the road to Dalwood Lane which passes so close to houses it feels like you are on their front lawn. The trail drops down to Beckford Bridge, an ancient drover’s route that survived when the modern bridge was swept away in a flood.
Again, we have another loop, this time around Cleave Hill, then through a few gates and a field full of sheep before meeting Bedlam Lane.
At Waterhouse Farm, you’ll follow the route of a former road with huge slabs of broken tarmac and a ford that leads alongside Yarty Farm. You then follow a long gravelly UCR to emerge back above Beckford Bridge. From here, take the road all the way down to the B3261 at Yarty Bridge and then onto the A35.
After a short distance there’s a petrol station for a splash of unleaded, a coffee, and chocolate bar. You’ve earned it.
KILMINGTON TO BEER
Sufficiently refuelled and refreshed, the next byway begins just up the road with a glorious track through the woodland. There are a few van dwellers here so keep your speed down and enjoy the trail as it curves down to meet the road by the impressive gateway into Shute Barton, which is a lovely National Trust property.
A woodland byway takes you up around Shute Hill and onto a road back to the gatehouse.
From here, follow the GPX for two miles down to Trichayne where a narrow and overgrown UCR will take you up to Yardbury Hill Road, and then a sharp turn at Crookham Cross to follow another UCR back down the hill and then a road to Ratshole Gate. The next UCR has a lovely little ford and bridge across the River Coly, which is a smashing photo stop.
A mile further down the road will take you to Jobble’s Lane. Another byway, and then a stretch of blacktop leads you to Gatcombe Lane, a cracking little UCR that leads directly onto the B3174 into Beer. Park up in the village and enjoy a well-earned cup of tea and a sandwich on the pebbly beach. Perfect.
BEER TO SIDMOUTH
Leaving Beer and heading west, our next UCR is Paizen Lane, rising over the top of Beer Quarry to pick up the road at Higher Barn. Follow the route up to the A3052 before swiftly turning back off again onto Locksey’s Lane, where a gate will take you into a narrow and leafy trail for a mile and a half.
A little wiggle will take you onto another short section to lead into Vicarage. If you fancy a bit more seaside, there’s a road down to the Branscombe Beach. The detour is well worth it.
You’ll then follow the road back into Branscombe and right up a hill to some cottages. Here there’s a gravelly UCR that climbs up Hole Hill past the historic Hole House. The route then tracks through a meadow and through a gate to a track between two very beautiful and expensive houses; what a place to live.
After three miles of road work, you’ll pick up the next unmetalled road just after Harcombe, over the top of Buckton Farm and back to the road. A short wiggle through the outskirts of Sidford sees you climbing briefly up the A3052, before branching off to follow Salcombe Hill, right into the centre of Sidmouth.
A wonderfully grassy byway around the top of Broadhayes Farm
SIDMOUTH TO WIGGATON
Follow the road up to the A3052 and then turn back on yourself onto the B3076 where a left turn will lead you onto Greenway Lane. Then turn sharp left onto Higher Greenway Lane. This is a narrow and grassy lane that takes you alongside Long Meadow and then into Moor Park Lane.
This is a lovely wide trail that swoops around the bottom of Bulverton Hill and right through Sidmouth Golf Course, before rejoining the A3052.
Next, follow the road to Newton Poppleford and then ride a series of side roads to pick up the next UCR, which is temptingly labelled as ‘Not suitable for motors’. This takes you into Venn Ottery and onto another UCR over the top of the village and then on to Tipton St John.
At Manor Brook Farm, a combination of three tricky UCRs takes you up to Coombe, and then a loop up to Waxway House picks up a lovely grassy track around a field boundary. This ends by a collection of farm buildings, before you head to Wiggaton.
WIGGATON TO WESTON
Hang a right at Wiggaton and follow the road before taking a small, tricky UCR marked as a ‘No Through Road’. You’ll then climb up to East Strips and then onto another UCR to the left that drops down through a forest, turning right to Higher Rill.
The green lane here has been intentionally blocked with a fallen tree by people who are clearly not fans of trail riding. But it’s not too difficult to get over and follow the rocky trail up to the road.
You’ll then ride up to Chineway Head and then double back on yourself onto the road to the next UCR at Pigeon Hill, which takes you on a lovely ride through the trees all the way to Plyford Farm.
The perfect pebbly parking spot to enjoy your lunch and sea views
The route then drops down to the A375 and then up to the Hare and Hounds pub at Putts Corner. Next, you’ll head west and then right into an area of woodland, following the road down the hill and on to the hamlet of Truances. Here, a grassy UCR takes you all the way up to the railway, and then onto the road to the village of Gittisham.
From here, another mile and a half of road work takes you back into Weston, where our route began a few hours and 83 miles ago. And what better way to celebrate completing a sensational trail ride than with a refreshing pint of shandy at The Otter pub. Life doesn’t get much better.
GREEN LANE HIGHLIGHTS
DALWOOD LANE TO WELLANDS CROSS
The drop down from Dalwood Lane to Beckford Bridge is a cracking little lane, and it leads into a delightful loop up Cleave Hill through a wonderfully bucolic scene of sheep quietly grazing in the gently rolling fields. After riding down the hill, the long since abandoned road after Waterhouse is a tricky challenge, as you dodge around the remains of the tarmac road.
In summer, the ford by the small footbridge is easy to negotiate but it can be treacherous in the winter or after heavy rain. And as for the gravelly trail that takes you below Tart Farm and back to Wellands Cross above Beckford Bridge, it’s a corker.
KILMINGTON HILL AND SHUTE HILL
When it comes to beautiful open Devon trails, the two green lanes that run alongside these two hills are the absolute epitome. Just a few metres from the A35, the Roman road that runs through the woodland and dappled sunlight below Kilmington Hill is a joy to ride, curving around the bottom of the hill to reach the road.
After just a few hundred metres, there’s a similarly joyful ride from the village of Shute up Ashes Road and through the woodland of Shute Hill, before turning to slowly drop down and round The Beacon. If that were not enough, the descent past the ancient church to the impressive gatehouse of Shute Barton couldn’t be more English if
it tried.
BRANSCOMBE BEACH TO BRANSCOMBE CROSS
The gentle climb up from Branscombe Beach up into the village, past the wonderful Masons Arms, and then on to the UCR up Hole Hill, is one of our favourites. The gravel trail goes through cool woodlands and past the historic Hole House before crossing a meadow full of wildflowers. The air is awash with bees and butterflies as you make the climb up towards Edge Farm and on to the main road at Branscombe Cross.
The ROUTE
Total distance: 83 miles
Percentage off-road: 40%
Number of byways/UCRs: 45
OS maps: OS Explorer 115 and 116
Difficulty: 4/5
Get The East Devon Loop Route
Love greenlaning but not the guesswork that sometimes comes with it? TrailVidz is an online service that lets you put green lane routes directly into your Google Maps app so you can view them ahead of, and during, your ride.
To get your hands on the routes featured in this issue of ABR, simply follow the QR code to the TrailVidz website, download the GPX file, then copy it to your device.
The TrailVidz map shows you where all the off-tarmac sections start and end, plus difficulty ratings, pictures of the trail, and video resources to help you decide if this route is right for you. Once viewed, the map will live in your Google Maps app, giving you a ‘visual directory’ of the UK’s legal trails that’s ready for you to access and use anytime. For more information about TrailVidz, its features, and its community, see www.trailvidz.com.
How TrailVidz Works
Trailvidz works by bringing together trail intelligence from across the internet and presenting it to you in one central hub. This includes publicly available video and footage of each trail from a growing network of contributors.
Trail data is compiled using council definitive maps, adopted highways maps, FindMyStreet, One.Network, direct communication with council officers, and continual feedback from riders reporting changes, restrictions, and hazards.
What that leaves you with is a immensely useful amount of information for when you’re planning days out riding multiple green lanes. To see it in action, head to www.trailvidz.com
