Going fairly easy, covering footpaths, lanes and grassy verges. One stile, but OK for dogs (keep on lead on main road). Not suitable for bikes, wheelchairs. Childrens’ buggies OK.
Start in Village Hall Car Park – head roughly north on the Crediton Road.
After 100m turn left through a kissing gate and follow the hedge down the field. Note the views across to the Church, the Donkey Sanctuary and distant views to Dartmoor (Cowsand Beacon and Cosden Hill). Note also the small plantation of Italian alder, planted to absorb excess water.
At the bottom of the field cross the bridge over a spring which rises at this point and turn right onto Church Lane.
At the bottom of the hill the road crosses the River Ted, which rises in the neighbouring village of Cheriton Bishop. The road is wider before the bridge – originally traction engines would back down a ramp here to fill up at the river (this was closed in 1933).
Keep straight on at both the next junctions; at the entrance to Higher Rubhay Farm look back and admire the views to the village (south east) and across the Crediton Plain (north north east).
Turn left here down a good track, Lidburn Lane, and walk down to the former Village centre, passing between former tithe fields and recrossing the Ted. As you reach the road immediately in front of you is the former tithe barn, which was attached to the rectory, where the Rector would store all the tithes collected from the villagers.
Turn right here – this was the original Tedburn Village centre. The building on your right (now part of the Donkey Sanctuary) was the site of a Poor House; the building within the bounds of the Church was an early c19 School House and Trump Cottage, across the small square, used to be the Village Pub (the centre of Tedburn gravitated to its current location, which used to be called Taphouse, when the old main road, now the C30, was developed).
While you are there, do go and visit the fine Norman Church which is normally open during daylight hours. Well maintained, it records rectors back to c1300 and it is a tranquil place to sit and spend a few moments thinking of those generations of villagers who used to form its congregation.
Leaving the Church, follow the footpath down to the right which takes you between gardens to the road again. Cross Drake’s Bridge and turn left at the junction.
At the main road turn left again, follow the road down and over Westwater Bridge and ascend back to approach the Village from the West.
Coming into the Village you will pass the Red Lion on the left (this was burned down in 19.. and rebuilt) and the King’s Arms, a former coaching inn on the right. The old buildings in the Village all used to have thatched roofs, but when steam engines replaced horses for driving farm machinery in late c19, blowing sparks and embers out of their funnels, these were largely replaced with tiles or corrugated iron.
At the crossroads you have the Village Stores (formerly the Toll House for stages and carts on the Exeter – Oakhampton road), the Old Police House opposite (a building called the Monkey house used to be attached to this, but was demolished when the road was widened).
Turn left and return to the Car Park, passing Tremletts – a sheltered housing development built on the site of the Tedburn Market (from the days when every important village in Devon had its own weekly market).
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Going easy, but muddy in wet weather. No stiles, good for dogs (but keep on lead on roads). Not suitable for bicycles, wheelchairs or childrens’ buggies.
Start in the Village Hall car park heading roughly north along the Crediton Road. After 50m there is a view to the left of the Tedburn St Mary Hamlet (the current Village centre used to be called Taphouse) with its Norman Church and the Donkey Sanctuary.
Pass Higher Thornwood cottage on the left and after 150m a gap in the hedge on the right gives views along the original Exeter road (the A30 dual-carriageway was completed in 1977 and the road it replaced, the C30 was only constructed after the Exeter marshes had been drained. Also look back here towards the Village (Taphouse) centre.
After approximately 600m turn right towards Great Fairwood farm on a good track and at the farm bear left on a grassy track past five oak trees. A large coniferous plantation, Oldridge Wood, can be seen on the hillside to the left – until mid c20 this was hardwoods and Oldridge Farm can be made out on the skyline amid a clump of trees.
Go through a gate into a delightful avenue of trees with high banks and tree cover (this track can get very muddy in wet weather). After c. 200m note the field of young poplars on the right-hand side – these fast-growing trees are chopped down after five years, chipped and used as a renewable energy source for electricity generation.
Follow the steepish slope down (with the track having been cut into the shillet) to Frankfurt Farm, cross the stream using the footbridge and turn right. Follow the easy track alonside Lilybrook (there are tracks down to the brookside every so often if you want to stop for a rest or a picnic) and note the enormous twisted oak and a small quarry on the left hand side, about 300m from the bridge.
At the end of the track note Lilybrook Cottage on the left hand side and turn right along the old Exeter road (now called the Whitestone Road). Note the small orchards on the left and right hand sides – Tedburn used to be well known as a cider-producing Village and still has two commercial producers. As you climb the hill note the many old cottages and at the roundabout you will see the Old Schoolroom opposite, now replaced by a modern primary school behind.
Turn right to the Village centre – note the unusual gutter mountings on Rowney Cottage on the left hand side, and at the crossroads you have the Village Stores (formerly the Toll House for stages and carts on the Exeter – Oakhampton road), the Old Police House opposite (a building called the Monkey house used to be attached to this, but was demolished when the road was widened) and the Kings Arms – a former coaching Inn.
Turn right and return to the Car Park, passing Tremletts – a sheltered housing development built on the site of the Tedburn Market (from the days when every important village in Devon had its own weekly market)
Distance c. 3 ¼ km. Time – an easy hour