Templer Way. A scenic and historic waymarked route for walkers linking Dartmoor and the south coast of Devon. devon.gov.uk/walking

Transcription

1 Templer Way A scenc and hstorc waymarked route for walkers lnkng Dartmoor and the south coast of Devon devon.gov.uk/walkng

2 Templer Way A route for walkers lnkng Haytor on Dartmoor wth the seaport of Tegnmouth Hstory of the Templer Way The Templer Way s a route for walkers lnkng Haytor on Dartmoor wth the seaport of Tegnmouth. It has a length of 18 mles (29 km) and covers a wde range of scenery - open moorland, woodland, meadow, hstorcal tracks, urban land and estuary foreshore. Barges on the Whtelake, near Newton Abbot, early twenteth century The story of the route begns n 1722 when James Templer was born n Exeter. Orphaned at the age of sx, he was educated locally and then apprentced to an Exeter carpenter. In 1745 he marred Mary arlby of otherhthe, and set up busness there as a House Carpenter. Over tme, he made a fortune, workng on government contracts n most of the oyal Dockyards, especally at ortsmouth and lymouth. In 1765, he purchased the run-down Stover estate, near Newton Abbot, bult the new Stover House and set about renovatng hs estate. 2 In 1792, hs son, James II, bult a canal between Tegngrace and the tdal ver Tegn at Newton Abbot. Ths, the Stover Canal, was bult to carry clay for export from workngs on hs land va Tegnmouth Docks. In 1820 James II s son, George, bult a grante tramway from Haytor to lnk wth the canal n order to export the grante beng extracted from hs Dartmoor quarres. Once the grante quarres became uneconomc durng the 1850 s the tramway was no longer used. The branch lne to Moretonhampstead later followed the lower part of ts route. Clay contnued to be exported along the lower end of the canal untl the md 20th century. It ceased to be mantaned n OS Maps whch cover the Templer Way: Explorer No. 110 Majorty of the route (1:25,000) Explorer No. OL28 Dartmoor end (1:25,000) Haytor Quarry, early nneteenth century

3 Sustanable Travel Lnks Frequent and regular bus servces operate near to the route between Stages 1 and 6 provdng an opportunty to plan de and Strde optons. Newton Abbot s very accessble wth a man lne tran staton. For up to date bus tmes call Travelne on or vst Key to Map Start/end of Stage Templer Way eturn Loop Car ark efreshments Informaton Board Tolets Bus Stop Bus Stop (lmted servces) At AGlance 18 mles (29km) n total Dvded nto 6 easy stages Easy to follow, waymarked tral Largely flat and level surface Stages 5 and 6 are tde dependant representng the tramway and the canal. There s also a seres of nformaton boards located along the route. Anyone wshng to complete the Templer Way n one day should allow up to 10 hours and should check tde tables before settng out. Much of ths route follows permssve paths where landowners have gven permsson for use by walkers only. It cannot, therefore, be recommended for cyclsts. Templer Way Waymarkers Introducton to the Walk Usng a mxture of rghts of way, permssve routes and mnor roads, the Templer Way follows as closely as possble the route of the Templers ventures - the Haytor Grante Tramway and the Stover Canal -between Haytor and Newton Abbot. It then follows the old exportng route down the Tegn Estuary to the Templers New Quay at Tegnmouth. Except on the open moorland at Haytor Down, where the grante rals of the tramway can be followed, the route s waymarked n both drectons, and may be tackled n short stretches or n one go. Crcular walks have been developed for most sectons, ncludng the Hertage Tral, a crcut around the Templer Estate at Stover. lease note that the return loops are not waymarked. The waymarks are made up of the Templer Way logo whch s composed of a tramway wheel and the tller and rudder of a barge, Crown Copyrght and database rght Ordnance Survey Walk North, or South -n stages. Stage 1 4 mles/6.4km Haytor to Edgemoor Hotel Stage 2 2 mles/3.2km Edgemoor Hotel to Great lantaton Stage 3 4 mles/6.5km Great lantaton to Locks Brdge, Tegngrace Stage 4 2 mles/3.2km Locks Brdge, Tegngrace to Newton Abbot Town Quay Stage mles/3.8km Newton Abbot Town Quay to Coombe Cellars Stage 6 3 mles/4.5km Coombe Cellars to Tegnmouth 3

4 Stage 1 Haytor to Edgemoor Hotel Dstance: 4 mles (6.3km) The route starts from outsde the Haytor Vstor Centre and heads across the road bearng rght around the bottom of Haytor ocks to the carved marker stone at the juncton of the tramway. Ths secton of the route passes over the open moorland of Haytor Down before wndng downhll through enclosed farmland to Yarner Wood whch s part of the East Dartmoor Woods and Heaths Natonal Nature eserve. Here the beautful beech avenue lnng the tramway was probably planted when the rals were lad down n about The grante rals are stll vsble n many places both here and hgher up the route, look out also for the mlestones whch show the number of mles to the Stover Canal. On leavng the woodland the route contnues onwards along a permssve path through felds and apple orchards whch opened n 2007 as part of a Natural England Envronmental Stewardshp agreement. It jons the man road close to the Edgemoor Hotel. The orchards were planted n the 1950s and contan local Devon apple varetes. As part of the Stewardshp scheme the trees are undergong careful restoratve prunng to enhance ther productvty and ncrease wldlfe. From the open moorland secton there are stunnng vews out over the whole route to the coast at Tegnmouth. The area also supports a rch dversty of wldlfe look out for buzzards, ravens and a range of mosses and ferns as you drop down nto Yarner Wood and for lchens n the orchards below. To explore Yarner Wood further, follow the nature tral sgns. Facltes There s a Dartmoor Natonal ark Vstor Centre and tolets close to the start of the route, apub n nearby Haytor Vale and a hotel at the lower end of ths secton. A leaflet on the East Dartmoor Woods and Heaths nature trals s avalable n Yarner Wood car park. The seasonal Haytor Hoppa Saturday bus servce lnks Haytor wth Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot and beyond. oute nformaton lease be aware that paths n ths area can become muddy n wet weather and wear sutable footwear. Yarner Wood Loop 6.8 mles (11km) Ths loop ncludes quet road and brdleway sectons as well as woodland tracks. It offers stunnng vews out across the East Dartmoor Woods and Heaths Natonal Nature eserve as well as achance to explore a range of habtats ncludng western oak woodland and moorland. Drectons From Haytor Informaton Centre follow the Templer Way as far as the frst road. Leave the Templer Way here, turnng left along the road untl you come to the top of Yarner Wood on your rght. Turn rght down nto the wood just before the house and follow the track untl the frst sde track comes n from your left. Turn sharp back left and follow ths track as t contours around the top of the valley. Cross the stream and contnue to follow the track downhll along the edge of the wood. When the nature tral comes n from your rght (look for the arrows and numbered posts), turn rght along t, bearng left at the bottom of the frst slope, and follow t down to the man Yarner Wood car park. Walk through the car park and follow the drve out to the road. Turn rght and then rght agan up the brdleway leadng to the Haytor oad. Look out for the Templer Way where t crosses the track and turn rght uphll along t. Follow the Templer Way through the top of Yarner Wood and out through a gate, across a drve and back up to Haytor. 4

5 Crown Copyrght and database rght Ordnance Survey Alternatve oute Key to Map Start/end of Stage Templer Way eturn Loop Car ark efreshments Informaton Board Tolets Bus Stop Bus Stop (lmted servces) Carved Grante Marker Stone Haytor Marker Stone Haytor Quarry 5

6 On leavng ottery ond the route follows mnor roads to the edge of Great lantaton whch was once part of the Templers Stover Estate and s now owned by the Forestry Commsson. Stage 2 Edgemoor Hotel to Great lantaton 2 mles (3.2km) Ths secton of the route starts along a stretch of the orgnal tramway through a small decduous woodland before followng mnor roads and brdleways through Brmley on the edge of Bovey Tracey. In some places the grante rals are stll vsble along wth orgnal mlestones whch gves the dstance to the Stover Canal. Near Chapple the tramway crosses the Bovey ottery Leat, at ts only survvng brdge. A short dstance afterwards the route passes close to ottery ond. The pond was constructed n the eghteenth century as a holdng reservor for the water supply that powered machnery n the nearby Bovey Tracey potteres. It s now a small and peaceful tree-frnged wldlfe haven. Kngfshers, mallards, coot, moorhen and varous dragonfles are often seen here. Facltes There s a hotel at the start of ths secton and a number of places to eat close to the ottery oad length of the route. Bovey Tracey also has a range of shops, pubs, cafes and a TIC. A regular bus servce connects Brmley wth Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot and Exeter. ottery ond Crcular Walk 5 mles (8km) Ths crcular route follows quet roads, brdleways and green lanes close to the outskrts of Bovey Tracey. From the hghest pont there are stunnng vews out over the Tegn Estuary. It starts at ottery ond whch was constructed n the eghteenth century as a holdng reservor for water that powered machnery n the local potteres. It s now a popular small wldlfe haven. Drectons From ottery ond follow the Templer Way south along a mnor road untl you reach the edge of the Great lantaton. Turn rght along the brdleway through Lookweep Farm and walk through to the next road. Turn rght and then after a short dstance take the second left up an unsurfaced track. Where the track dvdes keep rght and then rght agan untl you reach a mnor road. Turn rght and walk along and then down nto Brmley. Where the road bends to the rght turn left along a brdleway between two houses. Follow ths brdleway untl you reach another mnor road and pck up the Templer Way agan. Turn rght and follow the Templer Way through a woodland and out onto the mnor road agan. Look out for exposed sectons of the tramway both n the woodland and alongsde the road. Contnue to follow the Templer Way back to your startng pont at ottery ond. ottery ond 6

7 Key to Map Start/end of Stage Templer Way Edgemoor Hotel eturn Loop Car ark efreshments Informaton Board Tolets Bus Stop Bus Stop (lmted servces) Great lantaton Crown Copyrght and database rght Ordnance Survey Templer Way mlestones along the route 7

8 Stage 3 Great lantaton to Locks Brdge,Tegngrace 4 mles (6.5km) Ths secton of the Templer Way passes by a confer plantaton, meadow, woodland, lake and rver and rejons the tramway at Ventford Basn. Ths s where the Templers Stover Canal and Haytor Grante Tramway met. Grante was transferred onto barges to be taken down the Canal and on to Tegnmouth. Stover Country ark sts n the mddle of ths secton and formed part of James Templer s Stover Estate. The lake was constructed and grounds landscaped n the late 1700 s. Hstorcal features nclude the grante gatehouse stuated on the north sde of the park, carrage drves and Tegngrace Church. There has been contnued development of clay extracton nto the 21st century wth many clay pts n ths area. The ground s farly flat and runs along offroad tracks (some unsurfaced), woodland paths and felds. There s a short road secton along quet lanes at Ventford. Care must be Tegngrace Church, bult by the Templers 8 taken when crossng the busy Drumbrdges roundabout whch dvdes the Great lantaton from Stover Country ark; follow the Templer Way sgns along the pavement crcumnavgatng the roundabout. Access on ths secton s through gates. There s much to tempt the wldlfe enthusast wth a varety of wldfowl and summer dragonfles at Stover Lake, along wth kngfshers, herons and sand martns on the ver Tegn. Shy roe deer may be spotted n the Great lantaton and woodlands surroundng Stover, along wth woodland brds such as great-spotted woodpecker and nuthatch. Butterfles grace the woodland glades and meadows durng the summer months. Facltes The petrol staton and small shop at Heathfeld are open 7 days a week for drnks and snacks. At Lverton there s a small shop and post offce along wth a pub whch serves meals. Tolets can be found at Stover Country ark. There are several caravan and campng stes close to ths stretch of the route. Two free car parkng ponts wth lmted spaces accessng Great lantaton can be found at Belle Vue, Lverton and on the A382 opposte the petrol staton. A ay and Dsplay car park s stuated at Stover Country ark wth a small car park at Tegn Brdge. efreshments also avalable at Sampson s Farm, reston. Hertage Tral Crcular Walk 4 mles (6.5km) The start of a 4-mle crcular walk, the Hertage Tral, can be found n Stover Country ark. Ths crcut forms the mddle part of the Templer Way and through walkers can take ether route to arrve at Locks Brdge, Tegngrace. Leaflets are avalable from the Country ark. No cyclng along ths secton; the Newton Abbot to Bovey Tracey Cycle oute runs along quet lanes past Tegngrace and cuts through the north end of the ark. Many surfaced tracks sutable for wheelchars and pushchars can be found n Stover, ncludng the majorty of the Ted Hughes oetry tral. art of the Hertage Tral can also be accessed wth sturder models.

9 Stover Country ark There s a Nature Interpretaton Centre at Stover Country ark. Set n over 114 acres of woodland, heathland, lake and marsh, the green flag award park also ncludes trals, nterpretaton boards, an aeral walkway, brd hdes, pcnc areas and a poetry tral celebratng the works of Ted Hughes. Key to Map Start/end of Stage Templer Way eturn Loop Car ark efreshments Informaton Board Locksbrdge Tolets Bus Stop Bus Stop (lmted servces) Crown Copyrght and database rght Ordnance Survey Stover Lake 9

10 Stage 4 Locks Brdge, Tegngrace to Newton Abbot Town Quay 2 mles (3.2km) The top of ths secton of the Templer Way follows the Stover Canal past two old locks. Much of these upper stretches of the canal no longer hold water but form areas of damp woodland. Further downstream the canal emerges nto the Jetty Marsh Canal Basn - the end of the Canal. Barges then followed the Whtelake Channel through what s now Jetty Marsh Local Nature eserve, untl the Channel merged wth the ver Lemon and then the ver Tegn just upstream of Newton Town Quay. Ball clay from Decoy mnes and pts was loaded onto barges there untl the 1940s. Ths stretch s great for spottng brds - a kngfsher swoopng under the ralway nto the Canal Basn, a heron stealthly huntng near the reeds, or the loud and cheerful whstle of the tny Cett s warbler. Otters use these waterways for nght-tme fshng, leavng footprnts and sprant n secret places! Ths secton s farly level and even, and there s a safe crossng over the busy B3195 to Wharf oad Sdngs. However, there s then a stepped brdge over the ver Lemon, whch can be avoded by followng the cycle route along the Avenue, turnng left nto Templers oad and quckly left agan along a footpath to rejon the man route. If you do cross the brdge, look down nto the Lemon for a passng school of large grey mullet. lease note that there s no cyclng allowed through Jetty Marsh Local Nature eserve. The reserve has a narrow secton along the canal basn, curvng paths wth blnd bends and s regularly used by wheelchar users. You are welcome to push your bke through the reserve and you can then follow the cycle route along the Avenue, as above. Facltes Newton Abbot has a wde range of eatng and other facltes. Close to Newton Town Quay s Tuckers Maltngs, where, between Good Frday and the end of October, you can see malted barley beng prepared for local breweres - and buy local beers, lght refreshments and sandwches. There s a publc car park off Osborne Street, close to the Maltngs. Jetty Marsh Jetty Marsh s a County Wldlfe Ste and Local Nature eserve contanng vared wldlfe habtats. It has great value as a wldlfe corrdor between the Lower ver Tegn and the Bovey Basn. The ste has large reedbeds whch are a scarce habtat n Devon, together wth blackthorn and bramble scrub, mature oak trees and herb-rch grassland. Jetty Marsh Lock was rebult n the 1820s. Look out for the engraved stone to George Templer at the end of the lock. Stover Canal Crcular Walk 2 mles (3.2km) From the car park at Tegn Brdge cross the road and take the publc footpath along the rver. After the second pylon, turn left at a wooden post to jon the Templer Way. Cross felds and turn left sgned to Canal Brdge. Walk alongsde the Stover Canal followng the Templer Way sgns untl you go under a ralway arch at Jetty Marsh Nature eserve. Here, leave the Templer Way by mmedately turnng rght at the Canal Lock. Turn rght agan after crossng a culvert brdge to jon the cycleway. Contnue along the cycleway and turn rght wth care onto Exeter oad, over the ralway crossng and Canal Brdge. Bear left off the road mmedately after the brdge, use the feld footpath back to the car park. 10

11 Key to Map Start/end of Stage Templer Way Locksbrdge Stover Canal Crcular Walk Car ark efreshments Informaton Board Tolets Bus Stop Bus Stop (lmted servces) Newton Abbot Although a long-establshed market town, Newton Abbot really came to promnence wth the arrval of the ralway. Durng the 1800 s t became an mportant ralway town, wth marshallng yards and repar facltes. The area around the Whtelake and ver Lemon was used as ralway sdngs untl the relatvely recent past, dffcult to magne now! Newton Abbot Town Quay Crown Copyrght and database rght Ordnance Survey George Templer memoral stone, Jetty Marsh Lock Kngfsher. Nel Harrs. 11

12 Stage 5 Newton Abbot Town Quay to Coombe Cellars 2.5 mles (3.8km) Ths secton follows the Tegn Estuary shore and should only be walked wthn 2 hours ether sde of low tde. It s uneven and can be slppery after heavy ran or hgh tdes - never leave the path oryou may get stuck n the estuary mud! It s not sutable for cycles. To check tde tmes vst easytde.ukho.gov.uk Have your bnoculars ready for good vews of waders, ducks and pure whte Lttle Egrets as you walk ths route. Once a rare vstor to the UK, the Lttle Egret has become a resdent breedng speces. At Netherton ont there s a heronry n the top of pne trees, and a beautful, but fragle, salt marsh wth sea pnks and sea lavender. The Tegn Estuary s an mportant Shellfsh producton area, a Bass nursery, a good salmon and sea-trout rver and the ste of the Brtsh record for Flounder. What looks lke mud flats to people are also a vast and productve habtat area for marne worms and crustaceans whch drve the estuarne foodchan. Lower Netherton Crcular Walk 3 mles (5km) Leave the Templer Way by crossng the stle nto the feld a lttle way upstream of the Coombe Cellars. Cross the feld dagonally to the far top corner and contnue alongsde the hedge. At the end bear left and arrve at a surfaced lane. Go ahead to across roads and turn rght, down the hll and through the hamlet of Lower Netherton. Contnue up the other sde to another juncton and go left. Take the next rght whch descends and then clmbs to arrve at a resdental area. Go rght at the next juncton (Drake oad) and follow ths almost to the man A380 road. Just before the A380, follow the footpath on the rght next to the man road and on to descend steps to rejon the Templer Way adjacent to the road brdge. Optonal Hgh Tde outes The Netherton Coombe walks offer a varety of waymarked crcular routes, passng through felds and along tradtonal Devon lanes wth farms, orchards and lovely estuary vews. Netherton once had an on-farm cder factory and ts own specal varety of cder apple. If the tde s hgh, you can follow the Buckland Crcle past Honeysuckle Farm. The South of the Tegn Estuary Crcular walks leaflet shows a varety of walks n ths scenc area; for a copy, ask a local TIC. (Check tde tmes at easytde.ukho.gov.uk) Facltes There s a full range of facltes n Newton Abbot; refreshments can be bought at Coombe Cellars pub durng openng hours. 12 Town Quay Brdge

13 Newton Abbot Town Quay Key to Map Start/end of Stage Crown Copyrght and database rght Ordnance Survey Templer Way eturn Loop Car ark efreshments Informaton Board Tolets Bus Stop Bus Stop (lmted servces) Carved Grante Marker Stone Lttle Egret on the Tegn Estuary Fshng boat at the Tegn Estuary Coombe Cellars on the Tegn Estuary 13

14 Stage 6 Coombe Cellars to Tegnmouth 3 mles (4.5km) Ths secton follows the Tegn Estuary shore and should only be walked wthn 2 hours ether sde of low tde. It s uneven and can be slppery after heavy ran or hgh tdes - never leave the path oryou may get stuck n the estuary mud! It s not sutable for cycles. To check tde tmes vst easytde.ukho.gov.uk The estuary shore s full of nterest, wth a shellfsh farm, an old lme kln and lots of watercraft to watch. You can magne the old, square-saled barges runnng before the wnd, or, f t was calm, drftng down the estuary wth the tde, or even beng poled by the bargees. In the late 1800s -early 1900s a steam tug, the Kestrel, was used to tow a strng of barges up and down the estuary. Later stll, amotor tug, the Heron, took over; t seems that the Heron was lad off n 1939, when the canal stopped beng used commercally, but crossed the Channel to Dunkrk n 1940, rescung Brtsh solders - before beng scrapped. At ngmore Strand the Templer Way leaves the shore and passes through the vllage of Shaldon to the ferry crossng (frequent crossngs, rng or vst tegnmouthshaldonferry.co.uk for more nformaton). The ferry trp across the mouth of ths busy estuary s a hgh pont of the walk! Contnue northwards along Tegnmouth back beach, and you wll fnd the hstorc and pcturesque New Quay - bult n 1821 by the Templer famly. Here clay was transhpped to the potteres and grante to London. The carved grante marker sgnfes the end of the Templer Way route. 14 Facltes efreshments can be bought at Coombe Cellars pub. There s a small car park and pcnc ste at Arch Brook. There are several cafes and pubs n both Shaldon and Tegnmouth. If you follow the Stokentegnhead loop, there are Inns at Combentegnhead and at Stokentegnhead, where there s also a vllage shop. New Quay, Tegnmouth 1827, wth a large crane and blocks of grante ready for transhpment Stokentegnhead Crcular Walk 5 mles (8km) Leave the Templer Way opposte ngmore Towers, clmbng Salty Lane. At the fork bear rght and follow the lane ahead and down to the rght. At a juncton go ahead, steeply uphll, and keep followng the lane untl t arrves at Stokentegnhead. Turn rght, out of the vllage and then turn left at the next juncton (along a lane, not the narrower track). Keep ahead as far as ocombe House and Orchard Farm then turn rght. Follow the track to the rght and steeply uphll and keep clmbng to arrve at a lane. Turn rght and follow ths lane. Just before reachng the Newton Abbot - Shaldon road turn left along a track, then turn rght at a juncton to reach the road. Almost opposte s a publc footpath across a feld. Follow ths and on past a cottage to a lane. Turn rght, up the hll, to a juncton and go left here. At the end follow the footpath to the rght alongsde a hedge and at the next feld go dagonally left to the far bottom corner. Cross the stle to arrve on the Templer Way near the Coombe Cellars.

15 Staton Tegnmouth Key to Map Start/end of Stage Templer Way eturn Loop Car ark efreshments Informaton Board Tolets Bus Stop Bus Stop (lmted servces) Carved Grante Marker Stone Crown Copyrght and database rght Ordnance Survey Tegnmouth -the end of the Templer Way 15

16 If you enjoy Devon's coast and countrysde... Why not vst devon.gov.uk Brstol Channel D E V O N Englsh Channel For more nformaton on walks whch are accessble to all, vst devon.gov.uk/accessforall For vstor nformaton ncludng accommodaton avalablty vst If you need ths n a dfferent format please contact or emal: envronment@devon.gov.uk Ths s prnted on recycled paper When you have fnshed wth t please recycle and help the envronment. Devon County Councl has made every effort to ensure that the contents of ths publcaton are accurate at the tme of prntng however walks and rdes are undertaken at your own rsk. July