Walk 8 : Dartmouth to Totnes
‘A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there's more conversation.’
William Blake
One of the area's truly great walks, this daylong ramble follows the wooded banks of the broad and beautiful river Dart, on a route crammed with gems and jewels of human and natural history.
The South Devon AONB website synopsis of the walk
View over Dartmouth
Walk data
Distance: 12 Miles, 19.3 km
Grade: Moderate. Easy walking, but on average uphill
Start Point : Bus stop at North Embankment, Dartmouth (sx878512)
End Point : Steam Packet Inn, Totnes (sx805600)
Facilities: Full range of facilities at Dartmouth: Shops, supermarkets, pubs, toilets, banks. Also at Totnes. On route the are several pubs, all of which serve food. There is a village shop and cafe in Dittisham.
Transport: There are buses between Dartmouth and Totnes, regular on weekdays, but only twice on Sundays. There is also a river ferry between them, it is a beautiful trip, but but it’s timing is dependant on tides, so the timetable must be checked before hand ( It is operated by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company-check here for times). Totnes is easily accessible by bus or train from either Plymouth or Exeter. Dartmouth is directly accessible by bus from Exeter and Plymouth, but the busses also service the local villages on the way, so the journey time is in either case in excess of two hours (but you do get to see lots of scenery). Bus and train journeys can be planned here.
Maps : Ordnance Survey Explorer OL20. Coordinates are from this map. A compass is not needed, but the map is strongly advised, even though the trail is well signed.
An album of Photos from this walk can be found on my Facebook Page
Walk overview
This is a fairly long but straightforward walk following a recognized and clearly signposted trail (The Dart Valley Trail) between two of Devon’s most historic and lively towns. It starts in Dartmouth, near where the river flows into the sea, and ends in Totnes which is the farthest point navigable by large boats.It consists mostly roads and country footpaths. It is not a challenging walk, although a couple of small stretches are perennially muddy, so you will need good waterproof boots or shoes. There are a few long, steepish parts, and since the trail is following a river inland, the path is generally uphill.
This is a great walk if you want to experience some good Devon pubs. Don’t try too many, or you may never get to the end!
Route Maps and elevation
Stage 1 : Route map and elevation
Stage 2: Route map and elevation
Stage 3 : Route map and elevation
Dartmouth
Dartmouth is on the western bank of the mouth of the Dart. It is a busy place, with seagulls crying and flapping around all day, and many boats bobbing up and down on the water.
Although Dartmouth has a natural deep-water harbour it was only an agricultural settlement at the time of the Norman Conquest (1066), but it soon began to grow and by the fourteenth Century it was well known enough for Chaucer to include one of its inhabitants among his pilgrims ‘A schipman was ther, wonyng fer by weste;For ought I wost, he was of Dertemouthe.’, who tells a somewhat morally dubious story about money lending.
By the Elizabethan times it was a thriving port. Castles were built on either side of the estuary with a chain between then, that could be pulled up to prevent invasion from the Spanish fleets. The castle on the Dartmouth side is worth a visit. The Pilgrim fathers stopped at Dartmouth on the way to America (they hadn’t got very far at that stage).
The Navy has since had a keen interest in Dartmouth and the naval officer academy still sits in in an imposing Victorian building that dominates the a large hill on the edge of the town
The first bridge across the Dart is at Totnes, over 10 miles upstream. but in Dartmouth there are two vehicle ferries and one foot passenger ferry across to Kingswear on the eastern side.
There is plenty to explore. To find out what to see and do, and for any events happening, click here.
Dartmouth is one of those English towns which has grown up in a sort of hotchpotch fashion, so that it has many house from different periods. On the steep hills such as this the house frequently have a front door on the street, once inside you go down to the rest of the house instead of up. Some have little bridge connecting the front-door to the street. It is common in Devon towns for house to be painted in different colour. Dartmouth is no exception: There are blue houses, pink house, yellow house. Some have slate fronts, some wooden, some granite or limestone.
If you want to sample a traditional devon pub, there are too many to lst here, but check out this page. Almost all will serve good food (frequently fish and seafood, freshly caught) as well as a range of local ales.
On the subject of pubs-Devon has a host of local breweries, some large, some tiny. Apart from making very good beer, they also seem to be in competition to come up with weird names for their beverages. Here is a list of some them along with the breweries that make them. They are not all available everywhere, although Jail (personal favourite) and Otter are most common
Jail Ale (Dartmoor brewery, Princetown)
Pandit (New Lion Brewery, Totnes)
Cor bugga! ( Teignworthy Brewery, Newton Abbot)
Devon Dumpling (Bays Brewery, Paignton)
Otter Ale (Otter Brewery, near Honiton)
Pheasant Plucker (Hunters Brewery, Ipplepen)
Black Ops (Taw Valley Brewery, North Tawton)
Pandemonium (South Hams Brewery, Kingsbridge)
Repeat Offender (Stannary Brewery, Tavistock)
Tuckermarsh Pale (Bere Brewery, Bere Alston)
If you are from outside the UK you can relax and forget the myth of warm beer.The British have not drunk warm beer since the 1970's (except of course when they do... at beer festivals, where it is more or less compulsory)
Stage 1 : Dartmouth to Dittisham (4.5 Miles, 7.2 km)
The walk starts at the south west corner of the little square harbour near the waterfront. You will see a kiosk that sells boat-trip tickets, and on the lampost next to it a blue sign, which shows in white two castles with some wavy lines below. This is the first sign for the trail. You will see it frequently. Often it will be accompanied by a white arrow on a blue background showing the direction to walk. The trail is part of a much longer trail The John Musgrave Heritage Trail (this is 32 miles long) so the signs for this can also be followed (yellow and brown circles, with an image of aboot print inside).
Follow the road past the little harbour and past the white and blue painted Royal Castle Hotel until you come to a car park on you right. At one corner you will see a small street called Zion Place walk along this to the end, turn right and almost immediately there is a long flight of stone steps called Coxs Steps. Climb these til you come to a narrow road called Clarence Hill.
Cox’s Steps
Turn left onto Clarence Hill and follow it along. It eventually becomes Townstal Hill and the Church Hill. Towards the end in bears right and comes to the main road out of Dartmouth (The A379, College way at sx870515)
The trail goes the the end of Old Mill Lane, Down a flight of steps and into Old Mill Lane This is a pleasant walk on a country road that descend gradually to Old Mill Bridge (sx861519), situated, unsurprisingly on Old Mill Creek. Old Mill Creek always seems to be at low tide. It is pleasant to sit on the wall at the end of the bridge across it and watch the water fowl hopping around in the mud. The Old Mill sir on one side of the bridge. One can only imagine that the stream to the bridge was once more lively, as it’s current sedately flow would not be enough to drive a mill wheel.
‘Old Mill’ is a self-explanatory place name. But not all the names on the map are. Here is a list of some names that are not. They are all on or close by this trail. I can guess at the origins of some of them, about others I can only wonder..
Tippity Van
Dinah’s Side
Blackness Point
Bozomzeal
Sprat Lane End
Poor Bridge
Corkscrew Hill
Higher (and Lower) Yetson
Hothole ( I kid you not)
Lower (and Higher) Gribble Plantation
From Old Mill Bridge turn right and follow the road. It soon becomes a country footpath, called Lapthorne Lane, which quickly brings you to the edge of Hole Copse. Here you have two choices. Both are signed to dittisham. You can either follow straight ahead along the lane or right into the woods. The fist is 2 miles to Dittisham, the second is 2 3/4. The longer way is more pleasant and takes you through Hole Copse and Great Copse. It will also give you some nice views of the Dart, where you can see to the edge of Dartmouth, with the Higher Ferry, laden with cars going back and forth.
Either way will bring you to the road just past Bozomzeal (sx861539). This is Fire Beacon Hill. This is so named as it is the site of one of the beacons that were lit to warn of the SPanish Armada. You can see the beacon across the fields, a tall pole with an iron basket on top. It has a grim look, like a gibbet. The fire beacons were lined along the whole South West. More information on these can be found here.
Dartmoor in the distance, from Fire Beacon Hill
Take the footpath that appears on the right, down through fields of grass and sheep. This eventually joins a farmers road. Here you will be glad if you have good waterproof boots. The farmer here must use a lot of heavy machinery, since the road is always deep in mud and churned up by giant tyres. You can walk on the banks of the road with some care. It is not a long stretch, and after a couple of turns you find yourself in Dittisham (sx861550)
Dittisham
Thatched cottage in Dittisham
If you talk to any of the residents and don’t want to look like a Grockle, Dittisham should be pronounced Ditsum, or even better Dits’m. (This is a mild reduction of a place name for Devon- There is a village named ‘Woolfhardisworthy’ on maps, but which the locals pronounce ‘Woolsery’)
The trail only skirts the top of the village, which is a shame, as this is one of the best places to visit on the river. It is quite ancient, having been founded in about 660 ad by Saxons, who had found the Dart to be a good trading route inland.So take a detour into town if you have time.It has steep lanes to the water, clustered with old cottages. There are two good pubs, a shop and a good coffee house. A guide to the village can be found here.
stage 2 : dittisham to asphsprington (4.6 Miles, 7.4 km)
The trail passes along the top of Dittisham, following the road until it passes the hamlet of East Cornworthy, after which is cuts through a wooded area on a track to the right. This little country path must once have been a more important way, as there is a small but substantial bridge over the ltlle river. It is odd to find it in this quiet lane, on a dirt track. It has the curious name of ‘Poor Bridge’
Cottage near East Cornworthy
Woods and small river near Poor Bridge
The track becomea a road and leads through the village of Cornworthy, another small ancient setlement. Agin it has a nice pub, the Hunter’s Lodge. At the far side of the village standing in a field is the remains of a priory, where Nuns lived from about 1200 to the mid 1550′s. It is marked Gatehouse on the map. (sx821555)
From cornworthy the trail turns right off the road and paases downhil towars Bow Creek, another tribuatry of the Dart. It passes through the small Charleycombe Woods, which are full of oak and ash trees.The path turns left. On the right is bow creek, where if you are lucky you can see herons flying low o ver the mud-flats. To your left is Corkscrew Hill. A lot of water flows off the hill after rains and the trail here is often VERY muddy. But there has been a lot of tree planting done recently, so as sapling grow into a new wood, it should they should contain the wet: At the monent though, take care not to get wet feet.
The trail rejoinns the road from Tuckenhay to Bow Bridge. Ther is a good pub in each of these places, The Maltsters and the Watermans Arms. Both have seating with river views.: In summer both are likely to be busy.
Cross Bow Bridge and head up hill to Ashprington.
The Waterman’s Arms, Bow
Ashprington
Ashprington has been in existence since at least the time of the Norman conquest, and is mentioned in the Domesday Book, in 1086, (where it is called Aisbertone). It had about 22 people living there. It has a church which dates back to this time, although the only remaining Norman part is the font. The current church dates from the fifteenth century. There isn’t much happening in Ashprington. It is a quiet, peaceful and secluded place. It has a pub, though, the Durant Arms. There is a bench by the churchyard, so if you need a nice long sit down, having walked just over 9 miles, with still another 3 to go, this is a good place to watch the world slowly moving by.
Stage 3 : Ashprington to Totnes (2.9 Miles, 4.7 km)
Asphrington Church Graveyard at sundown
This is the easiest part of the route as it is almost entirely in the Sharpham Estate until it reaches Totnes. The estate keeps the path well signed, neatly gravelled and clear.
From the bench by the church head towards Sharpham (i.e. uphill) following the road until you get to the estate gate. Here you leave the road and take the footpath to the left.
Sharpham Estate
Sharpham Estate dates from around 1260, but it’s current form dates from the 18th century, when Captain Philemon Pownoll, who was something of an adventurer, made his fortune capturing a Spanish treasure galleon. (He had an adventurers death, too. He was hit by a cannonball in a fight with the French in the North Sea.) If Philemon Pownoll seems a crazy name, consider that his grandson was named John Bastard.
Today the estate is managed by the Sharpham Trust. The mansion house is now a center for events and courses. Being close to Totnes ( see below) these are often New Age type events. The Trust supports many conservation schemes. It also has a vineyard, producing a range of wines, and makes it’s own cheeses. If you have time it is worth diverging from the trail and visiting the restaurant/cafe by the river front, and trying the wine and cheese. If it is summer, you may even have time for a guided tour of the vineyard.
Evening in a mirror in a hedge
On arriving it rhe end of the Sharpham footpath, turn right on the road and at the bottom of the little hill you will find the Steam Packet Inn, by the river. Reward yourself with a nice pint and rest your feet, before going into town.
Totnes
Totnes is chefly famous as being a center for alternative lifestyles. It calls itself a transistion town, and ven has it’s own (not freuently used) currency. There are crystal shops, and mindfulness courses, and always buskers. But there is more to the town. It has a Norman Castlt, a museum, a medieval guildhall and the narrow streets at the tiop of town, still on the medieval layout. (With good Devon Common-snse, these are called ‘The Narrows’). There are lots of coffee shops, cafes and resturants: To many to list, but see here
Totnes High Street
https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/totnes-town/devon/