Simone Stanbrook-Byrne takes us on a hilly East Devon walk with lovely views and historic treats
I have quite a lot of favourite places and Membury, close to the Devon-Dorset border, is another one. This charming, welcoming village is worth lingering in. Visit the Grade 1-listed church, whose fabric incorporates architecture from every century between the 12th and the 20th.
Although there is no longer a pub, the well-appointed village hall has a Friday afternoon café (usually!), and if that’s not happening then enjoy your picnic on their new and appealing ‘public terrace’ – a place for chatting, snacking and generally sitting about in the sunshine after the walk.
This is a route of ups and downs, the ups being rewarded by beautiful views. Expect mud, with rough and slippy bits underfoot at times, and there are a few historic treats waiting to be discovered on the way round.
THE WALK
1. A bridlepath fingerpost at the right-hand end of the village hall (as you’re facing the building) directs you along the path in front of the hall. This continues between the wall of the churchyard and a cottage. When you reach the church steps and war memorial, go right, following the rising track as it continues up past the church, watched over by some rather hefty, goatish gargoyles from the 14th-century tower.
This track plods steadily uphill for almost 200m, then reaches a crossing track, Goyle Acre Lane (some maps say Golye!). Turn left, ignoring a footpath that almost immediately goes right, and follow Goyle Acre Lane, one of Devon’s appealing old ways.
Ignore another right-hand footpath in almost half-a-mile, and just after this the track opens into a field, with fine views ahead and to the left.
2. Follow the right-hand hedge through two fields. Near the end of the second the path passes a gateway on the left into the historic Quaker Burial Ground.
Quakers first appeared in the 17th century, when the movement was founded in England by George Fox. They broke away from the elaborate services of the established Christian church, preferring a simpler style, and also believing in the spiritual equality of men and women – an enlightened view for the time. Locally, their meetings took place in a farm building just outside Membury which belonged to John Smith, a Quaker, who also gave this plot of land for their burials. There are, apparently, 80 burials here, which seems pretty crowded for the space, but it’s a serene and tranquil spot, with a well-placed memorial bench to admire the views. ‘Natural’ burials are something that many people opt for nowadays – and it feels as though Membury’s historic Quakers were ahead of the curve in that respect too. Nature is in the ascendancy here and the ground is very uneven – mind whose grave you fall into.
Beyond the sleeping Quakers continue as before through a third field, at the end of which Goyle Acre Lane becomes a tree-enclosed track, its banks upholstered with ferns and ivy, alive with wildlife.
The track emerges from the trees at a fingerpost. Keep straight ahead, passing the holiday accommodation of Lea Hill Farm and bending left with the drive once you’re beyond the buildings. Just after the bend turn sharp right on the signed footpath.
In about 20m keep ahead, passing a thatched house on your left, and about 50m beyond this, take the left fork, descending through the trees on wooden-edged steps – don’t slip! At the bottom a gate leads out to the road.
3. Turn right along the bendy road. After 180m there is a turning right towards a redbrick cottage with lilac-painted woodwork. At this right turn look for the stile that gives access onto a footbridge across a busy stream. Cross this and follow the well-trodden path through the field, stream over to your left, and keep ahead to reach a field gate. Go through and continue in the same direction across expansive fields towards Beckford Bridge, which is visible in the distance, just over 300m away.
This line brings you to a gate onto the road; turn right along the road towards the bridge, noting the footpath that heads right into the field, just before you reach the river. This is our onward path, but first take a look at the historic bridge, adjacent to the modern road bridge. The old one has been spanning the River Yarty for hundreds of years, carrying people and packhorses across the water, its cobbles offering a non-slip surface for hooves. The adjacent riverbanks have been ‘attended to’ recently and were looking rather stark and unnatural when we passed.
4. Continue the walk along the riverside path, with the water to your left, a pleasing stretch of path. Up to your right, Yarty House sits on the edge of the woodland, enjoying its view across the valley. At the end of the field go through the yellow-arrowed gate and veer right to cross a footbridge. Just after this is another arrowed gate into a field near a substantial oak – there are lots of lovely mature trees throughout the walk. Turn left in the field and walk along the left-hand boundary – the river is still to your left but beyond trees, so no longer visible.
Continue through this long, flat field and near its end veer right towards the corner and another arrowed gate.
5. Beyond this walk obliquely right up the field, towards a gate situated beneath trees to the right of Yarty Farm. Go through the gate and turn left along the track beyond.
This arrives in a yard area behind the farmhouse. Here turn immediately right, passing a field gate on the right and joining a rising rough track (the gate across this may have been reinstated by the time you get there). Farm outbuildings are to the left of the track, which climbs and soon bends left. When we passed there was a lot of drainage piping lying about – work in process, or possibly abandoned – mind how you trip over it.
You reach a crossing track. Turn right, still uphill but now on a surfaced drive. Plod up here, pausing to admire the views behind. Someone told me that if you lean shoulder-to-shoulder with a walking companion it makes uphills easier. I tried this once, but the resultant laughter made it a lot more difficult and when we were confronted by a sensible couple coming downhill in the opposite direction we felt we had to explain ourselves – amusing but embarrassing.
After almost 400m, at a bend just before the concrete track levels out, you reach a staggered crossway. Don’t take the first footpath going right back on yourself, instead, at the bend, go right off the concrete on the second rising footpath, which climbs beneath trees to a metal gate in just over 100m.
6. Go through into the field, then continue uphill, bending right alongside the right-hand boundary. This rises to another arrowed gate – and the worst of the climbing is now behind you. Pass through the gate and continue alongside the right-hand hedge towards the treeline ahead. At the top of the field a gate leads back onto Goyle Acre Lane.
Turn left along it and, in a few metres, go right – we’re now retracing our steps down the track to the church – watch your footing as you descend. I have it on good authority from BBC Radio 4’s Clare Balding that putting one’s weight on the balls of your feet for steep descents is very stabilising – and it does help!
Descend past the church, resume walking normally once you’re on the level – and enjoy your picnic.
While you’re here…
A FEW THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA
1: Membury Castle is an iron Age hillfort rising to the east of the village, one of several in the area. It was occupied some 500 years BC and gives the village its name, which means ‘strong fort’. If you fancy extra walking, following in the footsteps of even more historic residents, there are a couple of footpaths that climb it – shown on the OS map
2: Membury Village Hall hosts a great variety of events. Check the village website to see if you can join in with something
3: Millers Farm Shop is under five miles away – a great place for local produce and it also has a good café
4: The Tytherleigh Arms is also under five miles away – one of my favourite eating inns
5: Lyme Regis with all its history, is within ten miles, if you fancy hopping across the Dorset border
(check individual websites for details)
LOOK OUT FOR
Historic church
Quaker burial ground
Packhorse bridge
Gorgeous views
Splendid trees
COMPASS POINTS
Start point & parking: Opposite Membury Village Hall. Postcode: EX13 7AF; grid ref: ST276029
Map: OS Explorer 116 Lyme Regis and Bridport, 1:25 000
Distance: 3.5 miles
Terrain: Old tracks, field paths, riverside paths. The route touches very quiet roads. Expect mud; rough underfoot at times
Exertion: Moderate-strenuous
Dog data: Animals grazing, quiet roads, one stile
Refreshments: Nothing en route so take a picnic and enjoy the village hall’s delightful ‘public terrace’. If you visit on Friday afternoons there is usually the Oak Apple Café, 1.30-3.30, in the village hall
Simone Stanbrook-Byrne has written a selection of West Country guides including Circular Walks in East Devon
