People have lived, worked and had their being in the Beaford area for millennia and some of the paths we use today will have been seen aeons of travellers passing by. Intriguingly, the story goes that the Great Train Robbers were associated with the village and buried some of the boodle in local woods….. No digging, please!
Beaford was the original home of Beaford Arts, England’s oldest rural arts organisation. It is famed for its superb collection of James Ravilious’ photographs, known as the Beaford Archive, that so evocatively document rural life of ‘the recent past’.
The woodland paths offer welcome summer shade and there are lovely views throughout. It’s a shortish walk, but there are plenty of add-ons to make a good day out.
The walk:
1. If you’re walking with a dog, please see ‘Dog Data’ in Compass Points as you need to start differently – we’ll meet up with you in a minute.
The dog-free start on Green Lane, at the entrance to Beaford Village Green, which is opposite the turning called Rye Park. Enter the green; this is a no-dog zone but has a fabulous collection of play equipment. In my twenties I was once thoroughly told off for being on the swings of the local park (with my mother!), so I summoned up self-control and resisted trying out these ones, but if you have smalls with you, I’m sure they’ll love it.
Walk across the green to the gate into the churchyard. The walk follows the path round the left-hand side of the church to reach a wooden gate round the back – though it’s worth popping into the church first to soak up some history and to meet its superb 500-year-old oak door.
At the back gate of the churchyard we meet those with dogs and from here we all take the footpath signed alongside Old Orchard Barn. Keep ahead past all the buildings to reach a small gate beside a fingerpost. Enter a field and keep straight on towards a cluster of buildings, with big views all around.
2. On the far side of the field go through a kissing gate then continue across the next field to another obvious gate. This leads onto a hedged crossing track, Biddamoor Lane, turn left along it.
Follow Biddamoor Lane for 450m. When you reach the road cross over and now follow the footpath signed down the drive to Mount Pleasant. The path passes some stables on the left and as you reach the gateway to the house veer slightly right and keep ahead, following yellow arrows between the buildings until the path brings you to a metal farmgate beside an old wooden fingerpost. Go through and continue alongside the right-hand hedge through the field.
At the end of the field a gate leads into the next, continue along the right-hand fence towards another arrowed gate. When you arrive at it you find two gates in quick succession with a couple of arrows. Go through both gates then follow the direction of the onward arrow, down the field into the valley with woodland views ahead. Aim for roughly the centre of the bottom field boundary, where you’ll find an arrowed gate into woodland.
3. Follow the well-trodden path down through the trees, a delightful stretch of walking. It descends and bends and eventually emerges at a fingerpost onto a track. Go left to reach the road, then turn left, walking uphill on the road for 100m – though it’s quite steep so may feel like more.
You reach a footpath heading right off the road. Descend the stone steps – careful as they may be slippery – then follow the path that ambles down through the woodland, veering left as it descends. You’ll soon find yourself walking beside the fenced environs of Beaford Mill and may get a glimpse of Beaford Bridge.
Stick to the path as it strolls down through Beaford Wood on its way to the banks of the Torridge, a river made famous by Tarka the Otter; depending on the leafiness of the trees you may glimpse the river before you reach it.
4. Soon the path runs fairly close to the waterside. Look out for a memorial slate that once formed part of a bench before a tree fell on it and smashed it. It states: ‘in memory of our mother, Doreen, 1912-2006….’. She lived at Chaplands in Beaford and loved to picnic here. I hope someone can fix her bench.
A footbridge carries the path across a tributary steam. Ignore another path going left into the trees here and continue beside the river. Although the path shown on the map is fairly close to the water, as you continue the more ‘used’ path seems to be a little further in from the riverbank, which can be quite tangled with bramble and branches.
5. Almost one-third of a mile from the footbridge the track bends left and starts to head uphill away from the river. Plod upwards for almost 200m, to reach a gate by a fingerpost. Go through, leaving the woodland, and turn left up the track beyond.
The track goes up and up - we knew this would happen as a result of all the delicious downhill earlier. The hedges that flank the track become fences; keep going until you reach a lane with the buildings of South Harepath ahead of you. Turn left on the lane, still uphill.
The term ‘harepath’ of ‘herepath’ carries a hint of history. Herepaths were, originally, old military routes (here meaning ‘armed host’). They were generally set down during an age when our Anglo-Saxon ancestors were busy resisting Viking invasion. Subsequently the term ‘herepath’ has been applied to historic paths without a military connection, reminders of that link with the past.
6. Follow the lane for about 200m until you reach a signed footpath going left by Fernhill, along a surfaced drive. Follow this for 100m then go through the arrowed gate on the right, entering a field. Head obliquely left across the field to an arrowed gate 30m away. Beyond this, continue across the next field to an obvious gate in the fence up ahead. Pass through, cross a track and then go through the arrowed gate opposite.
A broad track with a field on the left now heads back towards Beaford, the witch’s hat of Beaford church spire peeps out of the trees ahead. Ignore any gates or paths off and keep going to reach a metal kissing gate. Cross the next field towards bungalows, and when you leave the field walk down the road, Rye Close, which will bring you back to the Village Green on Green Lane.
STARTPOINT AND PARKING: Green Lane, which is off the main road in Beaford and is signed to the village hall. Postcode: EX19 8LQ; Grid ref : SS552149. Note: Those with dogs need to start at a different point – see Dog Data, b elo w
MAP: OS Explorer 127 South Molton & Chumleigh, 1 : 25000
DISTANCE: 3.5 miles
TERRAIN: Field, woodland and riverside paths and tracks. May be muddy. Very quiet lanes
EXERTION: Moderate – there are some lengthy uphill sections during the second half
DOG DATA: Animals grazing. Very quiet lanes. Those walking with a dog will need to start along the bridleway that leads off the main road in the village, opposite the Globe Inn and Reeds Cottage. This bridleway goes uphill beside Yew Tree Cottage and in 100m arrives at a gate into the churchyard.
FACILITIES: The Globe Inn, Beaford, EX19 8LR (01805 603920) has a lovely garden for the summer; RHS Rosemoor (EX38 8PH ) is five miles away and has an excellent restaurant.
