A walk around All Saints in the Blackdown Hills, Devon

I’ve always loved the pastoral quality of the East Devon countryside, with its mosaic of well-hedged fields, gentle undulations and pretty villages, so I set out on this walk hoping for something idyllic – and it exceeded all expectations. When I came to write it up later, my dictaphone was alive with the liquid birdsong I’d picked up on the way round – wonderful!

All Saints sits in the Blackdown Hills National Landscape and encompasses several adjoining hamlets, laced together with footpaths. It is a glorious area of old ways, wandering hens, blissful-looking homes with delicious gardens, and friendly people – the walk dips into a bucolic loveliness that really adds to the outing, in this most easterly nugget of Devon.

All Saints Church interior, with its lovely blue ceiling in the chancel (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) Allow time to visit the tranquil church with its restful blue ceiling in the chancel, and perhaps take a picnic as there are no refreshments en route – please take all waste home.

And if you’re using the village hall car park, please pop a donation in their post box!

THE WALK

1. From the village hall, cross the road and take the signed footpath heading between the school and the church. Pass through a metal footpath-farmgate combo near a fingerpost, then walk ahead through the field, hedge to your left. At the end of the field a yellow-arrowed wooden gate leads onto a fenced path with orchards to either side, and chickens.

Free-range chickens enjoy an orchard. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) Keep ahead through here to another arrowed gate, cross the track beyond and continue on the clear path, passing a thatched property on your left. Continue alongside the left-hand fence and at the end of the field look for the stile on the right. Cross this and turn immediately left, walking through the field following the bendy left-hand hedge. If there’s a crop growing, good provision has been made for walkers – thank you, farmer!

2. Within 200m the field narrows and an arrowed post directs you right, across the narrow bit of the field to the opposite hedge about 20m away. At the hedge turn left and continue along the obvious track through the same field but now with the hedge on your right; as you go the field gets wider... and wider... I suspect it was once many smaller fields.

The track reaches a lane in 320m. Turn right along the lane for a few metres, then join the signed footpath on the left, walking up through the field along the right-hand hedge. At the end of the field go through the gate in the corner then continue ahead, admiring some well-made gates as you pass.

Look out for some beautiful trees along the paths. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) 3. The footpath arrives at one of the combo-gates with a crossing track beyond it. Go left (this is a blue-arrowed bridleway) to swiftly reach another arrowed gate. Beyond the gate turn right, leaving the bridleway and continuing through the field on the footpath, hedge to the right. We are now near the hamlet of Alston.

At the end of this field continue through two more, alongside the right-hand hedge. At the end of the third field (there’s a huge, fairly new covered yard to your right) continue through the fourth field in the same direction as before but now with the hedge to your left, passing a concrete trough on the left just as you set out through this field.

A profusion of wild flowers decorate the hedgerows. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) 4. Look for another combo-gate in the left-hand hedge in about 70m. Although the map shows something different, the gate arrangements suggest that the footpath has been altered slightly, so go through this left-hand gate, then turn immediately right to follow the right-hand hedge through the field. You pass another large trough and a wooden gate on the right, and from this point veer left across the field towards a yellow-arrowed metal gate about 100m away across the corner of the field.

When you reach this arrowed gate stay in the same field and turn left, keeping the hedge to your right and walking towards a wooded hillside in the distance where someone has a house that must have magnificent views.

Ignore a gate set into the right-hand hedge within 100m and stay in this field, still aiming towards the hillside.

Ancient tree roots in an ancient boundary. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) 5. Go through a yellow-arrowed gateway into a large field. Footpaths meet in the middle of this field; our way lies obliquely right, the path looks quite well-trodden and we’re aiming for a visible dogleg in the middle of the right-hand hedgeline. When you get there you find another yellow-arrowed gateway.

Enter the next field and follow its right-hand boundary round to a footpath gate that’s visible in the corner – a collection of buildings can be seen beyond the gate we’re aiming for.

Go through the gate and a short stetch of path leads into the next field. Bear right, following the right-hand boundary to reach a corrugated iron shed with a muscular, arrowed post nearby. Turn right out of the field then swing left – another arrowed post guides you through this bit, directing you left again along a narrow path (it’s very muddy here but it looks like earlier walkers have trailblazed a circumnavigation of the boggy section). The narrow path leads to a gate with a fingerpost beyond. I hope you’re still with me!

At the fingerpost go right along the track and you reach the road in 70m. Turn left on the road.

A cascade of bluebells in the woodland beside the road. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) 6. This is a pleasing tree-lined road. In spring bluebells cascade through the woodland it passes – you’ll need to come back for them.

Follow the road for just over one-third of a mile to the entrance of Reads Hill Farm. Here, go sharp left back on yourself along a rising track (the fingerpost was missing). You’re now heading up and over Beacon Hill, and a clear day will ensure distant views.

Looking towards Old Twist. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) After about 150m of puff, the track levels out and passes through a gateway. Continue along it for another 100m then look for a small wooden gate on the right. Go through here and turn left, walking through the field with the hedge on your left. Go through a metal gate at the end of the field, rejoin the track and continue ahead.

At the end of the field go through a gate and continue on the track down through the next field; the woodland off to the right sports the odd name of Old Twist.

Ignore any gates on the left until the track reaches a couple of gates in the bottom corner of the field; the wooden one on the left bears a sign on its post about dogs and leads onto an enticing sunken path – this is our way.

Views from the path descending Beacon Hill. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) 7. The path reaches a ‘private’ gate ahead, and just before it the footpath goes left through a small, arrowed gate. Walk straight across the bottom of the paddock in the direction of the arrow, hedge to the right – the buildings (and possibly dogs) of Yarde Farm (spellings vary) are evident down to your right.

At the far side of the paddock go right through an arrowed gate, then follow the fence, then hedge, on your left, as it soon bends left and leads you away from the farm, heading down the field towards a white-painted, slate-roofed house, Yarde Cottage. Big views across the valley ahead.

An arrowed gate is visible at the far end of the field as you pass the roofline of Yarde Cottage. Go through this gate, ducking under trees, and dropping down to a multi-arrowed post. Turn sharp right along the track, heading towards a gate by a stoutly wooden shed – the wood looks like it has some history to it.

Beyond the gate, walk out to meet a surfaced driveway and turn left along it, downhill, passing the entrance to Yarde Cottage. The footpath now follows this surfaced drive, descending from Beacon Hill and passing delightfully situated houses.

Ignore a small footpath gate on the right after 350m and in another 100m turn right with the drive-cum-lane, ignoring footpaths ahead and left. In just over 300m you pass a converted chapel on the right.

The lovely field path between Churchill and Smallridge. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) 8. At the grassy triangle, with Romany Cottage on the right, keep straight ahead along the road, enjoying the lovely little hamlet of Churchill. After 250m take a turning on the left – just after you turn left you’ll see the footpath fingerpost in the hedge. Follow this lane for another 250m, past more beautiful houses, and when the tarmac runs out keep straight ahead through the gate into the field.

Walk straight ahead as the path rises through the field, a small stream is occasionally glimpsed down to the left. The footpath reaches a mushy gateway, bears right through the next field to an obvious gateway, and then continues straight through a third field – all these fields are surrounded by appealingly thick hedges topped off with oaks. The path reaches a stile whose arrow directs obliquely right across the final field, heading for houses on the edge of Smallridge.

9. When you reach the road turn left along it. Look out for the wayside plant stall at Socks Orchard, where I bought some growing chocolate mint, oh deep joy. Keep ahead at the grassy triangle and in 100m turn left towards the village hall. Follow this residential road until you’re back at the start.

The walk is mostly an easy amble through field paths. (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne) Compass Points:

Start point: All Saints Village Hall, EX13 7LX. Grid ref: ST305011

Parking: On road in All Saints/Smallridge (with consideration for residents), although Steve, from the village hall, has very kindly offered that, if you wish to use their car park (and it isn’t already full) you can – please put a donation in the letterbox attached to the wall and avoid school-run times!

Map: OS Explorer 116 Lyme Regis and Bridport, 1:25 000 (please use this scale map; the one printed here shows insufficient detail)

Distance: Almost 5 miles

Terrain: Field paths, tracks and very quiet lanes. Expect muddy patches – no flipflops

Exertion: Easy-moderate; there is one steady ascent at the half-way point

Dog data: Animals grazing. Stiles (mostly with dog-doors). Quiet lanes

Refreshments: Ridgeway Restaurant in Smallridge (EX13 7JJ; 01297 32171): limited opening but Sunday lunch may be available – check in advance. Plenty of options in nearby Axminster, and the toothsome Tytherleigh Arms (EX13 7BE; 01460 220214) is 2 miles away

Black Dog tea garden (Image: Simone Stanbrook-Byrne)

4 things to do while you’re in the area

Axminster is just a few miles away, with lots of good independent shops, including an excellent bookshop.

Millers Farm Shop at Kilmington is a good place for all kinds of produce and has an excellent café.

Black Dog Tea Rooms and Garden sits right against the Dorset border at Uplyme, just over six miles away, and is one of my favourite Devon tea gardens. Lunch from the ‘specials’ board’ takes tea-room cuisine to a higher level. Delicious.

Seaton Wetlands is under 10 miles away – a superb site for birding, with very good facilities.

Simone has written a number of West Country walking guide books, including Circular Walks in East Devon