Walks from Topsham

A walk through open country and urban byways, leaving Digby & Sowton past the Victorian former Digby Hospital and dropping through Ludwell Valley Park with superb views down the Exe Estuary, then on by Countess Wear and the riverside to the historic estuary town of Topsham.

Ludwell Valley Park: a Devon Wildlife Trust valley park on the edge of the city, with views down to the Exe estuary.

Topsham

Time: 2h30

Lunch: Numerous pubs and shops in Topsham at the finish.

Walk details: Avocet Line Rail Users Group (PDF).

A walk between two Avocet Line stations through open country and Devon green lanes, climbing gently from Exton over fields and brooks to the attractive village of Woodbury with its medieval church, then dropping through Ebford to follow the River Clyst branch of the Exe Estuary Trail — past an RSPB reserve with viewing points cut into the screening fence — into Topsham.

St Swithun's Church, Woodbury: the medieval parish church at the heart of the attractive village, beside the White Hart inn.

Topsham

Time: 2h30

Lunch: Pubs and shops in Woodbury (the Maltsters Arms and the White Hart) and plenty of choice in Topsham.

Walk details: Avocet Line Rail Users Group (PDF).

Recommended: Great views of the Exe estuary and Haldon Hills. A largely level, easy walk mostly on paved surfaces and wide wooden boardwalks across marshy ground, following the Exe Estuary Trail (a shared foot and cycle path). There are short narrow sections on Devon lanes with traffic around Lympstone and Exton and a few short steep stretches at Lympstone village. Largely follows the Exe Estuary Trail (signposted route 2). Excellent for birdwatching. The return leg is easy by train or bus as the route follows the rail line, with numerous access points. Goosemoor Nature Reserve lies on the route.

Coastal: almost all along the coast.

Time: 2h30–5h

Lunch: The villages en route, including Exton and Lympstone, have plenty of options for refreshments.

Walk details: Railwalks.

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Great views along the way; expansive views across the ever-changing estuary. A route with lovely views of the sea and the Exe estuary, mostly on paths with one short section on the road, taking in reed beds and the estuary and ending with a ferry crossing to Topsham. There are steps on the route. Avoids a closed section of the South West Coast Path between Dawlish and The Rockstone. The walk ends with a ferry across the river to Topsham; cycle-friendly using National Cycle Route 2 for a short stretch at the start.

Coastal: almost all along the coast.

Time: 3h30–7h30

Lunch: Pubs, shops and ice cream along the way.

Walk details: Slow Ways.