Barnstaple — Parracombe

Barpar two
Not verified

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Barpar here.

By Hjgough on 24 Apr 2022

Distance

22km/14mi

Ascent

513m

Descent

698m

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Description

Alternative, slightly more direct route between Parracombe and Barnstaple going via Arlington and Shirwell, and approaching Barnstaple from the North

Alternative, slightly more direct route between Parracombe and Barnstaple going via Arlington and Shirwell, and approaching Barnstaple from the North

Status

This route has been reviewed by 2 people.

There are no issues flagged.

Photos for Barpar two

Photos of this route will appear when they are added to a review. You can review this route here.

Information

Not verified

Route status - Live

Reviews - 2

Average rating -

Is this route good enough? -  Yes (2)

There are currently no problems reported with this route.

Downloads - 0

Surveys

What is this route like?

Surveys are submitted by fellow users of this website and show what you might expect from this Slow Ways route. Scroll down the page to read more detailed surveys.

Grade 3X based on 1 surveys Sign up or log in to survey this route.
Description Note
Grade 3: Route includes rough surfaces that may include small boulders, potholes, shallow ruts, loose gravel, short muddy sections.
Access grade X: At least one stile, flight of steps or other obstacle that is highly likely to block access for wheelchair and scooter users.		 Grading is based on average scores by surveyors. This slow way has 1 surveys.
Full grading description

Only people who have completed our training can become Slow Ways surveyors and submit a survey. We do not vet contributors, so we cannot guarantee the quality or completeness of the surveys they complete. If you are dependent on the information being correct we recommend reading and comparing surveys before setting off.

Survey Photos

Facilities

Facilities in the middle third of this route.

Not present at time of survey Public toilet (1)
Not present at time of survey Wheelchair accessible toilet (1)
Not present at time of survey Supermarket (1)
Present at time of survey Restaurant (1)
Maybe present Vegan restaurant (1)
Not present at time of survey Accommodation (1)
Not present at time of survey Accommodation < £50 (1)
Not present at time of survey Campsite (1)
Not present at time of survey Bothy (1)
Not present at time of survey Free wifi (1)
Not present at time of survey Public phone (1)
Present at time of survey Mobile phone coverage (1)
Not present at time of survey Train station (1)
Present at time of survey Bench (1)
Not present at time of survey Picnic table (1)
Not present at time of survey Bus stop (1)
Not present at time of survey Ferry (1)

Challenges

Potential challenges reported on this route. Some challenges are seasonal.

Not present at time of survey Scrambling (1)
Not present at time of survey Wading (1)
Not present at time of survey Swimming (1)
Not present at time of survey Climbing (1)
Stepping stones (0)
Present at time of survey Very slippery (1)
Present at time of survey Very muddy (1)
Present at time of survey Very icy (1)
Maybe present Likely to flood (1)
Present at time of survey Long grass sections (1)
Not present at time of survey Crops encroaching on path (1)
Not present at time of survey Diverted path (1)

Obstacles

Obstacles on this route.

Present at time of survey Stiles (1)
Present at time of survey Step and kerbs (1)
Not present at time of survey Possible to avoid steps, if applicable (1)
Present at time of survey Flights of steps (1)
Present at time of survey Gates (1)
Present at time of survey Kissing gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Locked gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Disables access gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Cycle barriers (1)
Present at time of survey Ladders (1)
Present at time of survey Cattle grids (1)
Not present at time of survey Fords (1)
Not present at time of survey Narrow bridges (1)
Not present at time of survey Ferry required (1)
Present at time of survey Acceptable road walking (1)
Not present at time of survey Unacceptable road walking (1)
Not present at time of survey Dangerous road crossings (1)
Present at time of survey Walking on paths beside roads (1)
Not present at time of survey Walking on verges beside roads (1)
Not present at time of survey Railway crossings (1)
Not present at time of survey River crossings (1)
Present at time of survey Cattle possible (1)
Maybe present Horses possible (1)
Not present at time of survey Tidal area (1)
Not present at time of survey Potential falls (1)
Present at time of survey Exposed to elements (1)
Not present at time of survey Remote area (1)
Not present at time of survey Mountainous area (1)
Not present at time of survey Military training area (1)
Present at time of survey No visible path (1)
Present at time of survey Seasonal nesting birds (1)
Not present at time of survey Other hazards (1)

Accessibility

Is this route step and stile free?

Not present at time of survey Free of stiles (1)
Not present at time of survey Free of single steps/kerbs (1)
Not present at time of survey Free of flights of steps (1)
Not present at time of survey Free of other obstacles (1)

Measurements

Surveyors were asked to measure the narrowest and steepest parts of paths.

Narrowest part of path: no data

The steepest uphill gradient East: no data

The steepest uphill gradient West: no data

The steepest camber: no data

How clear is the waymarking on the route: Unclear in places (1)

Successfully completed

We asked route surveyors "Have you successfully completed this route with any of the following? If so, would you recommend it to someone with the same requirements?". Here is how they replied.

Small Pug-sized dog (0)
Present at time of survey Small Labrador-sized dog (1)
Large St. Bernard-sized dog (0)
Standard pram (0)
Off-road rugged pram (0)
Standard wheelchair (0)
Off-road rugged wheelchair (0)
Standard mobility scooter (0)
Off-road rugged mobility scooter (0)

Recommended by an expert

We asked route surveyors "Are you a trained access professional, officer or expert? If so, is this route suitable for someone travelling with any of the following?" Here is how they replied.

Small Pug-sized dog (0)
Present at time of survey Small Labrador-sized dog (1)
Large St. Bernard-sized dog (0)
Standard pram (0)
Off-road rugged pram (0)
Standard wheelchair (0)
Off-road rugged wheelchair (0)
Standard mobility scooter (0)
Off-road rugged mobility scooter (0)

Terrain

We asked route surveyors to estimate how much of the route goes through different kinds of terrain.

There is no data on how much of this route is on roads

There is no data on how much of this route is lit at night

Thereis no data on amount of route paved

There is no data on muddiness

There is no data on rough ground

There is no data on long grass

Report a problem with this data

1 surveys

Information from verified surveys.

3X July 2022 by Helen Gough
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Geography information system (GIS) data

Total length

Maximum elevation

Minimum elevation

Start and end points

Barnstaple
Grid Ref SS5606733027
Lat / Lon 51.07846° / -4.05612°
Easting / Northing 256,067E / 133,027N
What3Words pasta.punt.exile
Parracombe
Grid Ref SS6676044817
Lat / Lon 51.18700° / -3.90792°
Easting / Northing 266,760E / 144,817N
What3Words rated.timed.require

Sorry Land Cover data is not currently available for this route. Please check back later.

reviews

Alan Morris

19 Oct 2024 Autumn
Report

I walked this route starting from Barnstaple.

I took a different route at the start, as my b&b host advised me that the path east of the hospital as you leave Barnstaple can get very muddy. So I tried taking the road towards Goodleigh. It was quite busy without any pavement in places, so I wouldn't recommend it. If I did the route again, I would approach Goodleigh from the south via the Sustrans route.

I joined this Slow Ways route at Collard Bridge, north of Goodleigh. I particularly enjoyed the route from Shirwell to Arlington. Arlington Court (National Trust) is a lovely and convenient stopping point for lunch. After that, the route is OK but lacks much interest.

I didn't have the issues with cattle mentioned by the other reviewer. There were none when I passed through the field before Shirwell, but clearly there are cattle at times. Through the series of fields over Rowley Down approaching Parracombe, there is one point when you get from one field to the next via a gate in a side field and another gate immediately into the next field. The side field had cattle and a 'beware of the bull' sign, but this wasn't a problem.

Parracombe has a community cafe at the top end of the village.

Helen Gough

02 Jul 2022 Summer
Report

Great walk. I walked from Parracombe to Barnstaple, which is probably the easier way (less climbing).
I found the section across Rowley Down tricky as the signage wasn't clear, and there was livestock to avoid. It wasn't easy to find the field exits, but maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention. I also had a hard time finding the correct path between Shirwell and Newbarn Wood, but I was being chased by a large herd of cows, so give me a break.
The route uses a mixture of lanes, footpaths and bridleways, crossing farmland, woodland and also Arlington Estate, so there is quite a variety of landscapes and the views are pretty good. The route crosses a fair bit of National Trust land, which is well looked after and has the biggest kissing gates I've ever seen.
Coming in to Barnstaple the route goes via Smoky House Lane, which is a wooded track and one of my favourite places to walk. It does get very muddy in wet weather though, so go prepared.

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Overall ratings

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Other Routes for Barnstaple—Parracombe See all Slow Ways

Barnstaple—Parracombe

Barpar one

U U

Distance

23km/14mi

Ascent

738 m

Descent

549 m

Barnstaple—Parracombe

Barpar three

3 X

Distance

23km/14mi

Ascent

601 m

Descent

785 m

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