Buctot two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 75.00% of reviewers

I walked this route from Buckfastleigh to Totnes. Both towns have good public transport links and refreshment opportunities.

As it was winter the ground was pretty wet but only a couple of footpath sections were muddy.

The route is not suitable for wheeled users due to steep gradients and stiles. Dartington to Totnes is, however, fully accessible.

From Buckfastleigh the route largely follows quiet country lanes. I barely saw any vehicles but it may be busier in summer with campsite traffic. The road follows roughly parallel to the river Dart and it is scenic.

There are a couple of field and woodland footpath sections, hilly but with fine views. From Dartington Church, the route follows part of the National Cycle Network (NCN), an off-road multi-use path all the way to Totnes. Dartington also offers a choice of refreshment opportunities.

I would agree with Andy’s review that there is possibly some room for improvement (hence four stars not five), particularly in terms of accessibility, by avoiding the hill, some stiles and mud (in wet weather) above Week if preferred. This could be done by continuing along the lane past Billany Farm towards Huxham Cross then pick up the NCN sooner.

In fact, I think it would be possible to avoid all stiles by continuing on the road from Water Lane End (not taking the first footpath) then pick up the multi-use path even sooner, from the Steiner school at Hood Manor. A possible Buctot 3 option I’ll upload.

As it is, Buctot 2 is a really good half-day walk through lovely Devon countryside. It has good variety of route and scenery.

Nice walk, across Devon countryside. Hills as you would expect, some stiles and steep sections. Good rest stop towards end of walk in Dartington - option of community owned brewery at Dartington or pub just off main walk path. Time the walk right and you'll see the steam train along route, or even use it to get back to the start/end of the route.

I walked this route from Buckfastleigh to Totnes. It seems like going 'down-river' makes this a much easier venture, although as the previous reviewer suggests, only part of the route is suitable for those with limited mobility.

The section from Buckfastleigh to Week has steep sections, and several short hill climbs, of about 20-30 degrees. This is manageable for those who are regular walkers or used to Devon hills. These are balanced out with some nice flat sections (or those that gently undulate).

The route has several stiles as obstacles where a gate could be an option to avoid them but unfortunately these are shackled shut.

Other than the above, the route is managable in half a day, and has some very picturesque views towards Dartmoor and down to Dartington and beyond. The surfaces are mainly tarmac, with a few field sections that may become muddy. Minimum path width is about 40cm.

The rationale for 4 stars here is that the route could be better by avoiding the hill above Week, but this would need exploring to whether the Deer Park walk around Dartington and the North Hill open access paths could be made part of this route (and whether they link up to provide a walking route), or whether this would elongate the length of this route too much.

The first section, between Totnes and Dartington, is safe, accessible and pleasant to walk.

Subsequent sections are still relatively safe and accessible, however as they are on minor roads with no pavements or verge, they may be daunting to some walkers. Some sections of the road (and the fieldwalks) have steep gradients that may be unsuitable for some people.

The scenery is generally very pleasant - either mixed hedgerow with abundant wildflowers, or views across fields and small areas of woodland. There are also some picturesque houses and hamlets. As the settlements are very small, there are no pubs/cafes on the route between Dartington and Buckfastleigh, although there is a farm shop selling fresh meat towards the end of the route.

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