Newton Abbot — Teignmouth
Newtei two
Verified Slow Way
Verified by 75.00% of reviewers
Verified Slow Way
Verified by 75.00% of reviewers
By Tony Leigh on 11 Feb 2024
Description
A Slow Way may be classified according to its geography eg. urban, city park, mountainous, moorland etc. NewTei is a foreshore or intertidal track. It is a public way which has certainly been in regular use for 300 years (probably for a few thousand) and I believe warrants inclusion as a Slow Way subject to its unique characteristics being recognised and respected.
An intertidal way includes significant stretches between tidal high and low water margins (the intertidal zone). Much surface of NewTei between the A380 bridge outside Newton Abbot and Shaldon is covered by sea water for several hours in every 12 hour period. It is passable in safety at any time of year in the 6 hours below half tide. However, it may be worth delaying the start of this stretch between the A380 bridge and Shaldon by up to a further 2 hours (i.e. up to one hour before low water) during a period of spring tides in order to give the ebbing tide more time to drain away and the surface to dry. This is especially relevant if walking from Teignmouth to Newton Abbot.
The surface is predominantly shingle, frequently damp but not puddled, often covered in eel grass and other seaweeds and therefore potentially slippery, with a slight camber, and invariably peppered with sharp shells and detritus from erosion, dead organic matter and, sadly, also human rubbish deposited by the receding tide.
NewTei is not appropriate for a wheelchair (even I suspect of the most “off-road” design though I should love to be corrected) but it is used by cyclists provided you are prepared to dismount and walk at times and occasionally shoulder the bike! Small pushchairs are not uncommon, especially in the summer months, provided again they can be easily manhandled where necessary. Such “vehicles” don’t react kindly to salt water though so hose down thoroughly afterwards.
Two essentials in planning an intertidal walk: tide times and appropriate footwear.
Tide tables are posted on Town Quay in Newton Abbot and in Teignmouth and Shaldon (although up-dating suffered in the pandemic!) and are freely available on the internet (use Teignmouth as location). While you will see walkers in flip-flops and summer sandals, walking shoes or boots with good soles make the walk both safer and more comfortable. Yesterday, with low tide at 11:31, I chose to depart around 10.00 in Vibram-soled walking shoes. The foreshore had been draining for 4.5 hours guaranteeing a broad exposed intertidal zone while still leaving a safe tidal window of a further 4 hrs which would allow me to dawdle as much as I wished. A great walk and no slips or wet feet!
Important warning though! Do not be tempted to walk on the exposed mud banks, or short-cut across coves such as Netterton, Coombe Cellars or Arch Brook. Brown mud is soft and very easy to sink into but frighteningly difficult from which to extricate one’s legs!
The route includes the lower third of the nationally recognised Templer Way from Newton Abbot Town Quay to Shaldon while the stretch from Shaldon Bridge behind Teignmouth Rugby Club and Bitton House on one side and the railway and docks on the other is a fascinating reminder of old Teignmouth
A Slow Way may be classified according to its geography eg. urban, city park, mountainous, moorland etc. NewTei is a foreshore or intertidal track. It is a public way which has certainly been in regular use for 300 years (probably for a few thousand) and I believe warrants inclusion as a Slow Way subject to its unique characteristics being recognised and respected.
An intertidal way includes significant stretches between tidal high and low water margins (the intertidal zone). Much surface of NewTei between the A380 bridge outside Newton Abbot and Shaldon is covered by sea water for several hours in every 12 hour period. It is passable in safety at any time of year in the 6 hours below half tide. However, it may be worth delaying the start of this stretch between the A380 bridge and Shaldon by up to a further 2 hours (i.e. up to one hour before low water) during a period of spring tides in order to give the ebbing tide more time to drain away and the surface to dry. This is especially relevant if walking from Teignmouth to Newton Abbot.
The surface is predominantly shingle, frequently damp but not puddled, often covered in eel grass and other seaweeds and therefore potentially slippery, with a slight camber, and invariably peppered with sharp shells and detritus from erosion, dead organic matter and, sadly, also human rubbish deposited by the receding tide.
NewTei is not appropriate for a wheelchair (even I suspect of the most “off-road” design though I should love to be corrected) but it is used by cyclists provided you are prepared to dismount and walk at times and occasionally shoulder the bike! Small pushchairs are not uncommon, especially in the summer months, provided again they can be easily manhandled where necessary. Such “vehicles” don’t react kindly to salt water though so hose down thoroughly afterwards.
Two essentials in planning an intertidal walk: tide times and appropriate footwear.
Tide tables are posted on Town Quay in Newton Abbot and in Teignmouth and Shaldon (although up-dating suffered in the pandemic!) and are freely available on the internet (use Teignmouth as location). While you will see walkers in flip-flops and summer sandals, walking shoes or boots with good soles make the walk both safer and more comfortable. Yesterday, with low tide at 11:31, I chose to depart around 10.00 in Vibram-soled walking shoes. The foreshore had been draining for 4.5 hours guaranteeing a broad exposed intertidal zone while still leaving a safe tidal window of a further 4 hrs which would allow me to dawdle as much as I wished. A great walk and no slips or wet feet!
Important warning though! Do not be tempted to walk on the exposed mud banks, or short-cut across coves such as Netterton, Coombe Cellars or Arch Brook. Brown mud is soft and very easy to sink into but frighteningly difficult from which to extricate one’s legs!
The route includes the lower third of the nationally recognised Templer Way from Newton Abbot Town Quay to Shaldon while the stretch from Shaldon Bridge behind Teignmouth Rugby Club and Bitton House on one side and the railway and docks on the other is a fascinating reminder of old Teignmouth
Status
This route has been reviewed by 4 people.
This route has been flagged (1 times) for reasons relating to access.
Photos for Newtei two
Photos of this route will appear when they are added to a review. You can review this route here.
Information
Route status - Live
Reviews - 4
Average rating -
Is this route good enough? - Yes (3) No (1)
Problems reported - Access (1)
Downloads - 8
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 4X based on 1 surveys | Sign up or log in to survey this route. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Note | ||
| Grade 4: Route includes very rough surfaces including deep ruts, steep loose gravel, unmade paths and deep muddy sections. Wheelchairs may experience traction/wheel spin issues. 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.
Challenges
Potential challenges reported on this route. Some challenges are seasonal.
Obstacles
Obstacles on this route.
Accessibility
Is this route step and stile free?
Measurements
Surveyors were asked to measure the narrowest and steepest parts of paths.
The narrowest part of the path is 50.0cm (1)
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: Clear (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.
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.
Terrain
We asked route surveyors to estimate how much of the route goes through different kinds of terrain.
15.0% of the route is on roads (1)
7.0% of the route is lit at night (1)
45.0% of the route is paved (1)
50.0% of the route is muddy (1)
50.0% of the route is over rough ground (1)
There is no data on long grass
Report a problem with this data
1 surveys
Information from verified surveys.
Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
Newton Abbot
Grid Ref
SX8601171333
Lat / Lon
50.53062° / -3.60967°
Easting / Northing
286,011E / 71,333N
What3Words
enable.songs.scouts
Teignmouth
Grid Ref
SX9421873098
Lat / Lon
50.54803° / -3.49442°
Easting / Northing
294,218E / 73,098N
What3Words
madness.bandstand.stiff
| Newton Abbot | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | SX8601171333 |
| Lat / Lon | 50.53062° / -3.60967° |
| Easting / Northing | 286,011E / 71,333N |
| What3Words | enable.songs.scouts |
| Teignmouth | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | SX9421873098 |
| Lat / Lon | 50.54803° / -3.49442° |
| Easting / Northing | 294,218E / 73,098N |
| What3Words | madness.bandstand.stiff |
Sorry Land Cover data is not currently available for this route. Please check back later.
reviews
Julie squire
06 Sep 2023It is a lovely walk mostly along the River Teign.
You will need to be organised with tide times and also wear appropriate footwear.
The route is well accessible with no problems getting on and off the river at the appropriate places.
There are four stone steps set into the wall at Combe cellars.
The route follows part of the Templer Way and the Templer Way signs can be followed to help you get to the River Teign.
The route from Shaldon Bridge behind Teignmouth Rugby Club and Bitton House was very quaint.
Thoroughly enjoyable walk and the description of the route was very accurate.
Would definitely walk it again and suggest it to others.
Todd S
26 Aug 2023We walked this route on Thursday it was fantastic. You need good foot ware get tides right and enjoy.
-
Share your thoughts
David Johns
02 Aug 2023Starting from Newton Abbot Bus Station the first part of the route is straightforward. Not quite sure what happens with the route around the Car Park in Newton Abbot going backwards and forwards, basically just need to pick up the river Lemon to the right of the car park and follow.
Once you go under the A380 flyover the route becomes increasing difficult and inaccessible. What should be noted is that a huge part of this route is dependent on the Tide and is inaccessible for much of the time. Even when the tide is going out there are still sections that can't be completed. I tried to find another path through the woodland but each route I picked became increasing overgrown and ultimately I was unable to proceed. After several attempts I had no option but to turn back towards the A380 flyover where I was able to follow a path into a housing estate making my way along Haytor Drive up to Shaldon Road.
I then followed Shaldon Road until the junction with Hackney Lane, which took me back down to the river edge and re-joined the path. Lots of fallen tree's and overgrown trees and bushes mean it's not possible to stay high-up the path, ultimately you need to walk on an area below the tide line, which is obviously tide dependent and extremely slippery (even the dog was struggling to stay on her feet).
I then followed this path to the Coombe Cellars pub. After some well needed refreshments I continued along the path as far as Arch Brook - Templar way. It was unclear from the Map if there was public access from the river edge back up to the road if there were sections which were cut off by the tide and I wasn't able to see if the tide was sufficiently low enough to walk from Arch Brook to The Strand off Ringmore Road. Consequently I decided to follow the path as it was getting hot and the dog was getting tired and I wanted to avoid needing to turn back.
The rest of the route into Shaldon, across the bridge and into Teignmouth is straightforward on pavements and good paths. Whilst it was a great day out and enjoyable it was difficult and with diversions was closer to 9 miles than the 7 I'd planned for. Would I do it again No, would I recommend it, possibly but only if you can time it to be at low tide and are very good on your feet and have good balance as lots of very slippery sections. I took my dog (small Cockapoo) she would have been fine with the 7 miles, but she was getting tired with the extra distance and time it took.
-
Tony Leigh
05 Aug 2023David, just a couple of comments. Your review highlights the importance of planning before any walk, especially when that walk may include conditions with which the walker is unfamiliar. An intertidal track, by its name, implies inaccessibility at certain times. The stretch between the A380 bridge and Shaldon is safely accessible below half tide regardless of season, weather, wind direction or tidal range (neap or spring). I tried to make this clear in my description and introduction and would welcome any suggestion as to how it could be made clearer. There is NO public access off the shoreline between Coombe Cellars and Ringmore except Arch Brook but there is NO need "below half tide". It was misinterpretation of the route and issues of detail in the GPX of NEWTEI 1 that caused me to create NEWTEI 2 with a more precise GPX and description. I am concerned that your review and grading reflects your excursions outside the specified track and possibly outside the condition of completing the walk between 3hrs before and 3hrs after low water.
-
Share your thoughts
Tony Leigh
29 Jun 2022 (edited 11 Feb 2024)The associated .gpx is identical to NewTei1 except for the initial short stretch to Town Quay. This 700m variant is more direct, better signposted and uses more paths or minor roads while avoiding the busiest part of Newton Abbot..
Stage 1. enable.songs.scouts to the A380 bridge.
a) Walk north for 70m up Courtenay Street and take the signposted path to the right of Sherborne House to encounter the River Lemon.
b) Keeping to the west (left) bank, follow the River Lemon along paths and minor roads, occasionally signposted Town Quay or displaying the Templer Way symbol, until reaching the B3195 (The Avenue).
c) Cross the river here and continue to follow, now on the south east (right) bank, again following signs to Town Quay or displaying the Templer Trail symbol.
d) From Town Quay follow the footpath signs and symbol slightly inland and through a path bordering the industrial estate. The path continues, well-surfaced and clearly signposted, and you will soon get a distant view of the A380 road bridge over the River Teign which is your next destination. Note: there are 2 cycle barriers on this stretch both of a design which allows a bike or pushchair to be lifted through.
Stage 2. A380 to Shaldon Bridge
a) This stage is along the intertidal zone and should not be attempted above half tide (many published guides add an extra safety margin recommending “within 2hrs of low water”). Do not be tempted to walk out towards exposed mud banks nor to take short cuts across the muddy coves at Netherton Pt, Coombe Cellars and Arch Brook. The better drained and firmer route will normally be found closer to the high water margin but erosion detritus and fallen trees and branches will often force you to pass down camber from them.
b) Just past St Nicholas Church you will be signposted to leave the beach and join the Strand and Ringmore Road.
c) After 350m turn left to the embankment path which will take you to Shaldon Bridge.
Stage 3. Shaldon Bridge to Teignmouth Station
a) Cross Shaldon Bridge
b) Take the first signposted path off right as you climb towards the A379 junction.
c) Follow the narrow path between the Teignmouth Rugby Club pitch and the railway line, and on through the grounds behind Bitton House.
d) On exiting the grounds bear right to Alexander Terrace.
e) At the end of Alexander Terrace take the path left up towards Clay Lane but turn right to cross the railway by the small, corrugated metal sheet bridge.
f) Emerge onto Customs House Hill and take Teign Street through the town.
g) Various routes are possible but recommended is to take Teign Street (which becomes Bank Street) and turn left at Station Street to the A379 where there is a traffic island to assist crossing to the station and the Slow Way termination at madness.bandstand.stiff.
-
Share your thoughts
Share your views about this route, give it a star rating, indicate whether it should be verified or not.
Include information that will be useful to others considering to walk or wheel it.
You can add up to 15 photos.
Other Routes for Newton Abbot—Teignmouth See all Slow Ways
Review this better route and help establish a trusted network of walking routes.
Suggest a better route if it better meets our methodology.
Share your thoughts