This route is good enough to be in the network, but it would be great if there was a more pedestrian friendly and enjoyable way into Exeter from the east....

danravenellison

This route is the most useful link to the TopDaw Topsham to Dawlish walk, if you begin/end the walk at Topsham lock cottage and ignore the ferry....

Tristan

As indicated the route does require using the seasonal ferry, so is not always possible. The route stays mostly to the west of the river and uses the canal towpath. This keeps it away from the riverside sections which are prone to flooding....

Tim Ryan

Where there are no pavements the road is either very quiet as Ludwell Lane, which is almost closed to most traffic or the route is often on cycle paths....

Tim Ryan

It is a shame, as indicated by the other reviewers it is quite a pleasant route...

Tim Ryan

I really enjoy the walk, but the path in the marsh by Countess Wear is constantly full of big puddles. This is fine if you've waterproof boots or wellies, otherwise you might get wet feet. If the river is very high this path can become impassable between Countess Wear and Topsham....

danravenellison

It's by far the hilliest of the three routes - it's also got the best views and the least busy roads....

danravenellison

But overall a very pleasant walk with some lovely countryside, clear route and quiet minor roads....

Andrew Davies

After Newton St Cyres train station the footpath that comes off Lake Lane was overgrown and I was forced to push through the edge of a crop field....

DarkDreams

This route is OK but the footpaths can be quite hard to follow as they aren't that clearly marked. A couple to the East of Dunsford require faith and to go along the side of fields rather than follow the marked ways. Not recommended after heavy rain or when visibility is bad because some of the paths near Longdown turn into very muddy rivers....

Slow Ways Darren

This is generally a beautiful route, avoiding the main road where possible....

Andrew Davies

At the Exeter end it mostly follows the Sustrans E3 cycle route, which is well signed. Although the excellent route description given by Carine, the route designer is clear and describes the way well, and well worth using....

Tim Ryan

In that the section between Exeter and Newton St Cyres is, once over Millers crossing, entirely on the west side of the Exe. Care is needed on the unpaved road between the village and the train station at Newton St Cyres....

Tim Ryan

The only reason for not giving this a 5* is the long road section between Haldon Forest and Chudleigh. The route through Haldon Forest was easy to follow, even in the snow....

Tim Ryan

There are options for those wheeling or maybe have mobility on a couple of short tight sections. But overall this is a lovely and easy route....

Tim Ryan

It is not safe (walking along the main A3052 is for the foolhardy), nor especially scenic (other than the early river section and crossing Venn Ottery common) nor is it direct. The section through Exeter, whilst direct, is tedious. There are many better options that win either on being scenic or on being direct....

CarineSilver

Still a very good route that I enjoyed walking and would recommend....

Charles Hedley

When I walked it, these roads were very quiet, and the walking was always safe and pleasant....

Tim Ryan

Need to cross the main line railway at an unmanned crossing but on a long straight stretch of track...

Isobelle Belcher

There's a level crossing a mile south of Silverton which demands some care and attention, as it's an uncontrolled crossing straight across the tracks used by HST trains....

Bob G

I've shared Morexe Four as a strong alternative that's great to walk, but has a pinch point on the B3212 under the A30 that some people will not feel comfortable walking....

danravenellison

The footpath is overgrown here and it's necessary to walk down the road for 50 metres or so. The council should really cut back the vegetation and make this crossing safe as there is no other way (that I can see) to walk between Firs Park and Pocombe Hill or Exeter....

danravenellison

A great route which avoids the main road....

Tim Ryan

Overall a lovely walk with lovely views and even includes wallabies! The previous comments about the crossing of the A377 are accurate. This was an unpleasant 1 min of walking when I was there at rush hour....

Charles Hedley

The Beer Engine in Newton St Cyres is a great option for a stop and the path along the Creedy a nice easy way to restart afterwards....

Emily Howells

It continues through Ludwell Valley Park where it seemed a shame to be sticking to the tarmac and not going onto one of the tracks through the park itself but I agree with the first reviewer that this makes it very suitable for anyone wanting to cycle and there are still some good views of the park....

Rhiannon

HOWEVER, one of the paths alongside the railway isn't for bikes so one would have to travel through Newcourt instead....

Daniel Mcloughlin

As the path meets the road by Stoke Post is the first small section of the road which feels a bit less safe - 30mph is not religiously adhered to. This looks on the map as if you start from the cross roads, but you need to follow the road for a few extra metres past the house Westings and then take the signposted path (see picture 4)....

Emily Howells

This was a very enjoyable route, which I found quite easy to walk - no difficult assents, obstacles or uneven ground. The route takes you through gorgeous and leafy sections of the Devon countryside, and the river Exe is frequent company. Around the Woodrow barton area the route directed the walker along a public byway, but as the photo blow shows there were signs explicitly stating 'no throughway' and 'cows only'. If somebody can explain how I perhaps misread the signs/directions, then the route should be kept at 4 stars, if not, it perhaps should receive a lower rating?...

James Green

I thought I'd break in my first Slow Ways submission with a walk that is right on my doorstep - I am reasonably familiar with the route, but it was a good opportunity to trial the process of downloading a .GPX, uploading to OS Maps and navigating offline. I found this to be an easy walk, the only section that may prove to be difficult for some is around Old Sludge Beds Nature Reserve (the M5 bridge, for a more clear reference). Top tip - towards the start of the walk, I would encourage a short detour through Belle View park for vibrant biodiversity, it reconnects with the mapped route. Music listened to on walk, artist & album:...

James Green

It would be great if the council created a safe walking route parallel to the A3052 to unlock a route via The Cat & Fiddle....

danravenellison

Followed this route on a bike (tarmacked paths/lanes/roads all the way) and enjoyed exploring the cycling & walking infrastructure around eastern Exeter. Route description is accurate, although the route is a bit wiggly (I took many a wrong turn on my first attempt). Enjoyable nonetheless and would work well as a commute....

Ciara

The only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is because it does rely on a seasonal ferry, although getting the ferry does add to the overall experience....

Helen C

This is an excellent route and really should be getting 5 stars....

Tim Ryan

better than Creexe One which involves some road walking that I'd prefer to avoid. I'm not sure if there is currently a better way to walk between these places....

pilea

The route follows the river Exe through marsh, woods, fields and historic ports with views to the hills, river and city....

pilea

I recommend combining it with Exetop one if you want create a loop... just make sure the ferry is running!...

pilea

The route is a little difficult to navigate at the initial stage once you leave the city centre and we made a few wrong turns. However, once you're outside of the Exeter city area, it's very easy just to follow the river. There are a few more busy roads than I would wish for on a walking route of this length, but otherwise, there's a lot to see....

Edred Whittingham

For people who are in Exeter I recommend catching a train or bus to Crediton and walking home....

danravenellison

You will need to get the ferry across the Exe to complete the journey, but this only adds to the pleasure if you've got the time and can afford the ticket....

danravenellison

The route is pleasant and mostly on footpaths and minor Devon roads unpaved, but generally quiet....

Tim Ryan

The route starts following pavements through Crediton before following a long stretch of footpaths and road walking alternating. None of the road walking segments were bad when I walked on a Sunday morning - fairly short and very quiet....

mtormey

There are lots of good routes and ways to get between Topsham and Exeter - and this is one of them!...

pilea

This is a good walk if you are able-bodied however the last part from Glasshouse Lane to Topsham is not suitable if you have mobility issues as it includes a narrow goat walk and tidal reedbeds....

Liz Halliday

Care needed on a very short section of busy road on the A377 near Half Moon Village, as the route crosses the road....

Tim Ryan

A lovely countryside walk, with an excellent safe and mostly traffic free route into and out of Exeter city centre....

Tim Ryan

Most of this route is beautiful and enjoyable, but unfortunately it depends on extended walking on the A396. This is a busy road with no paths alongside it for extended sections. I am uploading an alternative route that I walked and some other suggestions....

danravenellison

I created this route and really enjoyed walking it. It falls short of five stars because of some walking on narrow lanes and it being longer than it should be.... that all said, I'll certainly be walking it again....

danravenellison

The Beer Engine brewery and pub is half way along the route and was a welcome pit-stop during our hot walk. The route does not get 5 stars from me because, as other reviewers have noted, there's a couple of bits of road walking that are not ideal....

danravenellison

Easy to navigate and lots of good places to rest and grab a drink at either end. Others may know of better routes. Another reviewer has noted issues with potential flooding....

danravenellison

The only downside are two unsafe bits: along the A377 near Half Moon Village, and crossing the bridge between Exeter and Cowley, where there is no footpath and high traffic....

aro

I just wanted to flag that there's one very small section of this route that is on the A377, just before Half Moon Village (coming from Crediton towards Exeter). Although it's a very short part of the walk, the road is so busy and narrow and this part has poor visibility for crossing - it feels very unsafe, especially with children. Unfortunately there is no obvious alternative - it'd be great to solve this problem as this was part of a lovely circular walk we enjoyed during lockdown when there was much less traffic!...

Jemma

Mostly a good route, though from Countess Weir onwards to Topsham I'd use Topsham road as this route suggests a river path which has a very narrow segment (and steps) and can flood at high tides....

devonshireboy

This area is subject to a massive housing development, with the road being re-aligned and the footpath suggested further along on the left will disappear. One look at the map shows the circuitous route for this detour with re-aligned roads to make way for the 6-8 lane trunk route the A38 which is a continuation of the M5. Eventually the route re-crosses the A38 and turns left on a path and finally road to Chudleigh which is OK.4...

Trainman8