7 Family-Friendly Walks Near Newton Abbot
Looking for family-friendly walks in the Newton Abbot area? I'm sure a lot of you have got bored of walking the same trails throughout lockdown. It's time to find some new ones!
No matter how long you've lived in a place, it's surprisingly difficult to come up with walk inspiration. Like dinner. I've been eating dinner for over 30 years and yet my mind still goes blank every evening. To that end, I've compiled this little collection of woodland walks near Newton Abbot. These walks are child-friendly, family-friendly, whatever you want to call it. They're short and sweet.
There's a big population in this area and in the smaller towns and villages nearby. While many of us love the great outdoors, I know plenty of you have kids who also love running along muddy forest trails. As planning short hikes can be tricky, I've done it for you.
All of these are fairly easy and can be shortened even more if you've got kids with limited patience for being dragged out on walks. Alternatively, they can serve as inspiration and motivation to get out and explore new trails nearby. I've created a Collection in komoot which you can access for free. Komoot is a client of mine but I use the app in my personal life too because it really is that awesome. There's no financial benefit to me here, I just plan local walks a lot and it's nice to share.
If the routes don't load below, just click through to komoot to see them.
So, without further ado, here are 7 great walks near Newton Abbot.
Stover Trail Loop — 4 miles
This walk starts near the hospital but it's a loop, so you can start at any point along it. The causeway is a good option to begin, as there's free parking along the roadside there. The Stover Trail follows the old Stover Canal and, in places, has a separate footpath to cycle path. The footpath is wonderful, as it's through pretty woodland and you don't have to constantly watch out for cyclists.
Stover and Teigngrace Meadows — 3.4 miles
While we're in the Stover area, this is a lovely route that begins and ends at Stover Country Park where you'll find parking and toilets. It's really two loops, linked by a quiet lane so you can make it shorter by only doing one loop if you've got particularly small children along for the stroll. Teigngrace meadows is pathless in places and can get very wet and muddy – so wear appropriate boots if it's rained a lot recently!
The Great Plantation Loop — 2.4 miles
It seems a bit grand to call this forest the 'Great Plantation' but hey, even woodlands need ambition. As it happens, the plantation is particularly lovely with a range of paths to explore including this loop. Several wide gravel tracks criss-cross through the plantation so you can cycle through it easily as well as take gravel-friendly wheelchairs. There's also a network of much smaller footpaths, some with wooden steps and little bridges. The forest is hemmed in on three sides by road and private land on the fourth side, so you can't really get lost here. There's space for a few cars by the gate opposite the M&S petrol station.
Bradley Manor and the River Lemon — 2.5 miles
This loop starts at the entrance to the National Trust's Bradley Manor and takes you to East Ogwell before returning via the pretty River Lemon. The initial ascent towards East Ogwell is pretty easy going and the rest is a gentle downhill.
Rora Wood and Ramshorn Down — 4 miles
Just west of Liverton is the beautiful Rora Wood and the expose Ramshorn Down, offering a nice mix of scenery for a short, undulating walk. There's a public footpath through some of the forest and numerous other tracks and trails. The down gives you wonderful views over rolling fields and the woodland is particularly vibrant in spring and summer and rather mystical in the low light of the colder months.
Ideford Common — 3.6 miles
To the north east of Newton Abbot lies Ideford Common, another lovely spot to get away from the suburbs and spy some buzzards loitering in the air. It's just off the A380 and there are plenty more trails to follow besides this one, so you can spend a decent amount of time rambling about. The colours here in late summer and early autumn are fantastic.
Milber Down — 3.6 miles
If you fancy rambling across fields, along quiet lanes and past glorious views, this is an ideal walk. It's a loop that starts in Coffinswell and heads north largely on tracks, footpaths and byways with very little trafficked lanes. There are some fantastic views, usually farm animals and only one steepish section.
Got any tips on other nice short walks in the Newton Abbot area? Share them below in the comments!