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Distance:
4.5 miles
Time:
Two hours
Map:
Ordnance Survey Explorer 115
Grid ref. at start:
SY091918
Going:
Moderate
to difficult
Directions to start: Tipton St John is located
between Ottery St Mary and Sidmouth just off the B3176. The playing
field car park is opposite Tipton Garage in the centre of the village.
The village has a pub and a post office.
The
Walk: There
are many pleasant walks from Tipton St John, but one of the nicest
is to the RSPB common at Aylesbeare, returning along part of the
East Devon Way to Harpford and then back along the River Otter.
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The
fantastic view towards Aylesbeare
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This
walk starts from the village playing field car park, turning right
over the bridge to the church where you turn left to follow the
road towards Venn Ottery.
Go up a steep but short hill and just past the Venn Ottery village
sign the road bears left, but the walk is straight ahead up Green
Lane, marked "Unsuitable for Motors."
The
tarmac lane soon becomes a rough track with an initial steep ascent
before leveling – keep straight ahead on this track for nearly a
mile. When you reach a tarmac road again turn left, signposted to
Venn Ottery.
You pass a barn on your right and a few hundred yards along find
the first track to the right – immediately before a farm on the
left. Follow this track up and around to the right. There's a short
section in a dip which is often under water and boots will be necessary.
Continue up the steepish track and round to the left, levelling
towards the end. Turn left down the tarmac road for a couple of
hundred yards, branching right where the road forks.
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| Pointing
the way... |
There's
a public footpath sign and house nameplate "Benchams."
To your right is the RSPB nature reserve which has public footpaths
running through it – you can access this by a track to the right.
The walk itself keeps straight ahead skirting the edge of the reserve
and now following part of the East Devon Way.
Immediately before you reach a tarmac road, the East Devon Way and
this walk both turn left over a stile into a field. The signpost
carries the East Devon Way’s distinctive foxglove waymark.
The path crosses
the centre of the field, dropping to a stile towards the far end
of the left hand hedge. In the next field turn right towards the
bay-windowed house, which is called "Badgers Hill."
Turn right when you reach the lane and follow this to the end, crossing
with care a slightly busier country lane.
At this T-junction, head opposite and slightly left through a field
gate, which is again distinguished by the East Devon way marker.
Keep to the right hand hedge, over a stile and climbing to the top
of the field to another stile.
In the next field - a fruit tree orchard - go through the avenue
of apple trees, following the yellow arrow waymarks.
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The
footbridge at Harpford
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Keep
heading downhill following the path down some rough steps over a
stile, turning briefly right in a band of trees and then left over
a footbridge and through a kissing gate into a field.
Cross
the field to the footbridge and gate in the opposite hedge, then
towards the red metal footbridge which spans the River Otter to
Harpford.
Do
not cross this footbridge, unless you wish to walk around Harpford
village itself, but turn left to follow the west bank of the River
Otter back to Tipton St John.
It's then
a short step over the bridge back to the playing field car park. Ìý
A note of warning - there's
one very wet patch – so boots are recommended at all times! Ìý Ìý
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