Lewtrenchard Cycle Route - 25 miles

Cycle Waypoints

1. 1 Starting from Okehampton Post Office, turn down Castle Road and follow through to the T-junction at the end of the road. You can stop on the way and visit Okehampton Castle - one of the largest and oldest castles in Devon. Turn left onto the B3260, take care here - blind corner with fast traffic.
2. 2 Continue past the Meldon Quarry road on the left, then after about 1.5 miles from the Castle Road Junction take a lane on the left. The lane is marked with a 'No Through road' sign, and is a Bridleway. The lane starts as the B3260 starts to rise.
3. 3 Follow the Bridleway under the A30 then up to Meldon. The Bridleway is about 1 mile long and has a rough surface which emerges onto a lane. Follow straight on, past Meldon Village Hall and then under the old railway bridge. At this point you can join the NCN Route 27 cycle track.
4. 4 Follow the cycle track towards Sourton (although the impressive Meldon Viaduct is well worth investigating a short distance to the right). The cycle track skims the edge of Sourton, which was the site of the Battle of Sourton Down in 1642 between the Roundhead and Royalists. Keep following the track until you reach Lake, where it descends to cross the A386 at the Bearslake Inn.
5. 5 Dismount here and carefully cross this busy main road, and follow the road opposite (known as Pigs Leg Lane), bearing left at a T-junction as it descends towards Bridestowe.
6. 6 Bridestowewas once a thriving centre for tin and copper miners and quarrymen. Follow Station Road out of Bridestowe (signed to Tavistock and past the village Post Office).
7. 7 After 1 miles turn right, signed to Coryton.
8. 8 Follow the lane down past Watergate, and straight over Watergate Cross, signed to Coryton. Continue on up the lane for another mile until you reach Hedge Cross.
9. 9 At Hedge Cross turn right, signed to Coryton, and follow this lane for about 2 miles.
10. 10 Take the right turn just before Lowertown, signed to Lewdown.
11. 11 Follow the lane over the stream and past Coryton Barton. Follow the lane for about a third of a mile until the T-juntion.
12. 12 At the T-junction turn right signed to Lewdown.
13. 13 Continue on and eventually through Lewtrenchard. This village was home to the prolific Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould; author of many novels, plays, hymns and collator of West Country legends and folklore. The road now climbs up towards the old A30 - also known as the West Devon Drive.
14. 14 Take the next right turn, and follow this road up to the West Devon Drive towards Okehampton.
15. 15 Cross the West Devon Drive at Cross Roads, signed to Bratton Clovelly.
16. 16 Follow the road through Broadleigh Cross, Moor View Cross and Tubbs Cross. The road drops then rises sharply, then there is a sharp left bend with a lane branching off to the right. This is Orchard Cross. Take the lane on the right, signed to Orchard Wortham.
17. 17 Follow this lane through Way Cross, signed to Week, and Catsmoor Cross, signed Okehampton. You will evntually end up back on the West Devon Drive.
18. 18 Turn left at the T-junction on the West Devon Drive (be careful - fast traffic). After a 1/4 mile, take the lane on your right, signed to Forda. There is a very sharp corner at the bottom of this steep hill.
19. 19 Follow this lane through Forda and up to Sourton. Please take extreme care at this point. From Sourton dismount and carefully cross the main road by the Highwayman Inn. Go past the church and take the path on the left down to the Granite Way cycle track.
20. 20 Turn left to follow the Granite Way back to Okehampton.
21. 21 From Okehampton Station, you can descend along Station Road, following signs for NCN 27 into Okehampton to the starting point by the Post Office.