Newton Abbot Walks

8 miles (12.9 km)

This attractive market town has a number of good options for walkers. To the east there are waymarked trails to follow along the River Teign to the beautiful estuary at Shaldon and Teignmouth. To the south there are nice trails to follow around Decoy Country Park, while to the west there are more riverside paths. A few miles to the north there's a series of nice footpaths too follow across Ideford Common.
This walk takes you north of the town where there are waterside trails along the Stover Canal, leading you to the lovely Stover Country Park. This sits on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park where there are hundreds of miles of footpaths for walkers to try. The route runs for about 8 mile and includes splendid views of the River Teign and the surrounding Devon countryside.
The walk starts just to the north of the train station where you can pick up the Templer Way long distance trail. The waymarked footpath takes you along the canal to Teigngrace where you turn east to meet the River Teign at Preston. A short riverside section heads west to Ventiford where you follow the Ventiford Brook in Stover Country Park. It's a lovely spot with a series of nice trails to follow through 114 acres of woodland, heathland, grassland and lakes.
Head around the lake and you can follow different trails back to Teigngrace, via Stover School. You can then pick up the canal again to take you back into Newton Abbot.

Newton Abbot Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Newton Abbot Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Newton Abbot OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Newton Abbot Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Jolly Farmer is a good choice for some post walk refreshments. They do good food and have a decent sized garden area to sit out in. You can find the pub at 8 Market Street with a postcode of TQ12 2RB for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The route is good for dog walking with Stover Country Park particularly popular. You are likely to meet other owners in this area. The Jolly Farmer mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The interesting town has several must see landmarks including the tower of St Leonard. The ancient tower is all that remains of the medieval chapel of St Leonard, founded in 1220. There's also the 15th-century Bradley Manor and series of delightful 16th century Almshouses.
Just to the north you can pick up the circular Chudleigh Walk from the nearby town. This visits some of the highlights of the area including Chudleigh Rocks, Ugbrooke Park and the Castle Dyke Iron Age Hillfort.
Head a few miles east along the river and you could pay a visit to the interesting village of Bishopsteignton. There's a ruined 14th century chapel, a small museum, a 16th century pub and fine views over the estuary in this historic settlement.
The River Lemon Walk starts in the town and takes you west to Bickington. The pleasant riverside trail will take you pass the National Trust's Bradley Manor which you can find on the western side of Newton Abbot. The medieval limestone manor house has an interesting history and some pleasant trails through the adjacent Bradley Woods.
For more walking ideas around Newton Abbot see the Dartmoor Walks page.