walking from halsbeer farm
We are blessed with beautiful countryside around Halsbeer Farm and in Devon more generally. Here we recommend some walks you might enjoy, both from the farm and a bit farther afield.
You should have a yellow laminated map in your cottage. Do ask Katie if you can't find it. This shows local footpaths, bridleways and the lanes, most of which are very quiet.
You are welcome to walk dogs on the front field if there are no sheep present. If the sheep are there please keep dogs on lead and walk only on the drive or on the side of the field the sheep aren't on. The electric fence is usually only active on the field side that the sheep are on.
You can walk a couple of circular routes out of Halsbeer Farm of varying lengths and difficulty.
Skyline Walking route
Next to the large oak trees on the bend of the drive we have created a path uphill to the right. Follow this along the top of the hill above the cottages and eventually the path comes down near the communal barn of our other holiday business Blackdown Yurts. Turn left at the bottom and out along the yurt entrance track. Turn left at the end onto the lane. Keep left and you can either return along the green lane that emerges beside the cattle grid at the start of the Halsbeer Farm drive or keep going a bit more on the lanes and come in via Mortimer's Cross. An alternative is to carry on down the drive to start with and begin by walking the green lane and return either via the lanes or via the Skyline Walk described at the start.
Round route to Kentisbeare (mostly on the lanes)
A circular walk into Kentisbeare and back is a lovely stroll, especially if you stop at The Wyndham Arms for a drink (we don't really recommend it for food currently unfortunately but you could give it a go) or to the Village Store to collect the paper/groceries. We usually head straight over at Mortimer's Cross (signed Pirzwell), keep going as the road bears left, then straightens out and then joins the road into Kentisbeare. Go up to the shop/pub and left out of the village, keep left at The Honest Heart and follow the lane all along to Stowford Water where you go left again (essentially a big circle!). You can cut off a corner by going along a footpath (left just before The Honest Heart). This goes down the back of a garden then over a stile and along the edge of a field. The path can be a bit overgrown in summer. Over another stile and down a pasture field, over another stile into a small patch of woodland next to fishing lakes and then pop out onto the lane again.
Round route to Blackborough House via wild garlic valley (steep climb)
If you'd prefer to avoid lanes you can do a circular walk going the other way. Go along the drive and left out of our gate heading towards Mortimer's Farm (you can cut off a corner by heading diagonally across the bottom sheep field from the overflow carpark). Beware the electric fence if sheep are in the field. You can step over, or just lower one of the fence supports as long as you put it up again. (Talking of which please close all gates on farmland to avoid stock getting out). Once you reach Mortimer's Farm go through the gate to the right of the farmhouse onto the track, you are following the course of a little stream so it can be muddy at times but in April/May is simply bursting with wild garlic. At the top you can choose to go through the left gate (for a slightly shorter walk) or the right gate (for a slightly longer walk). If you go left, follow the left hand field edge all the way up and you will reach a gate next to Blackborough House. Turn left and keep the house on your left, the stable conversion will soon be on your right. Keep going through the give bar gate into the little patch of woodland (do not under any circumstances enter the grounds of Blackborough House as it is private property and the house is extremely dangerous due to its state of disrepair). Keep going along the track with the wood on your right, then through two metal gates. You will find a bench at the top of a parkland field with views to Exmoor and Dartmoor. Follow the field down keeping the field boundary on your left (and views down onto Halsbeer Farm and beyond to Kentisbeare over the hedge). Follow the field edge as it turns right after a big stand of gorse (you should now see the yurts of Blackdown Yurts ahead of you/to your left). At the bottom of the hill there is a stile, go over this and turn left onto the lane. The entrance to Blackdown Yurts will be soon on your left. Either go down here following instructions above to return to Halsbeer Farm via the Skyline Path or keep going past and stay left on the lanes to return to Halsbeer's front entrance via the lane or green lane.
If you chose to go right at the fork after Mortimer's Farm, walk straight up the hill and keep on going up the pasture. There is a lovely oak standing on its own in the field, head slightly to the right of this and you will see a gate. Go through this (remembering to close it again, sometimes it is locked and chained so you may need to climb over) and up the hill. You can either pop out onto the lane above Blackborough House and go left to complete the circuit as above, or turn right and go up into Blackborough. You can access the woods on top of the hill from a path near the churchyard. Alternatively, and lovely in bluebell season, take the path through the woods below Blackborough beacon (turn right into the field between the two gates before the lane and look for a gate. You can then return to Halsbeer via the lane that drops down to Stowford Water or go cross country via the Path from Pool House.
Stomp to Broadhembury and back
A fair stomp of a circular walk is up to the top of the ridge as just described, through the woods (or along the road through Blackborough) and then through the woods all along the ridge (with marvellous views) to eventually drop down into the picturesque thatched village of Broadhembury. The Drewe Arms Inn is a welcome rest point. You can then come back along the bottom of the ridge on a mix of lanes and paths via Orway and Henland. This is about a 10km round trip I think.
Do please ask if you need any help with walking routes.
Walks on Blackborough Common/Woods
We have to admit we quite often cheat and avoid the steep climb up to Blackborough by driving up to the village and parking in one of three places. Either the village hall car park just before the T junction, the churchyard (turn left at the T junction and go along through the village til the road opens out, there is no longer a church but you can park on the road next to the churchyard) or at the Forestry Commission pull in (turn right at the T junction and go out of the village and you will find this entrance to the woods soon on your left). There are myriad walking routes all over this area, along with geocaches, have fun exploring. Try to find Rhododendron woods and Garnsey Tower. You can walk all the way along to edge of the gliding field. There is sometimes a cafe operating when they are flying and you can see them take off and land, take care with dogs here as they don't welcome dogs on the runway!
You should have a yellow laminated map in your cottage. Do ask Katie if you can't find it. This shows local footpaths, bridleways and the lanes, most of which are very quiet.
You are welcome to walk dogs on the front field if there are no sheep present. If the sheep are there please keep dogs on lead and walk only on the drive or on the side of the field the sheep aren't on. The electric fence is usually only active on the field side that the sheep are on.
You can walk a couple of circular routes out of Halsbeer Farm of varying lengths and difficulty.
Skyline Walking route
Next to the large oak trees on the bend of the drive we have created a path uphill to the right. Follow this along the top of the hill above the cottages and eventually the path comes down near the communal barn of our other holiday business Blackdown Yurts. Turn left at the bottom and out along the yurt entrance track. Turn left at the end onto the lane. Keep left and you can either return along the green lane that emerges beside the cattle grid at the start of the Halsbeer Farm drive or keep going a bit more on the lanes and come in via Mortimer's Cross. An alternative is to carry on down the drive to start with and begin by walking the green lane and return either via the lanes or via the Skyline Walk described at the start.
Round route to Kentisbeare (mostly on the lanes)
A circular walk into Kentisbeare and back is a lovely stroll, especially if you stop at The Wyndham Arms for a drink (we don't really recommend it for food currently unfortunately but you could give it a go) or to the Village Store to collect the paper/groceries. We usually head straight over at Mortimer's Cross (signed Pirzwell), keep going as the road bears left, then straightens out and then joins the road into Kentisbeare. Go up to the shop/pub and left out of the village, keep left at The Honest Heart and follow the lane all along to Stowford Water where you go left again (essentially a big circle!). You can cut off a corner by going along a footpath (left just before The Honest Heart). This goes down the back of a garden then over a stile and along the edge of a field. The path can be a bit overgrown in summer. Over another stile and down a pasture field, over another stile into a small patch of woodland next to fishing lakes and then pop out onto the lane again.
Round route to Blackborough House via wild garlic valley (steep climb)
If you'd prefer to avoid lanes you can do a circular walk going the other way. Go along the drive and left out of our gate heading towards Mortimer's Farm (you can cut off a corner by heading diagonally across the bottom sheep field from the overflow carpark). Beware the electric fence if sheep are in the field. You can step over, or just lower one of the fence supports as long as you put it up again. (Talking of which please close all gates on farmland to avoid stock getting out). Once you reach Mortimer's Farm go through the gate to the right of the farmhouse onto the track, you are following the course of a little stream so it can be muddy at times but in April/May is simply bursting with wild garlic. At the top you can choose to go through the left gate (for a slightly shorter walk) or the right gate (for a slightly longer walk). If you go left, follow the left hand field edge all the way up and you will reach a gate next to Blackborough House. Turn left and keep the house on your left, the stable conversion will soon be on your right. Keep going through the give bar gate into the little patch of woodland (do not under any circumstances enter the grounds of Blackborough House as it is private property and the house is extremely dangerous due to its state of disrepair). Keep going along the track with the wood on your right, then through two metal gates. You will find a bench at the top of a parkland field with views to Exmoor and Dartmoor. Follow the field down keeping the field boundary on your left (and views down onto Halsbeer Farm and beyond to Kentisbeare over the hedge). Follow the field edge as it turns right after a big stand of gorse (you should now see the yurts of Blackdown Yurts ahead of you/to your left). At the bottom of the hill there is a stile, go over this and turn left onto the lane. The entrance to Blackdown Yurts will be soon on your left. Either go down here following instructions above to return to Halsbeer Farm via the Skyline Path or keep going past and stay left on the lanes to return to Halsbeer's front entrance via the lane or green lane.
If you chose to go right at the fork after Mortimer's Farm, walk straight up the hill and keep on going up the pasture. There is a lovely oak standing on its own in the field, head slightly to the right of this and you will see a gate. Go through this (remembering to close it again, sometimes it is locked and chained so you may need to climb over) and up the hill. You can either pop out onto the lane above Blackborough House and go left to complete the circuit as above, or turn right and go up into Blackborough. You can access the woods on top of the hill from a path near the churchyard. Alternatively, and lovely in bluebell season, take the path through the woods below Blackborough beacon (turn right into the field between the two gates before the lane and look for a gate. You can then return to Halsbeer via the lane that drops down to Stowford Water or go cross country via the Path from Pool House.
Stomp to Broadhembury and back
A fair stomp of a circular walk is up to the top of the ridge as just described, through the woods (or along the road through Blackborough) and then through the woods all along the ridge (with marvellous views) to eventually drop down into the picturesque thatched village of Broadhembury. The Drewe Arms Inn is a welcome rest point. You can then come back along the bottom of the ridge on a mix of lanes and paths via Orway and Henland. This is about a 10km round trip I think.
Do please ask if you need any help with walking routes.
Walks on Blackborough Common/Woods
We have to admit we quite often cheat and avoid the steep climb up to Blackborough by driving up to the village and parking in one of three places. Either the village hall car park just before the T junction, the churchyard (turn left at the T junction and go along through the village til the road opens out, there is no longer a church but you can park on the road next to the churchyard) or at the Forestry Commission pull in (turn right at the T junction and go out of the village and you will find this entrance to the woods soon on your left). There are myriad walking routes all over this area, along with geocaches, have fun exploring. Try to find Rhododendron woods and Garnsey Tower. You can walk all the way along to edge of the gliding field. There is sometimes a cafe operating when they are flying and you can see them take off and land, take care with dogs here as they don't welcome dogs on the runway!
Farther afield:
Hembury Hill Fort
Grand Western Canal at Tiverton
Swan's Neck circular walk on the Grand Western Canal at Halberton
NT Knightshayes
NT Killerton
Hembury Hill Fort
Grand Western Canal at Tiverton
Swan's Neck circular walk on the Grand Western Canal at Halberton
NT Knightshayes
NT Killerton
South-west Coast Path:
Beer to Branscombe or vice versa
Beer to Branscombe or vice versa
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Halsbeer Farm
Blackborough, Cullompton Devon EX15 2HW [email protected] 01884 266699 What3Words: cheer.instilled.calms |
