Medium difficulty. Distance 4.5 miles (7 km)
From the village centre walk down to the River Tale, cross the bridge and turn right. Follow this lane past some lovely cottages and look for a stile on your left, opposite Hembercombe Farm. Follow this footpath in a straight line up two fields towards Bowerwood Farm and then pass it on your right. Keep the hedge on your right in the next field and then pass through a little wood to reach the final field. Continue on the same line to a stile ahead. After this steady uphill walk, please turn and enjoy the view to Hembury Fort.
Having crossed the stile, turn right. As you gain further height, there are lovely views down to Broadhembury. Keep on the path to a metal gate which gives access to the Devon & Somerset Gliding Club field at the top. Bear right, along the edge of the field towards the large beech trees. You will pass between the caravans and glider boxes and round the back of the clubhouse and sheds. The path becomes a tarmac road and bears right, over a cattle grid. Stay on this road, which is the vehicular access to the Club – and also a public bridleway. At one point along here, you can see the sea at Sidmouth.
At the end you will join Golden Lane, where you turn right. You are only on this road for a short distance before you see a bridleway signed on your right. Go through the gate and along the wide grassy track. It turns left through another gate. The route is clear – flat at first, then it drops and goes between trees to a metal gate. Walk straight across the sloping field to a gateway opposite. In the next field, keep the fence on your right and go through the lower of the two gates ahead, right in the bottom corner of the field.
The path now changes to a narrow track between fences, with field on your left and steeply sloping woods on your right. When you come to the road, turn right for a walk of over a mile down Stafford Hill back to Broadhembury. A pleasant little diversion at the end is to walk through the churchyard and pause by the porch to look across the village and soak in the timeless feeling. Continue through to the lane and down by the Drewe Arms. A lovely walk!
SW walk 3
