Medium difficulty. Distance 4 miles (6.5 km)
A circular walk with extensive views of East Devon across the Corry Valley to Axminster and to West Dorset. Approx. 4 miles (about 2 hours) across the highest points of Stockland Hill, Bucehayes turbary, down to the Umborne Brook and through Wood Copse. Then uphill and back via Quantock – over country lanes, footpaths and turbary paths. One moderately steep incline and, at times, wet underfoot. Waterproof shoes recommended especially in winter.
This walk starts at the northwest corner of the parish not too far from the A30 – suggest you turn at Rising Sun Cross and follow signs for North Hill and park on the road verge at ST 221061 near Nichol’s Reeds. Equally there is a pleasant walk from Stockland village, but this is likely to double the length of the walk – see WALK 5.
From Nichol’s Reeds Walk west to the Rising Sun crossing the Seven Mile Straight. Descend westwards to Cook’s Moor South and turn left just past the house at the marked footpath sign. You are in Upottery Parish but soon turn back into Stockland past the outbuildings onto FP 7 through various field gates and across open farmland, and five fields. There is a dogleg in the field before Bucehayes Farm but make for the gateway in the corner of the farm buildings and the path then takes you to the left of the buildings through more gateways until you are in Bucehayes Common part of the parish turbaries. You may see roe deer if you are quiet, whilst overhead there are buzzards and ravens.
You will reach a crossroads of footpath signs and take the right path (southwest) over a stile and past Bucehayes Cottage. Then go through a gate and across an open field until you reach a quiet lane; turn right downhill over the Umborne Brook into Cotleigh Parish and take the next footpath on the left in a southerly direction, across two fields until you reach Wood Copse. Follow the path on a level course until you are joined by a path from your right and walk downhill and recross the Umborne Brook by the new footbridge and then follow the path (FP 31) uphill through the woods and fields to the lane near Naroche. This is a steady incline of about 300 ft.(Spectacular bluebell woods in April / May but are delightful all year round. Charcoal was made here within living memory, with kiln and saw bench.)
From Neroche turn right onto the lane and then take another left almost immediately, back towards Bucehayes Cottage along the lane to the edge of the turbary, for a few hundred yards. Then retrace your steps to the Footpath Crossroads in the turbary (ST 215049). Here, take the path uphill to the east (FP 15) across a field and to Barn Park Farm where the path skirts to the left of the buildings until you reach the Seven Mile Straight again. Turn left then immediately right to Footpath 16. (The Seven Mile Straight may be of Roman origin but was extensively widened and improved during World War Two to transport stone etc from Kilmington to the new American airfield at Dunkeswell.)
Go through the gate north easterly across the fields until you reach an old track way (on a clear day you can see for miles from here in most directions towards Somerset and Dorset) – follow the gentle contours downhill via a muddy gateway toward Brimpit Farm. Before you reach the farm and bungalow turn left on the roadway through the edge of Quantock Turbary until you reach North Hill Lane – turn left, walk uphill and you are back where you started!
