Medium difficulty. Distance 4.5 miles (7 km)
This circular walk begins in the village and takes you northwards amongst rolling countryside and close to one of the area’s 18th century follies – Rower Fort. You return along the Corry valley and then back to the Church. Distance is approx. 4.5 miles, and it will take you about 2.5 hours. Some parts are muddy, so be prepared!
Park at the village hall (ST246047) and turn right towards the centre of the village turning right again at the first crossroads into Chard Road. After about 200 yards take the footpath on your left through a gate and follow this across a field to another gate. Cross the next field diagonally and pass through the next gate. Immediately through the gate, cross a track and proceed uphill with a circular fenced copse on your right. Continue until you reach a wicket gate and pass through this crossing the next two fields keeping the hedge on your left, to Wytch Lane. There are fine views across the Yarty Valley on your right and over to Bewley Down.
On reaching Wytch Lane turn left, and follow the lane until you reach the footpath on your right at Wytch Farm. This will take you on the east side of Rower Hill with the folly dominating the top. Where the path forks, follow the left-hand path through the woods beyond Rower Fort (you are now in Yarcombe parish), and then turn left into Blackhayes Lane. (Rower Fort was built in 1827 by the descendants of Sir Frances Drake who were local landowners for their gamekeepers – it is now in private hands).
Follow the Blackhayes Lane for a few hundred yards and take the next footpath through a gateway; this path more or less follows the Corry Brook which is close to its source at this point. Continue until you cross the brook over a wooden bridge and reach North Hill Lane. Proceed down this lane, turning right at the path at North Hill Farm. Take the left path towards Hornshayes to return to Stockland.
This follows a straightforward southerly route via Higher Lake, crossing the lane and then across three more fields until you reach another lane. Turn left and past Hornshayes, and then a little further on, cross the Honiton to Stockland road to the footpath opposite. This will take you along the Corry Brook, across a wooden bridge, across a lane and further along the brook until you reach Millhayes. Along the way the path follows the old mill leat (water channel to the mill), through a garden until the lane is reached. Turn left, and then shortly afterwards right again to follow the path along the stream for another few hundred yards until you reach a gateway.
Here turn left onto the lane and walk steeply uphill to Groundhead Road – there is a fine panoramic view of the village from here. Turn right and the first footpath you encounter on your left will take you straight back through open fields to the church.
