The Tarka Trail is simply stunning, and this section is exceptional, in so many ways. With glorious views over the incredible Taw and Torridge estuary, the route offers waterside tranquillity, mixed with rural, traffic-free bliss, along a disused railway. There are a number of cafés along the route, from the start at the Barnstaple train … Read more
The Tarka Trail offers some of the very best traffic-free cycling available in the UK. This 3.5 mile segment is disconnected from the rest of the Tarka Trail though. Starting adjacent to the site of the old Ilfracombe railway station, the route follows the track of the old Ilfracombe branch of the London & South … Read more
Dart Valley Cycleway cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) This 6.3 mile route is gorgeous, and will make a great day out, but is quite a mix. From the outset, you need to understand that the entire route isn’t traffic-free. … Read more
Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton cycle route runs for 5.6 miles, from Exmouth train station to Budleigh Salterton, mostly along a disused railway line. There is a short on-road section … Read more
Exe Estuary cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Exe Estuary trail is stunning, and mostly traffic-free, with some on-road sections. This 13-mile, mostly traffic-free cycle route is on the northern side of the estuary, leading to Exmouth. Especially in … Read more
Nun’s Cross Trail cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) Nun’s Cross Trail runs from Norsworthy Bridge, Burrator to Princetown, 4.5 miles away. It is graded as a Red route, because there is a stretch where you’ll be riding uphill, over … Read more
Princetown Railway cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Princetown Railway used to run from Plymouth to Princetown. The route that’s described here starts in Princetown and heads to Burrator Reservoir. It is possible to make it an almost entirely … Read more
Saltram Loop Cycle Route Overall Rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Saltram Loop is a six mile, practically completely traffic-free circular route in Plymouth. It runs right through the Saltram Estate, using part of NCN 27, and is suitable for cycling with … Read more
Tarka Trail cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Tarka Trail in North Devon follows a disused railway that once linked Barnstaple to Hatherleigh, and onwards. It’s a very well-known traffic-free route, set in a stunning natural environment. The trail … Read more
The Granite Way is a stunning, traffic-free shared path that follows a disused railway, high up on Dartmoor. Skirting the high moor, it runs for 8.68 miles, from Okehampton to Lydford. It also forms part of the Devon Coast To Coast route. Built on the track bed of the old London And South Western Railway … Read more
20 miles there and back, mostly gravel This route incorporates a significant amount of gravel riding. Not quite extreme off-road, but certainly not easy riding all the way. Gravel riding, especially when carrying luggage on the bike, is considerably slower than riding on tar, and although the Redlake route isn’t particularly long, it’s equally suited … Read more
Grand Western Canal cycle route overall rating: (Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of) The Grand Western Canal was originally intended as part of a far larger canal network, to create a canal link to the English Channel. Only part of the canal survives, and … Read more
Stover & Wray Valley Trails cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Stover Trail links Newton Abbott with Bovey Tracey, mostly traffic-free, or on very quiet lanes. The Wray Valley Trail links Bovey Tracey with Moreton Hampstead, again either traffic-free, or on normally very quiet lanes. It therefore makes sense to do a single route guide … Read more
Dawlish to Exeter cycle route overall rating: B3⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you’re looking for a stunning day out, this is the route for you. At 14 miles in length, it offers spectacular sea views, quaint waterside villages, and even canalside cycling. Overall, the route is very flat, but it does have a section that tops out at … Read more
Drake’s Trail starts in Plymouth and at first mostly follows the course of the river Plym, eventually leading to Clearbrook, which is a village on the edge of Dartmoor. From Clearbrook, Drake’s Trail leads through Yelverton, on to the town of Tavistock, 19 miles later. Most of the route is built on a disused railway … Read more