Cycling Around The Local Area
Cycling is a great way to see Devon at its best and will provide you with easy access to some of the best of the county's natural heritage. Devon is renowned not only for its peace and unspoilt beauty but also for the wide range and network of cycle routes that are available.
These cycle routes around the area, many using old railway lines specially prepared for bicycles make great days out. Maps, Leaflets and packs for cycling and walking routes within the Dartmoor National Park, the West Devon area and around Okehampton are available from Okehampton Tourist Information Centre (01837-53020). There are several Cycle Hire places available locally. We can also arrange for cycles to be supplied direct to your holiday accommodation from www.bikarooni.co.uk for just a couple of days or longer, or bikes can be hired from Okehampton Cycles. This shop also has a large range of cycle parts and accessories available for every occasion. Visit their web site for further details at www.oke-cycles.co.uk . or call (01837-53248)
The Granite Way. This excellent mainly traffic-free cycle/walkway which runs between Okehampton to Lydford is part of the national cycle network number 27 'Devon coast to coast' between Ilfracombe and Plymouth. Much of this route is inside Dartmoor National Park. The trail is ideal for families and those new to regular cycling. The Granite Way is mostly built along the course of the Southern Region railway line. The Way is entirely off-road for 6miles/9 kms between Okehampton and Lake Viaduct with additional off-road sections towards Lydford. The traffic free sections are also wheelchair accessible.
Tarka Trail: Thirty two miles of the Tarka Trail are a cycle/walkway, following the old railway line from Braunton on the coast, to Petrockstow deep in the heart of Tarka Country. This part of the Trail offers easy, flat, traffic-free cycling suitable for all the family around the wide expanse of the Taw/Torridge Estuary, before following the River Torridge inland.
Mid Torridge Cycle Link: This linking route connects the Tarka Trail Cycle/walkway at Petrockstowe, with the Sticklepath Cycle Route as it passes through Hatherleigh on its way towards Dartmoor. Combined these routes provide a complete south-north route from Dartmoor to the North Devon Coast. This attractive route takes in the villages of Petrockstowe and Sheepwash with their traditional cob walled, thatched cottages.
Sticklepath Cycle Route: This signposted circular route starts and finishes at the National Trust's Finch Foundry at Sticklepath near Okehampton. It follows quiet country lanes, taking in delightful villages and passing many places of historic interest, all set against a backdrop of spectacular panoramic views of Dartmoor
Eggesford Forest: This waymarked cycle route follows forest tracks and bridleways for an exhilarating off-road ride through Forestry Commission plantations. The route is not suitable for very young children or novice cyclists.
National Cycle Network No.3: The National Cycle Network is a linked series of traffic-free paths and traffic-calmed roads being developed right across the United Kingdom. Route No.3 runs 250 miles from Bristol to Padstow. In Tarka Country, the route descends from Exmoor to follow the Tarka Trail Cycle/walkway from Barnstaple to Petrockstowe, and then rejoins lanes along the sections of the Mid Torridge Cycle Link and the Holsworthy-Black Torrington Cycle Route. on its way to Cornwall.
More Information: Details of these routes can be found in a pack called `Cycling in Tarka Country' and a map of the National Cycle Network No.3. Both can be ordered from the Tarka Country Trust. or for more ideas on cycle routes across the county call "Discover Devon Holidays Line" 0870-608-5531. More information is also available on there web site www.discoverdevon.com |
