This area comprises the western part of the region, taking in BA, BS, DT, EX, PL, TA, TQ and TR postcode areas, plus the postcode districts of SP7 and SP8 around Gillingham and Shaftesbury.
Neighbouring regions and areas are
Note also some of the most convenient hubs for multi-day walking on different routes.
Routes
Use the alphastrip below to jump to the appropriate initial letter for a selected route within the list. If there are no routes with a particular initial letter, the jump will have no effect.
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Castleman Trailway
Length <60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 27km walk along a former railway trackbed, between Upton Country Park and the edge of Ringwood.
East Devon Way
Length >60km
Max transport gap >20km
A 60km inland route between Exmouth and Lyme Regis.
Granite Way
Length <20km
Max transport gap <20km
A 16km walk, mainly on the trackbed of a former railway line, between Lydford and Okehampton.
Hardy Way
Length >60km
Max transport gap >20km
A walk of 344km from the birthplace of Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) to the spot where his heart is buried (the ashes of the rest of him are in Westminster Abbey).
Image: Thomas Hardy by William Strang
(public domain)
Macmillan Way
Length >60km
Max transport gap > 30km
A 474km walk between Boston and Chesil Beach at Abbotsbury.
Monarch’s Way
Length >60km
Max transport gap > 30km
A 936km walk between Worcester and Southwick, following the route taken (following the Battle of Worcester) by King Charles I (1600-49).
Image: Charles I, after Anthony Van Dyck
(public domain)
St Michael’s Way
Length <20km
Max transport gap <20km
A 20km walk between Carbis Bay and Marazion.
Image: St Ives Bay and Godrevy Point from the northern terminus of St Michael’s Way.
South Dorset Ridgeway
Length <60km
Max transport gap <10km
A 27km walk from West Bexington to Osmington Mills, away from the coast.
Tamar Valley Discovery Trail
Length <60km
Max transport gap <30km
A 56km walk between Tamerton Foliot, on the edge of Plymouth, and Launceston.
Two Castles Trail
Length <60km
Max transport gap <20km
A 39km walk between Okehampton and Launceston.
Wareham Forest Way
Length <60km
Max transport gap <30km
A 22km walk between Wareham and Sturminster Marshall.
Wessex Ridgeway
Length >60km
Max transport gap >20km
A 220km walk between Lyme Regis and Marlborough.
Hubs
Some places lend themselves to being hubs, where you may pitch up for a few days’ car-free walking, fanning out on a different route (or part of a route) each day. The hub becomes a walking-place for recreation at walking pace. Hubs in this area include
| Barnstaple | Barnstaple is the obvious hub for the area to the north-east of Dartmoor. |
| Bath | Bath is perhaps overshadowed by Bristol as a hub for the area to the north of the city, but is the key choice when looking to the south and east of the city. |
| Bristol | Bristol is the principal hub for the north-east of the area, with good public transport connections reaching also into the eastern part of the region, and also to neighbouring parts of Wales. |
| Dorchester | Dorchester is a good hub for the coast to west and east, and for the hills to the north. |
| Exeter | Exeter is a good hub for the local coast, and for inland areas all round. |
| Plymouth | Plymouth serves as a hub for the coast between South Hams and Looe, and for all the land behind, including much of Dartmoor. |
| St Austell | St Austell is a good balance for much of Cornwall: if your focus is farther to the west, then Truro is possibly a better option. |
| Taunton | Taunton is a good hub for all the surrounding area, including the coast as far west as Porlock. |
| Torquay | Torquay is a good local hub, worth considering because of the time-gap from Exeter. |
| Wadebridge | Wadebridge is a useful hub for the local coast and country. |
Guided and group walks
Saturday Walking Club
This online-driven group has been well established in the London area for some years, but the reach of their walks goes far beyond the M25. Their walks are all free (the word “club” may be a bit misleading) and there are walks on other days of the week. You may download a route from their extensive catalogue to enable you to walk on your own — you are expected to carry your own copy of the route-map if you join a group walk.
Image: Sheffield Park
Disclaimer and advisory notices
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