Are you bored of the beach? Walk the Templer Way
High up on Dartmoor, near Haytor, granite was once taken down a tramway to the Stover Canal to be shipped to Teignmouth ready for export. This was the brainchild of George Templer who built it in 1820 to capitalise on the growing demand for granite around the world. The line was used for only 30 years until it became uneconomic and lay deserted until it was marked out as a heritage trail and footpath which crosses moorland, woodland and river valleys before reaching the sea.
The two circular routes around Haytor and Stover Country Park are ideal for motorists and leisure walkers. Enterprising hikers who want to tackle the whole 18-mile stretch will need 10 hours and will be governed by the tides on the final section along the Teign Estuary. If no-one can drop you off, catch the 272 bus from Newton Abbot to Haytor, which operates during the summer months only.
Haytor rises up from the moor like a giant’s knuckle, and on a clear day you can see it from Teignmouth. Those who dare can climb the rocks and savour the magnificent views over the east side of the moor to the Teign Valley.
The start of the railway is due south of Haytor rocks. Take the footpath from the car park which branches right, veering away from rocks towards a large pile of quarry stones which hide the quarry and glassy pool, itself a world within a world, like a scene from Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth. All that remains of this former industry is an old winch and disused derrick.
Just outside the quarry, the granite tracks are set into grass and are easy to follow, taking you across a small side road and along the B3387 until you come to the first milestone, showing you the distance to the Stover Canal. Every now and then you will see the distinctive marker points, brown and white signs bearing a tramway wheel with the tiller and rudder of a barge. Imagine the strange sight of horses bumping through Yarner Wood pulling their heavy load. The wood is now a National Nature Reserve and has the richest woodland on Dartmoor, and if you want to explore this on its own, parking is available at at Reddaford.
After Yarner you can walk back to Haytor along the road, but for those pressing on, the route now merges with the road and bypasses Bovey Tracey by about a mile, where you could stop for lunch in the Devon Guild of Craftsmen’s café, and if you’re tired, catch the 272 or the 178 back to Newton Abbot. Otherwise, carry on down the road down to Chapple Bridge across the Bovey Pottery leat, which is the only surviving bridge on the route.
After the bridge the track is only visible in places and doesn’t really emerge again until it reaches Stover Country Park, where there are refreshments, picnic and toilet facilities and plenty of parking. The lake is a haven for wildlife and can be easily accessed by wheelchair, and the woods will provide great entertainment for children to explore, especially with the new aerial boardwalk through the trees, which are home to around 100 species of birds, bats and owls.
Here you can complete the four-mile heritage walk, past the village of Teigngrace with its stone church of St Peter and St Paul and across a muddy field where a herd of cows will eye you up and down as you pass.
The granite rails have been built into the railway bridge at Ventiford, where the tramway ends as it was here the stone blocks were loaded onto barges. You can either return to Stover or follow the railway line and the canal down to Jetty Marsh Nature Reserve, just north of Newton Abbot, another haven for wildlife – listen out for Cetti’s warbler or the green woodpecker.
Newton Abbot is an interesting town, with a lively indoor and outdoor market and pedestrianised shopping precinct. The River Lemon runs through the town, and meets the River Teign at Teign Bridge, near Tuckers Maltings, the brewery. Those driving can park just outside the town at Forde House in Brunel Road, and follow the footpath along Aller Brook to join the Templer Way.
Soon you will find yourself crunching shingle along the Teign Estuary, but check the tides first and do not attempt this stretch more than two hours past low tide. The mud is also treacherous, so keep to the edge of the foreshore.
Once in the estuary the peace of the river envelops you as you hear it gently lapping against the shore. On a foggy day it is mysterious, magical even, and in midsummer, almost tropical, with the trees almost reaching the water’s edge and the sun turning the river to silver. At Netherton Point climb up the lookout and try and spot Herons roosting in the pine trees.
Tide permitting, you can walk along the shoreline until you reach Shaldon, where you may want to stop for a cream tea. To finish your journey take the ferry to Teignmouth and visit New Quay, also built by George Templer, to export the granite.
The Templer Way is perfect to dip in and out of. Grab a breath of fresh air and experience some of South Devon’s history at the same time.
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