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| Distance : 10 miles | Grading : ++ | OS Sheet : 192 |
This walk is not officially part of the South West Coast Path between Exeter and Starcross however it is part of the Exe Valley Way and joins the coast path at Starcross. It is a natural extension to the coast path and is a scenic and fairly easy walk. Starting from the historic city of Exeter, this walk follows the Exe Valley Way alongside the Exeter Canal and the River Exe. As you head out of Exeter, the canal re-joins the river at Turf Looks where the river becomes wider, opening into a large estuary as it approaches the sea. The path passes Powderham Castle before joining the official coast path at Starcross. From Starcross it is an easy walk to the popular resort of Dawlish Warren, passing Cockwood Harbour on the way.
There is some road walking involved within Exeter city centre, around Powderham Castle and between Starcross and Dawlish Warren, though there are footpaths on a lot of the walk.
Exeter is very easy to reach, with good road links to the M5 motorway, A30 and A38. There are plenty of car parks in the city centre, which are a short walk to the riverside and also one close to the Quay (Cathedral and Quay car park), which is the closest for this walk. There are also park and ride services available at Sowton and Matford, which are well signed.
If you're using public transport, there are fast and frequent train services from London (Waterloo and Paddington), Salisbury, Bristol, Cardiff, Plymouth and Birmingham to Exeter, as well as longer distance services from the North and Scotland. There are local services to Exeter from Torbay, Exmouth, Barnstaple and (on Sundays only), Okehampton. This walk can be started from either Exeter Central or Exeter St Davids stations. There are frequent local and long distance bus and coach services to Exeter.
Exeter has a good range of Hotels and B and Bs. There is a tourist information centre in Paris Street which has information on all the hotels in the area. Dawlish and Dawlish Warren also have a good range of accommodation, particularly self catering. There is a tourist information centre at Dawlish (but not Dawlish Warren), which has details of local accommodation. The links below provide information on accommodation in Exeter and Dawlish.
This walk starts the historic quay-side in Exeter. This is easy to find from the high street. Head down the high street and turn left at the bottom into South Street (on the corner by Athena), then turn right into Coombe Street. From the bottom of this road there is a subway under Western Way, which leads into a footpath round the back of the Cathedral and Quay car park, down onto the Quay. If you're arriving by train at Exeter St Davids, you may choose to walk along the river from the station to the Quay. If so, on leaving the station turn left, and then go down the lane next to the car park, coming out opposite the Red Cow Inn. Turn left and there is a level crossing. Once you've crossed the level crossing (there is usually someone there to tell you when it's safe to cross), the footpath by the river starts on the left.
The Quay area of Exeter is very historic and has been restored by Exeter City Council and is a pleasant area to visit. The historic Custom House is open to the public. There is also a visitor centre down here, as well as several pubs, clubs, restaurants and an antique centre. The are two choices for the start of the walk. You can walk along the river as far as the Countess Wear swing bridge, or you can stick to the footpath next to the Exeter Canal. The path next to the canal is the official route and is well maintained. The footpath along the river can become difficult to follow and muddy, but may prove more interesting. I walked down the route by the canal. To get to this, cross the river on the bridge and then walk past the former Maritime Museum. Here there is a lock gate, and the Canal footpath is well signed.
The path is well used by walkers and cyclists, and passes the edge of the Marsh Barton industrial estate. There is a smelly incinerator along here, but once past this the path becomes much quieter. Once you arrive at the Countess Wear swing bridge, the canal goes under the main road. The bridge here can be lifted to allow taller boats to pass through. Countess Wear was built by the Countess of Devon and meant the river could no longer be navigated into the centre of Exeter. The Exeter Ship Canal was therefore built to provide a navigable route into Exeter. After Countess Wear bridge, the path goes through the Exminster Marshes towards the M5. Shortly after the motorway bridge you reach Double Locks. A ferry also runs from here to the historic port of Topsham on the other side of the river.
From Double Locks it is an easy walk down to Turf Lock, where there is a good pub, which is popular with walkers and cyclists. Turf Locks is where the canal re-joins the river. The river estuary is now very wide, and the village of Exton can be seen across the estuary, as well as the Royal Marines base of Lympstone Commando. The path runs right next to the river from here down towards Powderham. The main railway line to Plymouth is on the right, and you need to cross this. There is a marked crossing, but check thoroughly for trains before crossing as this is a fast line. From here it is necessary to walk on the road round the edge of Powderham Castle. Although there is no footpath, the road is quite quiet. The main railway line is between this road and the river. Follow this road into the pleasant village of Starcross.
A ferry runs from Starcross station to Exmouth, across the river. There are frequent bus services back to Exeter from here, and there is also a station where you can catch a train back to Exeter. Starcross is where the Exe Valley Way joins the South West Coast Path. If you continue onto Dawlish Warren, the path unfortunately continues by the road side all the way into Dawlish Warren. You pass through the village of Cockwood, with it's pretty Harbour on the way. After Cockwood, Dawlish Warren rapidly approaches. Dawlish Warren is a popular resort, with an excellent beach and nature reserve. There are a couple of shops here, a pub and a couple of take aways, but it is very much seasonal.
Buses run frequently from Dawlish Warren on into Dawlish or back to Exeter. There is also a station at Dawlish Warren, where trains run roughly hourly to Dawlish and Exeter.
Bus route 85 and 85A runs frequently to Exeter, seven days a week. This bus also stops at Starcross on the way. There are rail stations at both Dawlish Warren and Starcross, though the service is only approximately hourly (less frequent in the winter). It is however by far the most scenic way of traveling back to Exeter as it runs close to the footpath for much of the route.
Here are some photos of the walk. Click a picture for a larger version and description.
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Ordnance Survey Landranger map 192 covers this area of the coast path and is available from most book shops nationwide. It is also stocked at the tourist information centre in Exeter and Dawlish.
Streetmap is a web site which provides maps of the UK, including around Exeter, Starcross and Dawlish Warren. The links below will be of most use to the path from Exeter to Dawlish Warren. These maps join to provide the complete coast path between the two points. There is also a link to a map and guide of the Exe valley at the bottom.