This free routebook was created atcycle.travel - the best way to planan awesome bike route.

Devon C2CMap data © OpenStreetMap.org contributors (Open Database Licence). Cartography © cycle.travel, all rights reserved. You may copy this PDF foryour friends, but commercial redistribution is prohibited. Thanks!

Devon C2C

Coast-to-coast rides are all in the north, right? Wrong. Devon’sown C2C has all the scenery of its northern brethren, and fewerof the hills. Railway paths dive under tunnels and over viaductsrestored and new, so that it’s the views that will take your breathaway, not the climbs.

The Devon C2C is part of the new Anglo-French circular route,the Tour de Manche. But you can enjoy it as a stand-alone tour,and with easy trains from London, it’s ideal for a long weekendbreak.

What sort of bike?

Whatever you’ve got! The hills aren’t so tough that you’ll struggleon a mountain bike, the surfaces not too rough for a road bikewith sturdy tyres. As often with Sustrans routes, a hybrid/crossbike is ideal, but really – anything will cope.

How many days?

Three days is an enjoyable, relaxing ride, but you can do it intwo, particularly if you miss out the Ilfracombe–Barnstaplesection.

Is it suitable for a first-timer?

It’s perfect. Enough of a challenge to give you a sense ofachievement, but never too taxing – and you can boast thatyou’ve cycled from coast to coast.

How do you get there?

On the north coast, there are trains to Barnstaple (on a branchfrom Exeter), but Ilfracombe’s railway fell prey to theunspeakable Dr Beeching. Happily, there’s a bus fromBarnstaple to Ilfracombe that carries bikes, though only in thesummer months. At other times, you can cycle there and back,get a taxi – or simply skip the first 20 miles.

Plymouth, on the south coast, is on the Great Western main lineso there’s no shortage of trains. First Great Western is a bike-friendly company, but do book your space in advance.

Are there any route options?

Yes: there’s an optional upland route (NCN 274) avoidingTavistock. It’s not one for the beginner, but fit road cyclists willenjoy the challenge. There’s a couple of minor diversions youmight choose, too, including within Tavistock itself.

There’s little to choose between north-south and south-north:pick whichever suits your travel plans best.

Ilfracombe to Barnstaple

Ilfracombe’s attractive harbour is a suitably maritime location tostart this coast-to-coast ride. Although getting here requires anout-and-back trip from the railway station at Barnstaple (nowthat the Bike Bus has stopped running), it’s worth the effort toreach this colourful town, a down-to-earth hold-out against themarch of the chain store.

The ultimate ambition is for the railway path to extend all the waybetween Ilfracombe and Barnstaple, but for now, you’ll have todetour onto quiet lanes after five miles of well-surfaced, levelpath. One option drops down to the coast at Woolacombe: theclimb back up to the main route at Georgeham is tough, but insunny weather it’s worth it for a burst of sea air.

The railway path resumes at Braunton, for an easy five-mileride along the estuary to Barnstaple. Look out for the Tarka Inn,a bizarre castellated manor house turned into a waterside pub.Henry Williamson lived in Georgeham, and Tarka the Otter wasset along the rivers Taw and Torridge.

Barnstaple to Petrockstow

This is the Tarka Trail, one of Britain’s best-loved railway paths.Completely level for miles on end, it’s justly popular with DevonC2Cers and novice cyclists alike.

From Barnstaple station, you and your bike gently cruise theTaw estuary – there’s no better word for it. Keep an eye out forwildfowl, perhaps stop for a coffee by the bike shop atFremington Quay, and dodge the day-trippers at Instow. Arrivingat Bideford, you can choose from the railway station café or thebike-friendly pub down a set of steps.

The route takes on a more inland feel here, forsaking the coastuntil Plymouth. But the gradient is still gentle as the path criss-crosses the River Torridge on restored viaducts. The crowds thinout after the bike hire centre and pub at Great Torrington. Ourfavourite, though, is the café and bunkhouse at East Yarde, adelightful, decidedly organic encampment with local ale andcider as well as coffee.

Petrockstow to Tavistock

The central section of the Devon Coast-to-Coast mostly followsquiet country lanes. This is Devon, so that means hills; but alsounspoilt villages and welcoming pubs. It’s the ideal counterpointto the railway paths at either end.

The route leaves the old railway just before Petrockstow.(Though the railway path continues a little further, it’s a dead endfor now, dumping you on the busy A386.) NCN 27 climbs onnarrow, hedge-lined lanes towards Sheepwash, a tiny villagewith cycle-friendly pub and church clustered around the villagesquare.

NCN 3 leaves us here for Bude and ultimately Land’s End, butwe continue south on undulating lanes to Highampton and thenew traffic-free route into Hatherleigh. Should you choose toovernight here, the Tally Ho pub here offers great beer and fillingfood. It’s a steep climb out of the village, but worth it for theviews from the top.

In fact, the hardest climb on the whole route is withinOkehampton itself. The town is in a valley; the railway… isn’t.And, needless to say, we’re heading for a path beside therailway. Okehampton station is a curiosity, both the headquartersof the preserved Dartmoor Railway and the terminus of asummer-only mainline service. Take half an hour to look aroundand maybe enjoy a coffee. (There’s a youth hostel here, too.)

The cycleway follows the railway for a while, but claims thetrackbed for its own at Meldon, just in time for the magnificentMeldon Viaduct – the finest structure on the whole route. At thesummit of the route, this metal beast was too good to lose, andthe Devon C2C has given it a whole new lease of life. Don’t justspeed over, but walk down to the viewing platform to appreciatethis feat of engineering.

As the route skirts Dartmoor, the scenery is the finest of thewhole route. Building a railway up here was quite someachievement. The path isn’t yet complete, diving left just afterLake Viaduct on a steep, gravelly path to head for a hilly countrylane route via Bridestowe. If you’re a little more confident in fasttraffic, you may choose to continue on the railway path, thenfollow the A386 for half a mile before turning right onto a minorroad. This gap is being fixed by Devon County Council andshouldn’t be an issue within the year.

After the next burst of railway path, it’s undulating lanes throughLydford (perhaps stopping at the Castle Inn) through to MaryTavy. Signage here is a little confusing: keep right at the valleydip when an off-road route heads left, and follow the lanesthrough North Brentor even if the first signs say 274, not 27.Eventually, after Mary Tavy, you’ll join a new cyclepath thattakes you towards Wallabrook Viaduct and the outskirts ofTavistock.

Tavistock to Plymouth

There are two routes in Tavistock: the main NCN 27 throughthe town centre, and NCN 270 over the railway viaduct. If you’renot planning to stop, the latter is easier with good views.

The route briefly winds through housing estates before divingonto a railway path, which it will follow almost all the way toPlymouth. And what a railway path. It’s all tunnels and viaducts– and of the latter, the most striking is the Gem Bridge. Openedin 2013, this brand new £2m viaduct for cyclists and walkersreplaces a demolished railway structure. It saves an awkward hillscramble and has become a magnet for local families on bikes.Devon County Council and Sustrans, we salute you.

There’s a steep climb up to the summit at Yelverton, while aformer tramway provides the roughest surface of the route sofar. Don’t lose heart; these are brief interludes, if hard.

When the track ends on the moor above Clearbrook, however,we’d strongly recommend you continue straight on rather thanturning left along the signposted route. The official NCN 27 hereis rocky and uncyclable. Straight on, and you’ll descend to therailway path on a steep lane.

From here, it’s level and pretty all the way – and you might belucky enough to see peregrine falcons nesting in the cliffs abovethe route. In time, another preserved railway joins the cyclepath,with a motley assortment of locomotives locked behind securityfencing.

Keep an eye out for seabirds on the Plym estuary as you cyclealong the wooded path. The official end of the Devon Coast-to-Coast is near the ferry terminal, but we’d suggest you call it aday at Plymouth’s regenerated harbour area with its pubs andrestaurants. Raise a glass to Sir Francis Drake, Plymouth’s mostfamous son – and to your own achievement!

A39

A39

A377

A39

A39

A3125

A361

B3233

B3138

A361

A361

B3343

A3123

A361

B3231

B32

30

B3230

A39

A3123

A361

B3233

A386

B3233

B3232

B3232

B3

230

B3149

A361

B3343

B3230

A399

A399

N

C

K

NK

K L

K EE

D

DD

I

K

N

N

N

N

ND

D

D

DL

DD

D

K

D

A

L

K

DN D

A

A

DD

D

D

LDK

K

DDD

C

D

D

ID

AA

D

A D

KAI

D

A

A

II

I

I

A

A

I

I

A

I

A

A

I

I

A

I

I

K

K

K

K

N

K

E

N

D

L

C

D

C

K

N

C

LanternHill

WindcutterHill

FurzeHill

BRAUNTON

ILFRACOMBE

Ashford

Fremington

Instow

Westleigh

WestDown

Eastacombe

Pilton

DerbyPottington

Knowle

Georgeham

Muddiford

HeantonPunchardon

Roundswell

Bickington

KingsHeanton

Bradiford

Wrafton

SauntonPark

Marwood

Newton

Tawstock

Yelland

For

Lee Berrynarbo

Slade

Winsham

Chivenor

Hele

27

27

276

27

27

27

27

27

3

3

3

27

27

27

27

R i v e r T

a w

d g

e

R i v e r Y e

R i

v e

r T a w

A38

6

A386

A386

A39

A386

A386

A39

B322

7

B3

232

A388

A388

B32

27

B3233

A3124

B3232

D

DD

D

CJ

C

D

DD

D

E

I

K

A

D

E

L

GREAT

TORRINGTON

Westleigh

gtree

Frithelstock

Petrock

Monkleigh

WeareGiffard

rithelstockStone

PetersMarland

LittleTorrington

Taddiport

East TheWater

Alve

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

27

27

27

27

27

27

27

27

R i v e r T o r r i

d g

e

R

i v e r M

e r e

e

A386

A386

A386

A30

A386

A30

A30

A386

A30

A386

A3079

A3079

A3072

B3260

B3260

B3216 A3

072

A30

7

2

A3079

B3216

DDDN

J

C

DI

A

J

D

D

D

D

DI

ID

D

A

KK

D

K

LN

K

Rowtor

LongstoneHill

SouthDown

BlackDown

Arms TorGreat

Kneeset

AmicombeHill

BlacRidg

GreenTor

GreatLinks Tor

Kitty TorLints Tor

Gren Tor

GreatNodden

Steng-a-Tor

Hunt Tor

East-Hill

West MillTor

High Willhays

Yes Tor

SourtonTors

Branscombe'sLoaf

BlackTor

DingerTor

HomertonHill

Ball H

HATHERLEIGH

OKEHAMPTON

Meldon

Sourton

mpton

Jacobstowe

Folly Gate

Monkokehampton

OP

Northlew

Bridestowe

27

27

27

27

27

27

27

27

27

TDM

TDM

272

3

27

27

27

27

R i v

e r L

e

w

R i v e r T o

r r

i d

g e

R i

v e

r L

y d

A386

A386

A386

A386

A386

A386

B3357

90

B

3

CD DL

D

C

I

D

K

I

D

AI

L

D

A

D

L

D

D

L

E

D

D

D

C

D

C

A

C

I

I

I

I

A

K

D

BoulterTor

CoombeTors

GibbetHill

KingsettDown

TAVISTOCK

Lydford

NorthBrentor

MaryTavy

MiltonCombe

Crapstone

Horrabridg

27

27

27

27

27

27

27

27

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM

274

274

27

270

272

272

272

272

327

27

R i v e r B u r n

R i

v e r

T a v y

R i

v e

r T a v y

R i v e r L y d

A3

8

A

386

A38

A386

A374

B3214

3373

B3413

A379

B

3

250

B3238

A38

6

B3240

B3432

B3416

N

A

LC

C

C

D

D

L

D JNL

I

K

K

LD

L

LYMOUTH

ElburVilla

OrestonPlymstock

Goosewell

Hartley

Eggbuckland

CrownhillLeigham

Peverell

anadon

ManadonRoundabout

AustinFarm

Barbican

MountGould

Laira

St.Judes

Lipson

Cattedown

ck

Woodfo

Und

Merafie

EffordMannamead

LowerCompton

HigherCompton

Deer Park

Bickleigh

MiltonCombe

Derriford

Roborough

Belliver

Southway

Woolwell

Estover

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM

TDM274

27

2

27

27

Ri v

e r

P l y m

C a t t e w a t e r