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Ancient
woodland, a steam railway line, and one of the most beautiful rivers
to be found anywhere - what more could you ask for?
The
Kingswear to Greenway (or Greenway to Kingswear, if you prefer)
section of the Dart Valley Trail offers them all. This part of the
trail is four-and-a-half miles each way, but there are two other
sections you could try as well.
The
Dartmouth to Dittisham part is around three miles long, and the
the Dittisham to Totnes section is about eight-and-a-half miles.
You could cross the River Dart by ferry and do the entire walk if
you're feeling energetic!
Where
to start...
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Peeping
through the trees, there are lovely views of the River Dart
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For
the Greenway to Kingswear section, it is best to park on the Ham
in Dittisham and and cross the Dart using the Greenway Ferry.
The walk starts at the 400-year-old cottage at Greenway Quay, where
a lane rises up the hill, bordered by woodland.
To
the right is Greenway - the family home of Agatha Christie, where
the gardens are currently being restored by the National Trust.
Continue up Greenway Road and then, at the junction, follow the
lane right towards Maypool Youth Hostel.
Halfway
along the trail heads left, up a track through fields to Long Wood.
This is an ancient wood, with semi-natural oak stretching over 100
acres - largely owned by the National Trust.
It
is a haven for wildlife, and, even in late November, the colours
were fantastic. The wood is inhabited by blue tits, marsh tits,
woodpeckers, buzzards, tawny owls, sparrowhawks and jays.
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Long
Wood is an ancient
Devon woodland
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The
birds are attracted to the woods by the woodland floor of holly
and hazel shrubs, and the plentiful supply of berries.
Foxes, badgers and roe deer can also be seen here, together with
several species of butterfly.
The pathway through the woods affords views of the River Dart, and
the picturesque creeks. Some bits of the path are a bit watery -
so you'll need to have good walking footwear.
At
Noss is the Philips shipyard, where yachts sit on the water with
the wooded banks behind making a dramatic backdrop. You can also
watch the Paignton to Kingswear steam trains go by at this point.
Towards
the Kingswear end of this section, you can stop and look across
the river to Dartmouth on the other side - it's a dramatic view,
with the Britannia Royal Naval College to the right of the town,
on the hill.
You
can cross the river on the ferry at Kingswear, either to visit Dartmouth
- or to continue the walk.
How
to finish...
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The
River Dart, as viewed from Philips Shipyard near Kingswear
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To
continue the section, walk along the Quay in Dartmouth, turn left
into Duke Street to walk into the Butterwalk, right into Foss Street
and then turn left up Brown's Hill Steps.
From
Brown's Hill, turn left uphill along Clarence Hill - which is a
medieval street. You then cross Victoria Road and continue up Church
Road to Townstal Church.
Cross
over College Way and turn right into Old Mill Lane. Where the road
divides, follow the steps beside Archway Cottage. Turn left and
follow the lane downhill to the creek. Continue on the pathway alongside
the creek.
The
trail splits, with the right hand route going through woodlands
and fields with spectacular views of the river. This bit does, however,
include a very steep section of path.
The
left route is more gentle but part of it can become waterlogged
after rain. The alternative routes meet up just before Dittisham.
The South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Unit produces a leaflet about this trail.
Contact the unit by email at: enquiries@southdevonaonb.org.uk
Or
visit the website, which is linked from this page.
The
leaflet is also available for purchase from local Tourist Information
Centres and some village shops.
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