STG 2017 website (lo res)

A walk along the Sid Valley
Start: Sidmouth Tourist Office. Distance: 6 miles
Much of the route is on surfaced tracks. There are two stiles and one
steep hill.
a) Turn right from the tourist office and head north along York Street.
Passing the Swan Inn continue straight on and follow the road to
the ford. Cross the bridge over the ford and continue along the road to
a junction. Cross the road by the Toll House and go through the
opening into the Byes.
b) Follow the path keeping the river on the left and at the third wooden
bridge, cross the river. Continue to follow the path with the river now
on the right. Keep generally straight ahead on the shared footpath
cycle route for about 1.25 miles to Sidford. When the path ends at the
Social hall take the road (Dyers Lane) to the main road.
c) Turn right and cross the main road with care, after crossing the river
bridge turn left into Harcombe Lane. At the road junction go straight
across onto a surfaced lane (bridleway, private road to Knowle park
house). Pass Boswell Farm cottages and cross a cattle grid into the
park and a second cattle grid at Knowle House.
e) In the field corner cross a bridge over the stream and go uphill
keeping to the right of a hedge into trees. Go through a gate and bear
right, ignoring a footpath on the left, to come out of the trees. Follow
the field path, keeping to the left of the woods, then over a stile back
into the woods and ascending to a main road.
f) Turn right and in 50 yards carefully cross the road onto a footpath
through trees. Where the path joins a lane, turn right and continue
straight on downhill past a road junction. Where the lane turns
sharply right, go left onto a footpath (sign Fir Tree Cottage). Follow
the broad track – then lesser track (marked) on the left.
g) At footpath junction turn right downhill, the path becomes a lane and
follow to the main road at Fortescue. Turn left, after 100 yards turn
right onto a footpath (Sidmouth seafront 1.5 miles) and cross the
river.
h) Follow the surfaced track back to the Byes footpath and turn left to
retrace your outward journey back to the Tourist Office.
d) At Knowle House follow bridleway sign left and after a few yards turn
right onto another signed bridleway. At the road turn left through a
wall past houses. The road swings to the right, at the end turn left
through a gate and almost immediately right onto a footpath. Follow
the path through way marked gates and at the third gate go through
and turn right downhill over a grassy field.
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