Author Topic: Day trips from Plymouth  (Read 1967 times)

eebeejay

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Day trips from Plymouth
« on: 23:38:05, 09/06/15 »
I'll be spending some time in Plymouth this summer for work and I was wondering if anyone has some favourite walks nearby that they could recommend? I won't have a car so would have to be accessible by transit.

DevonDave

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Re: Day trips from Plymouth
« Reply #1 on: 08:59:30, 10/06/15 »
Perhaps the South West Coast Path?  You can catch the bus from the City Centre to Mountbatten, then walk as far as you like along the coast in an easterly direction.  Alternatively, get the Cremyll Ferry to Mount Edgecumbe Country Park and walk from there along the Cornish coast.  Or get the bus from the City Centre to Looe or Polperro and walk along the coast from there.
There is also the Plym Valley Trail and Drake's Trail which starts at Coypool and follows the line of the old railway to Tavistock.  You can also get the bus to Yelverton and start walking from there on Drake's Trail to Tavistock, then get the bus back to Plymouth from Tavistock.
My favourite walking is on Dartmoor, but unfortunately the bus services across the moor are a bit few and far between.  You could however get the bus to Ivybridge and access the Two Moors Way from there.   

DevonDave

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Re: Day trips from Plymouth
« Reply #2 on: 09:35:32, 11/06/15 »
Further to my previous post, here's a few more that you may wish to try.


If you want to walk on Dartmoor, get the bus from the City Centre to Yelverton, then another bus from there to Princetown.  Buses to Yelverton are quite frequent, but the ones to Princetown are less so, so you will need to check the timetable.  The Dartmoor National Park Authority have an excellent Visitor Centre in Princetown with very helpful staff who will be able to point you in the right direction for various walks, but one good one is to walk along the former railway line that used to run from Plymouth to Princetown.  (If only it was still running :( ).  This walk affords fine views over southern Dartmoor and takes you past the disused granite quarries at Foggintor which are worth a look around.


There is also a good walk to be had at Bere Alston, which is on the Tamar Valley rail line which runs from Plymouth to Gunnislake.  (fortunately this is one of the few branch lines that is still open :) ).  From Bere Alston there is a good circular walk which follows the River Tamar for much of it's way, or alternatively you could walk to Bere Ferrers station and get the train back to Plymouth from there.


You could also get off this train at Calstock, which has a beautiful Victorian railway viaduct crossing the Tamar.  From there you can walk through woodland to the National Trust property at Cotehele House, then it's a short walk downhill to Cotehele Quay.  One of the old Tamar sailing barges is moored here that used to transport the locally grown fruit & veg to the docks at Plymouth.


One final walk - this one starts in Plymouth.  Get the bus to Tamerton Foliot, which is a village on the outskirts of the city.  Walk from there through quiet country lanes, fields and woods to Lopwell Dam, which is a picturesque spot on the River Tavy.  From there you can walk back to Tamerton Foliot by following the river bank for most of the way.


I hope this gives you some more ideas.  You will need to get the relevant OS maps for the area to pick out the footpaths.


Enjoy your walking!





 


eebeejay

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Re: Day trips from Plymouth
« Reply #3 on: 00:37:15, 12/06/15 »
Thanks! This is really helpful.

happyhiker

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Re: Day trips from Plymouth
« Reply #4 on: 07:48:16, 12/06/15 »
Try the South Hams area of Devon. I think you can get buses from Plymouth to Kingsbridge and then to Salcombe. There are some great coastal walks in that area, probably my favourite coastal area in the country.

 

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