Brentor has eight public footpaths, three bridleways and one restricted byway. In total they are less than 11k in length – not a lot for a rural parish like ours. But they still offer opportunities for walking in quiet areas of the parish away from familiar roads.
Footpaths
These public rights of way are meant for walking, running, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs only. You are allowed to walk your dog as long as it is under your close control. When walking a dog, you must ensure that it keeps to the public footpath and does not trespass into nearby properties. Prams, pushchair or wheelchairs can also be used on a footpath. Shown in red on the maps below.
Bridleways
These are meant for walkers, horse riders, bicyclists, mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs. Bicyclists are expected to give way to walkers and horse riders. Shown in purple on the maps below.
Restricted byways
These are highways over which the public is entitled to travel on foot, horseback and with non-mechanically-propelled vehicles (such as pedal cycles and horse-drawn vehicles). They can also be used for mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs. Shown in purple on the maps below.
Public highways are shown in brown on the maps
The numbering below refers to the route number on the official list of public rights of way for the parish of Brentor.
Maps contain OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2020.
Footpath No.1 – Bearwood Farm
The footpath starts opposite Brentor cemetery, just past the bungalow named St.Michaels. It goes west to the Lydford-Tavistock road opposite Cloberry Cottage.
It is one of the shortest footpaths in the parish, only 300m long. There is a stile at the North Brentor village end, at the top of the steep roadside verge. The two Devon banks with stone steps embedded in them at the Lydford road end are not the easiest to traverse. Beware of livestock, including cows with calves, when you are crossing the field.
Brentor Footpath No.2 – North Brentor to South Brentor
This path starts at Darke Lane near the North Brentor war memorial and ends near South Brentor.
At 1.3k in length, this footpath comprises sometimes-muddy tracks and often poorly-signposted sections routed across fields used for grazing.
There are memorable views to West Blackdown and North Brentor across the Burn valley. There is the opportunity for a circular walk – take the track from South Brentor towards Wortha Mill (steep and rocky in part), then continue on up the steep road to Brentor Road, heading back to North Brentor past Brentor Station.
Brentor Footpath No.3 – Monkstone to Westcott
650m long, this footpath was a short cut from the defunct Brentor Inn to the hamlet of Westcott.
The path is accessed via a gate from the lane from Brentor Inn to the Chillaton road.
Brentor Footpath Nos. 5 and 5a – Langstone Manor to the river Lyd
There is a choice of where to start and end this footpath. Start from the Lydford-Tavistock road by either going through Langstone Manor farm or taking the signposted path opposite the turning to Brentor playing field.
At almost 2.5k, this is the longest footpath in the parish and probably one of the most varied. The terrain includes grazing fields, steep woodland paths and wild flower meadows. This is one of the best places to see banks of wild garlic and bluebells in the spring.
Path no.5 passes through an archway under the disused railway line bridge and ends up at the river Lyd, where you can continue on to the Lyd valley or to Liddaton.
Path no.5a joins the restricted byway that leads to the river Lyd in one direction and back towards Bowden Down in the other.
Beware cattle in the fields used for grazing.
Brentor Footpaths Nos 6 and 7 – Bowden Down to Broadpark and West Liddaton to Liddaton Down
Brentor footpath No.6 is only 275m long, the shortest in the parish. It is a shortcut from west Liddaton to Liddaton Down.
Brentor Footpath No.7 is almost 700m long and connects Bowden Down to Broadpark near Liddaton. It starts from the Brentor-Liddatin Green road opposite the house called Bryher.
Brentor Footpath No.9 –
Burnville to Lydford Station
2.2k in length, this interesting footpath commences from the Lydford-Tavistock road along the approach to Burnville Farm. After passing through the farm it cuts across fields used for grazing , then down a steep, wet and narrow path to a fenced path leading to Wastor Farm. After passing through Wastor Farm and along the tarmac driveway to Lydford Station the path rejoins the Lydford-Tavistock road.
To get back to Brentor there is the option to follow the national cycle path 27 east along the Burn Valley to West Blackdown and on to North Brentor – access via the bridleway marked in purple on the map above.
Brentor bridleway No.12 – South of Bren Tor
This bridleway is 400m long and runs from the Lydford-Tavistock road south of Bren Tor towards Holyeat Farm.
It has unrestricted views north to the Church of St. Michael de Rupe on the top of Bren Tor.
At the Holyeat Farm end of the bridleway a permissive footpath runs up the field edge and leads to Bren Tor and the church.
Other bridleways
There are two further short lengths of bridleway in Brentor parish:
No.25 is 250m long, at Lydford Station.
No.77 is only 200m long and runs from Burn Lane on moorland near West Blackdown Cottage and is not signposted from the cattle grid.
Both are extensions of Mary Tavy parish bridleways that run across Gibbet Hill.
Brentor restricted Byway No.14 – Bowden Down to the Lyd valley
This byway is 1.8k long and leads from Bowden Down to beyond Asheltor Wood. It links to the public footpath no.5a which leads south to Langstone Manor and the Lydford – Tavistock road.