(S/E) Start at the main car park at Hound Tor (grid reference SX 739 792). It gets a bit busy in summer, but you may find a snack van here on a good day.
(1) Walk up towards and around the tor. There are lots of routes round the tor, and opportunities to find a 'letterbox' or two. A well-used path heads south-east and join the bridleway at a stone wall (SX 743 787). follow the bridleway downhill into the woods and across a stream, keeping Greator Rocks on your right.
(2) When you emerge onto the open moor, follow the bridleway to the left, then through a gate onto a track.
(3) Continue straight ahead, following the sign to "Byway for road below Blackhill" and follow the track until it diverges from the dry stone wall.
(4) Turn left and walk down to the road, past the cattle grid, and follow the road down into the valley to Leighon Cross.
(5) Turn right at the junction towards "Becky Falls/Bovey Tracey". Follow the road for about 125 yards: it is a fairly busy road, so take care.
(6) Turn left off the road onto the footpath across a footbridge, follow the path to the left then turn right at the fork in the path. The public footpath takes you past Becky Falls - but it is carefully routed so that you cannot see the falls without paying the entrance fee for the visitor attraction.
(7) You will reach a fork in the woods. Take the right-hand path and follow the path as it descends through the woods and joins a track. (You can shorten the route by following the path straight ahead instead: keep on the footpath, ignoring tracks off to the right, until you reach a sign for the "Clam Bridge for Lustleigh Cleave", then follow that bridle path downhill to (9).)
(8) Turn left and cross the footbridge. Follow the path down to the river. The path hugs the riverbank, and is formed of loose stones that are scoured when the river floods. Follow the path all the way to the next footbridge.
(9) Cross the footbridge: you can choose either the modern bridge or the traditional 'clam bridge' made of single tree trunks. Follow the path and take the route to the right signposted "Lustleigh via Pethybridge" at the first fork. Follow the path to Lustleigh until you reach the road.
(10) At the road, turn right then left. Follow the lanes as they zig-zag towards the village - the route of the bridle path is signposted. When you get to the larger road, turn right, then turn left at the chapel towards the church.
(11) In the centre of the village you will find the shop, church, tea room and pub. After suitable refreshment, take the lane past the public lavatories, through the community orchard and into the woods. These woods are full of enormous, moss-covered, rounded boulders.
(12) There are multiple routes in this wood, but take the right fork and head in a north-north westerly direction towards the footpath in the open fields.
(13) Cross one field on the northerly track, then turn left, and follow the path to Lower Coombe, which becomes a track.
(14) Turn left and follow the track for a short distance, before taking the footpath into the woods.
(15) At the road, turn right for the footpath, then turn left to take the footpath uphill. After the stone steps, the path bears left to join the bridle path. This is a steep climb up to Sharpitor, but the views at the top are worthwhile. At the top, follow the bridle path along the ridge, then down the other side to Peck Farm.
(16) After Peck Farm, turn left off the concrete track and follow the bridle path along the lane to Foxworthy.
(17) At Foxworthy, continues straight on along the farm track.
(18) Take the second path on the left signposted "Horsham Steps or Manaton via Horsham". The path bears immediately left before curving right. Follow the path through the woods, and then take the right-hand path at the fork to "Manaton". After passing through two small fields, the path crosses a field diagonally and joins a lane at a cattle grid by a group of farm buildings. Follow the lane to the road just north of Manaton. Turn left at the road and head south towards the village.
(19) There are often home-made cakes for sale outside one of the cottages in the car park at Manaton: you might want to buy some for the final hill. When you leave the car park, go straight over the crossroads and then take the footpath on the right to cross the fields.
(20) Turn right at the lane and follow it up onto the open moor. The hill becomes progressively steeper as you climb up Hayne Down. Follow one of the paths up past the rocks. If you want to catch sight of the famous Bowerman's Nose rock formation, you will need to take a northerly diversion to the edge of the group of rocks. To continue the route, head down from the rocks in a south-westerly direction, joining the road at a gate.
(21) Pass through the gate, and walk along the road, turning left at the junction and back to the car park.(S/E)
