(S/E) From the front door, turn left along the High Street. Just after a postbox in the wall, turn left (“The Close”). 3 When the road bends right, take the path ahead to the left of the gateposts, which ends at a wooden kissing gate into fields. Bear slightly right to a footbridge with metal gates at either end. Cross the next field to a similar footbridge. At the bottom of the next field, go through a metal kissing gate into a track parallel to the A49.
(1) Go through a gap in the fence opposite, cross the busy road quickly but carefully, and go through the gate on the other site. Turn right along a hedged path that runs below a garden to a rough driveway. Turn left (ignoring a stile in the hedge on your right), then turn right onto a waymarked footpath. The hedged path runs pleasantly between fields before being joined from the right by the Sandstone Trail.
(2) Continue straight ahead past a wooden bench to a footbridge and gate. Bear left along the edge of the wood to a footpath sign, then strike out across a series of fields separated by gates, stiles and footbridges aiming approximately towards Beeston Castle. Within sight of the road, the path turns left over a stile, then right to a kissing gate with a Sandstone Trail fingerpost.
(3) Turn right then immediately left into Pudding Lane. Follow the lane for half a mile to a junction, where you take a few steps left then turn right into a driveway. Follow the Tiverton (5½ miles: Moderate) drive round to the left to a stile into fields. Follow the left-hand edge of the field ahead of you, past a building behind the hedge on your left. In the corner of the field, turn right, then go through a kissing gate on the left in the next corner. Turn right to another kissing gate, then beyond it descend towards the Shropshire Union Canal, where you turn left.
(4) After a stile, continue parallel to the canal then above some sheds to a kissing gate. Continue to a gate into the road; to visit Beeston Iron Lock, turn right over the canal then follow the towpath on your left, returning the same way. Follow the main road uphill for 300 yards then turn left into Tiverton village. Walk through the village for a little over quarter of a mile, passing the war memorial and Methodist Church on your left.
(5) Shortly after The Dale on your right, turn right and take the footpath between the two driveways. The hedged path eventually emerges through a kissing gate into fields. Cross the middle of the field to a stile. Walk parallel to the left-hand side of the next field to a five-way junction of paths; ignoring the stile and two footpaths to the right, take the hedged track ahead, which curves to the left. Join a driveway and walk out to the road past some houses. Turn left for 100 yards then right into a farm drive with a footpath sign.
(6) Just before a barn, turn right over a stile and walk along the top of the field before striking out across the field to a stile to the right of a gate. Turn right down to a stile in the corner, and cross the A49 again.
(7) Climb the steps opposite and after a stile follow the field edge to another stile on the left. Walk up the field towards the church, aiming for an old metal kissing gate in the corner of the graveyard. Exit via the lych gate to the High Street. Turn left to return to the Rising Sun.(S/E)
