Culmstock Beacon Easy

Find a safe place to park along the roadside.

(S/E) Walk (West - South -West) along Blackdown Hill road, rounding the corner to the right. Ignoring the bridleway through the gate straight ahead (this is where you will return from). Carry on following Wrangway road (North-West) for approximately 500m and then take the footpath signposted to the left (West) through the woods. This path can be quite muddy in places, even after a dry spell.

(1) Follow this path for about another 500m, ignoring a split off to the right, when it begins to climb up onto Black Down Common. At the top, keep the path South-East until you reach a small pond. Keep left (South- East) when the path splits again and follow the new gravel path, passing around a small pond.

(2) At a T junction, turn right (South-West) and follow the wide grassy path for around 1Km.

(3) At another pond, take the path heading left (South - South-West) up a short, steep hill.

(4) The walk from here goes along the ridge line to Culmstock Beacon for approximately 500m. Enjoy the magnificent views across mid-Devon from the Beacon (very much weather dependent) and read the information board detailing the history of the beacon, which was originally built for lighting a fire to warn of the advancing Spanish Armada (although the current structure dates from 1870).

Turn you back on the view and ignoring the path you walked in on, head towards the hedge line, along which a path runs off to your left (East). Take this path North-East through the trees, keeping the fence on your right, ignoring the first footpath sign.

(5) At the edge of the conifer plantation (about 1Km from the beacon), head right (East) through a gate into the forest, down a steep, wide gravel track.

(6) Follow this track until you reach another track coming in from your left (North- West - North), turn sharp up this track (almost back on yourself).

(7) Follow this track past a derelict building and up through the woods of Whitehall Plantation. Keep North - North-East and after about 1.5 Km you will join the main bridleway.

(8) Head right (North-East) down the bridleway to the gate and where you parked. (S/E)

Park on the verge along Wrangway Road.

The route is along mainly flat paths and tracks, although there are one or two short steep sections. Some sections can be muddy, even after a dry spell. Dogs with a good recall can be walked off lead for the majority of the walk, except on the initial 500m stretch, which is along a quiet country lane.