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Walk 6 – Templer Way Heritage Trail
The Templer Way is a walk of 18 miles tracing the historic line of granite being taken from the quarries at Haytor to the docks at Teignmouth. Where possible it follows the Haytor Granite Tramway and Stover Canal, the means by which the granite was moved.
The route gets its name from the Templer family. James Templer purchased the Stover Estate, near Newton Abbot, in 1765 after making his fortune at sea. His son, also James, built the Stover Canal in 1792 between Teigngrace and Newton Abbot, originally to carry clay. In turn his son, George, built the Granite Tramway to link Haytor with the Canal to help move the granite. It was ‘exported’ from Teignmouth and helped to build the old London Bridge (now in Arizona) and the National Gallery
The Heritage Trail is a circuit in the centre of the Templer Way, based on the Templers’ Stover Estate; it starts and finishes in Stover Country Park. Most of the route is signposted or waymarked. Look out for brown arrows.
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Drum Bridges is served by Exeter - Plymouth buses X38 and 39. It is also served by the hourly Newton Abbot - Bovey Tracey bus and less frequent services from Totnes, Widecombe, Torquay, Tavistock and Moretonhampstead. Some operate Sundays and Bank Holidays only – for up to date travel information simply contact the Travel Line on 0870 608 2 608.
OS Maps:
Facilities: Stover Country Park (toilets and interpretation centre): no refreshments on route. |
The Walk
From the bus stop at Drum Bridges take the Newton Abbot road A382, turning left at the first gate. Follow the track ahead, bearing right at the fork. Bear left after the information board, at the rear of the Interpretation Centre, to Stover Lake.
If starting at the Stover Country Park car park, walk past the Interpretation Centre to the lake.
Stover Lake is artificial, founded by James Templer as a landscape feature when he took over the Estate. Now the focal point of Stover Country Park, it is an important ecological site, and together with the surrounding woodland is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is particularly important for its dragonflies.
Pass the information board at the lake and after the footbridge at the far end turn right, still alongside the lake. At the far end of the lake turn right, over the bridge. Turn left immediately after the bridge, alongside the stream, signposted Heritage Trail to Ventiford.
This is an artificial watercourse, constructed in association with the lake as a landscape feature.
At the “cascades” near the far end, where the watercourse narrows, turn right along a narrow path through bushes. Continue ahead where the path widens before entering coniferous woodland.
The Heritage Trail is now outside the Country Park, in an area of commercial forestry. Woodland and plantations in this area date back to Templer’s time.
The path arrives at a road. Go through the kissing gate, turn right then immediately left along the narrow lane next to the “Teigngrace” sign. In a while the lane rises to cross a railway line.
This is the old branch line between Newton Abbot and Moretonhampstead, now in place only as far as Heathfield Industrial Estate near Drum Bridges. It was built in the mid – 19th century. Between the outskirts of Bovey Tracey and the end of the Stover Canal it used the line of the Granite Tramway. You are therefore crossing the line of Tramway here.
At the end of the lane are Ventiford Cottages. Turn right at the junction.
These are old clay quarry workers’ cottages. Clay working dates back many centuries in this area, and is the reason for the original building of the Stover Canal.
After re-passing underneath the railway turn left at the road junction. Shortly afterwards turn left again along a track, under the railway again.
Just past the bridge is the site of Ventiford Basin on the right of the track. This was the junction between Tramway and Canal, and in the early 1800s would have been a hive of activity, transferring granite from tramway trucks to canal barges.
Go through the gate ahead and walk along the left side of the field to reach the River Teign. Go through the kissing gate and follow the bank of the Teign.
The embankment on the opposite side of the river has been formed out of spoil heaps from the clay quarries and hides the workings beyond.
Pass two footbridges over the Teign (do not cross) and keep alongside the river.
The river here is parallel to the Stover Canal which is across the fields to the right.
At a point where the river bends sharply to the left, and the field narrows considerably, turn right, away from the river across the field to a kissing gate (signposted Heritage Trail). Continue across two more fields to arrive at the Stover Canal.
Notice a discarded block of granite by the side of the track.
Turn right here (the Templer Way on to Teignmouth goes left here). At the bridge over the canal turn left, by an information board.
This is Teigngrace Lock, the highest lock on the canal. Nearby are some old canal buildings, some now renovated.
Cross the railway and walk up the track past Teign Manor to the road. Turn right, then, after about 200m turn left through some old parkland gates and then through a kissing gate to cross a field.
Good views over Teigngrace village are obtained from here. The church was completely rebuilt by the Templers when they acquired Stover.
On reaching the track on the far side of the field turn right.
This is the old carriage drive from Stover House to Teigngrace church.
At the top follow the track round to the right.
Templer’s Stover House, now a private school, is in the private land beyond the trees. There is no public access.
As the track, which is another carriage drive, descends, look out for the outline of Haytor on the horizon. This is the start of the complete Templer Way route.
The area on the left towards the bottom of the track, just before the bridge, is the site of the original Stover House. Much decayed when Templer acquired the estate, it was demolished and some of the stone used for the new house.
The track re-enters the woodland of Stover Country Park. Back at the lake cross the footbridge ahead then turn immediately left, alongside the lake. At the end of the lake turn left over another footbridge and continue ahead to the Interpretation Centre and completion of the walk.
Further Information
Information on the Templer Way and other walking routes in Devon is available from www.discoverdevon.com and the Discover Devon Holiday Line 0870 608 5531 - quote DP38 for a free Templer Way Information Leaflet, or DP311 for Discover Devon Walking – A complete guide to walking trails in Devon (free publications). They can also be ordered from Discover Devon Information Service, Westacott Rd, Barnstaple, EX32 8AW quoting references above.
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