Devon County Council

The Two Castles Trail is one of Devon's network of long-distance walks.  The trail stretches 24 miles/38 km through West Devon from Okehampton to Launceston, just over the county boundary in Cornwall. It gets its name from the two impressive Norman castles which are found in the end towns.

As well as the Two Castles, the Trail also features a variety of other historical elements.  This walk is a sample in the middle of the Trail, and covers seven miles between Bridestowe and Lewdown.  In this seven miles a range of Devon's history will be experienced - an Iron Age hill fort, ancient standing stone, Saxon battle ground, Norman church and castle, Jacobean house and Victorian manor.

The walk is described as a one-way route.  It is recommended that a bus is taken from Lewdown to Bridestowe and then the walk can be taken at leisure back to your base.

Fact File

Lewdown is served by buses from Exeter, Okehampton and Launceston as well as occasional ones from Tavistock.  It also has a small car park; this is situated down the lane next to the Post Office, at the War Memorial, signed to "Public Telephone".  The car park is adjacent to the telephone. For this walk, catch the bus from Lewdown to Bridestowe.  At the time of writing they operate every 2 hours.  For up-to-date information contact Traveline on 0870 608 2 608. Walk Length:7 miles/11km; 3 stiles; one long steady climb of 250ft/80m, a shorter one of 125ft/40m. Facilities:Bridestowe - 2 pubs, post office/stores; Lewdown - pub, post office/stores.

The Walk

The bus stop in Lewdown is on the main road almost opposite the War Memorial.  Alight at Bridestowe - few buses go into the village itself so you will actually alight on the old Bridestowe by-pass.  Cross the road and follow the lane into the village.

Incidentally, if you decide to base yourself at Bridestowe, note that the village does not have a formal car park.  Please park considerately.

Bridestowe gets its name from the dedication of its church to St. Bridget, an interesting survival of a possible Celtic dedication to this Irish Saint and the pointer to a very old settlement.  The present church dates from the 15th Century but the gateway to the churchyard is a Norman arch.  This is thought to be the only surviving part of the chapel of the older church which was moved here in Victorian times.

Follow the road round to the right past the church, where you pick up the route of the Two Castles Trail coming from Okehampton down the lane on the left.  Continue on past the Norman church gateway and leave the village along Station Road.

Bridestowe Station was some 1.75 miles/3km from the village.  It was on the main LSWR London Waterloo to Plymouth line, closed in the 1960's.

The first half mile/1km out of Bridestowe has to follow this minor road because of the lack of suitable footpaths going in the right direction.  Although not especially busy, do take care and be aware of traffic.

Station Road rises past some attractive cottages (built by the local estate for its workers) and one of the village's original water supplies.

Follow Station Road for just over half a mile (1km).  At the brow of the hill turn right along a narrower lane, signposted to Coryton.

This attractive, tree-lined lane gives pleasing views over the West Devon countryside to the edge of Dartmoor.

Follow this quiet lane until it descends through the hamlet of Watergate to a crossroads at a green.  Continue on the lane opposite and cross the bridge.

The river is a tributary of the River Lew, whose valley is followed later in the walk.  The Lew later joins the River Lyd and then in turn these become a tributary of the Tamar.

Almost immediately after the bridge turn right up the track and continue ahead on this.  Keep going past Burley Wood Cottage and onto the woodland track beyond.  Just after the path rises slightly it forks.  Keep right here.

This is Burley Wood, where the historical theme continues.  The wood clothes the slopes of an important historic defensive site.  At the top of the hill on the left was a large Iron Age defensive fort, one of the biggest in West Devon.  Later, after 1066, the Normans built one of their own castles in a corner of the hill fort site.  Its strategic position gave control over the road to Cornwall and, together with the castles at Okehampton and Launceston, would have kept the population from rising against the new Norman lords.  Note that there is no public access to this site.

Keep on the path until, just after passing through a gate, it arrives at a hard track.  Turn left here, uphill.  At the next junction bear left, still going uphill.  Where the track uphill ends, bearing right to private property, keep ahead uphill on the old deep sunken lane.

This is almost certainly an ancient trackway between the historic main road to Launceston and grazing areas on the higher land.  It is shown on the first OS map of 1809 as a road or track.

Take care here - the rocky surface of this old lane can be quite slippery when wet.

Shortly after the trackway turns right, it reaches the level of Iron Age Burley Hill Fort and the Norman Castle which were mentioned earlier, in the field on the left of the track.  Unfortunately there is no public access to them. On the right of the field can be seen one of the earth ramparts of the Iron Age fort, while the Norman Castle would have been in what is now woodland to the left. This castle was of the "motte and bailey" type - an earth mound with a wooden tower on top, with a timber palisade encircling an open area around the mound.

Continue through the gate at the top and bear slightly right on the obvious sunken track, keeping the old barn to your right.  When the track opens out keep ahead and slightly to the left, to follow the right hand edge of a large area of open pasture.

This is Burley Down.  To the left it offers a superb view of Dartmoor's western fringe.  On the extreme left end of the panorama can be seen Sourton Tors, which walkers on the Two Castles Trail who had started at Okehampton would have passed.

Keep along the right hand edge of Burley Down to the gate into the forestry plantation ahead.  Go through this and continue along the forest track.  Follow this wide and obvious path through the forestry until it arrives at a timber barrier at a lane.

Turn right along the path just before the lane and parallel to it, going left at the first fork.  Turn left at the Two Castles Trail waymark after about 200m and cross the lane to the stile.  (Note, if the trees are wet it is probably better simply to turn right along the lane to this point as the woodland path is sometimes a little overgrown.  The lane is very quiet.)

The next stretch of the Two Castles Trail does not follow a legal right of way, but is on a route for which the landowner has given permission for the Trail to use.  Please do not stray off the route or allow dogs to wander.

Cross the stile and go straight ahead onto the open land for about 100m.  Turn right onto a faint track by some gorse bushes and follow this to a gate.  Go through the gate and follow the now clearer track ahead and bearing left.

This is Galford Down, a location giving superb views.  Behind is Dartmoor while ahead the views stretch over West Devon and the Tamar Valley to Bodmin Moor.  If it is clear enough then Launceston, the end of the Two Castles Trail, will also be visible, but you would need keen eyes to spot the castle itself.

Galford Down also continues the historic theme.  This atmospheric spot was the site of a battle between Saxons and Celts, which took place in 825. The victor was King Egbert of Wessex, who moved west against a revolt and invasion from Cornwall.  The battle spelt the end of Celtic influence east of the Tamar.  The exact location of the battle is not certain.  Do not expect to find any relics here now but simply enjoy the atmosphere and the views.

Follow the track to another gate and then on down to join a track next to a hedge.  Continue on down the steep hedged track.  At the bottom go through two gates and cross the yard ahead to a lane.  Turn left along the lane.

At a junction follow to the right, signed to Lew Mill.  Keep on the lane across the River Lew to Lew Mill.

On the right here is the Dower House, built in 1664 (see the date on the window) although it may originate some hundred years earlier.  On the left is the 19th Century mill, now a farm.  On the green at the corner is an old standing stone.  It is thought to be the upright of an old cross and has been dated to the 13th Century.  It was originally found nearby and erected here around 1900.

Go up the lane to the T-junction and turn left.  The lane now passes an old quarry and then a little further on passes Lewtrenchard Manor on the left.  Beyond, on the right is Lewtrenchard parish church.

The church may be an ancient foundation, as it was originally dedicated to the Celtic St. Petrock.  It was rebuilt in 1261 and re-dedicated to St. Peter and then the present church was built in 1520.  However, this remote church is best known as where the famous Victorian antiquarian, the Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould, was parson for many years, as well as the local squire.  He wrote many books on Devon, collected and published an exhaustive list of Devon folk songs and stories, and wrote the stirring hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers".  Most of the fascinating interior of the church is a result of his efforts.

He also enlarged the original 16th Century manor house into the current Lewtrenchard Manor.  The work was done between 1881 and 1914, and Baring-Gould managed without an architect, relying on the skills of local craftsmen.  Particularly notable on the Trail was the dovecot, an unusual half-conical shape next to the lane which looks as if it had been cut through.

Pass the church to the road junction, then turn right up the track just before the major road.  Continue uphill on the green lane.

This length can be a little slippery in places when wet.

Cross the stile at the top and follow the edge of the field uphill, keeping the hedge on your right.  Cross the stile at the top of the field.  Walk up the road to the crossroads at the top.  Here, at Lewtrenchard School, cross the main road to the pavement and turn left.

Until the early 1990's it would have been difficult to cross this road, which was then the main A30 between London and Cornwall.  It follows a distinct ridge line, thought to have also been followed by a Roman road.  It is also likely to have been the line of a prehistoric trackway.

Continue alongside the road to return to the Lewdon Post Office.

Further Information

An information pack on the Two Castles Trail is available from local Tourist Information Centres, price £2.  It may also be obtained from the Discover Devon Information Service, Westacott Road, Barnstaple, EX32 8AW, telephone 0870 608 5531, price £3.50 including post and packing; quote reference DP41.

Free leaflets on walks around Bridestowe ("Bridestowe Explore") and Lewtrenchard ("The Baring-Gould Trail") are also available from local Tourist Information Centres.

For information on the wider network of walking routes in Devon, there is a free brochure "Discover Devon - Walking", available from all Tourist Information Centres in the county or from the address above.  Alternatively, visit the website www.discoverdevon.com, which has all the information plus an order form.

OS Maps for this walk:

• Landranger (1:50,000 scale) No. 191 - Okehampton and North Dartmoor (Bridestowe-Galford Down) and No. 201 - Plymouth and Launceston (Galford Down-Lewdown)
• Explorer (1:25,000 scale) No. OL28 Dartmoor (Bridestowe -Watergate) and No. 112 Launceston and Holsworthy (Watergate - Lewdown).

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