A Devon Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve
Discover tranquillity with a gentle circular path through woodland, alongside a stream and an orchard. Climb Stoke Hill for wilder walks through wildflower meadows and tree-studded parkland, to enjoy the views across the city to the Exe Estuary.
About the reserve
Mincinglake Valley Park is one of six Exeter Valley Parks managed by Devon Wildlife Trust.
The park provides easy access for visitors by car. It is a wonderful location for manageable and pleasant stream side and wooded walks, meadows and parkland. Part of the Valley Park was created from a former waste tip, capped in the 1970s! It also caters for those who enjoy some hillier walks too, with long views towards the estuary.
Did you know, Mincinglake comes from the old English words for ‘Nun’s lake’ a reference to the ‘Greater Polsloe Pond’, a lake created when the St. Katherines Priory nuns dammed the stream in the 12th century?
https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves/mincinglake-valley-park
Exeter City Council The lower valley is wooded whilst the upper part comprises meadowland rich in wild flowers, butterflies and other insects. Access is either from Calthorpe Road or from Stoke Hill.
The park itself has been created from the old Exeter waste tip and farmland on Stoke Hill. The valley is a mix of woodland and flower-rich meadows. It is a wonderfully relaxing place to stroll and enjoy the abundant wildlife.
Green lanes, footpaths and bridleways can be explored from the valley park, which lead further into the beautiful countryside surrounding Exeter.
History of the park
Several hundred years ago the nuns of the nearby St Katharine's priory built a dam across the Mincinglake stream to create a large lake. This was used to power a water mill that was located near to the existing orchard, at the southern end of the park.
More recently, the park was the city's waste tip. It was capped and landscaped in the late 1970s. This had the effect of filling in the steeply-sided valley of the Mincinglake stream and completely altering the landscape.
Since then the area has become naturalised and is now a mix of wildlife, rich meadows, woodland and pathways.
Getting around the park
Most paths are surfaced, but stout footwear is advisable and some are suitable for pushchair access. Feel free to wander, but do not stray into private fields. There are no toilets or wet weather shelters available.
Getting there
- By Bus - Ask for junction of Stoke Hill and Collins Road, or junction of Calthorpe Road and St. Katherine's Road
- By Car - There are two car parks:-
- Stoke Hill, opposite the junction with Collins Road - next to the Community building.
- Calthorpe Road near to the junction with Uplands Drive. (access is off Calthorpe Road)
Friends of Mincinglake is a community group, under the umbrella of Transition Exeter, who aim to empower local people to use and become involved with the management of their local valley park. Initial activities have centred around the community orchard and have included an apple juicing day and an apple tree adoption and wassail. The group aims to engage residents in “green gym” activities around the park by giving them a sense of ownership for their local green space.
https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Mincinglake-Park-105043820881695/
Little Devon Mincinglake Valley Park – the perfect place for adventures and picnics. There’s a stream for paddling, woods for exploring, dens for playing, fields for running through, a fairy village to be entranced by and a view point to enjoy.
Mincinglake is a fabulous spot where the landscape offers something new at every turn. There’s no set loop to follow but instead a number of paths that mean you can decide how long or short you would like your walk, how hilly or not, or how much your little one simply wants to splash in the stream or in a den found in the thicket. It’s honestly not at all daunting, but for those who like a map, there are some to follow on all trails
