This trail is a great way to explore the Wray Valley, following in the footsteps of the Victorians who built the Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead railway in 1866.
The 11km, mainly traffic free, route links Bovey Tracey to Moretonhampstead. It follows the line of the old railway, which was closed to passengers in 1959, taking you through the National Trust Parke Estate and past the picturesque villlage of Lustleigh.
The trail has been several years in the making and has involved major works including 2 new bridges across the A382. Devon County Council has worked with local landowners and Dartmoor National Park to ensure the trail will benefit everyone.
https://visitdartmoor.co.uk/get-active/the-best-dartmoor-walks/wray-valley-trail
Photo: Wray Valley Trail © Derek Harper :: Geograph Britain and Ireland
Using the trail
From Moretonhampstead, the best place to start the trail is from Court Street Car Park in town (TQ13 8LG). Follow the road from the car park into town and turn right down Pound Street and then left (signposted) into Pound Lane. The off road section of the trail is on the left a few hundred metres down the hill.
From Bovey Tracey the best place to start the trail is at Station Road Car Park (TQ13 9SB) on the main route into Bovey. From the car park cross over the road into Mill Marsh Park, following the path and keeping the river to your right, go under the road bridge into Parke and follow the old railway line on your right.
Please note that there is a one mile section between Bovey and Lustleigh which is on Lower Knowle Road, before rejoining the trail at Brookfield in Lustleigh. Please take extra care on this section as the road is narrow and steep in sections.
This is a shared trail and is open to walkers, cyclists and horseriders. Please be considerate and friendly to everyone along the trail.
Bus Routes and Walks added to OpenStreetMap https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=13/50.6256/-3.7141
Walking or Cycling the Wray Valley Trail by Public Transport
Moretonhampstead
You can take the 359, 173 or Dartmoor Explorer bus services to Moretonhampstead from Exeter
Moretonhampstead Court Street Car Park (Stop A) – bustimes.org
Dartmoor Bike HireBike Hire, Bike Sales, Bike Repair, Cafe. We are at the start of Dartmoor's Wray Valley Cycle Trail with ample parking for customers. A cafe and animal feed store on site. Opening times: March to Mid-September inclusive, Monday to Sunday 9am till 5pm. Bikes may still be hired outside of these dates, please telephone to book. Weekly bike hire delivered and collected all year round. We now have a growing number of ELECTRIC BIKES for hire
https://www.julianandcaya.co.uk/home
Dartmoor Bike Hire Kings Bridge Yard, Station Rd, Moretonhampstead, TQ13 8NQ
Moretonhampstead to Lustleigh
Lustleigh
You can catch the 178 to Lustleigh. There are only two return buses between Moretonhampstead and Bovey Tracey on Mondays to Saturdays.
Lustleigh Turn (SW-bound) – bustimes.org to Moretonhamstead
Lustleigh Turn (SE-bound) – bustimes.org to Bovey Tracey
St John's Church, Lustleigh
The Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Lustleigh, now a Grade 1 listed building, stands in a graveyard which is roughly oval and which is surrounded by a road. Enclosed graveyards of this type are called ‘lans’ and are well known west of the Tamar and in Wales. There is every reason to suppose that Lustleigh was a fifth or sixth-century Christian graveyard and quite possibly occupied the site of an even earlier pagan place of burial.
https://www.moretonbenefice.uk/
https://www.moretonbenefice.uk/benefice/st-johns-lustleigh/
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8862/
Lustleigh to Bovey Tracey
Bovey Tracey
Bovey Tracey Lloyds Pharmacy (Stop A) – bustimes.org to Exeter
Bovey Tracey Tesco Express (Stop B) – bustimes.org from Exeter
Exeter - Bovey Tracey - Newton Abbot
Daily, hourly Live Map - bustimes.org
Bus Stops: Newton Abbot Sherborne Road (Stop B) - Heathfield Drumbridges Roundabout (SW-bound) - Heathfield Cavalier Road (NE-bound) - Bovey Tracey Riverside Surgery (SE-bound) - Bovey Tracey Lloyds Pharmacy (Stop A) - Bovey Tracey Lloyds Pharmacy (Stop A) - Chudleigh Knighton, opp Village Hall - Chudleigh, adj Memorial - Marsh Barton Matford P&R (S-bound) - Wonford R D & E Hospital (N-bound) - Exeter Bus Station
https://bustimes.org/services/39-exeter-bovey-tracey-newton-abbot
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables
Exeter – Moretonhampstead via Dunsford
Days: Monday to Saturday (except Public Holidays) Live Map - bustimes.org
Six buses from Exeter to Moretonhampton. Five buses from Moretonhampstead to Exeter
Bus Stops: Exeter Sidwell Street, Crossmead, Longdown Lamb, Farrants Hill, Dunsford Royal Oak, Steps Bridge, Doccombe, Moretonhampstead Square, Moretonhampstead Court St Car Park
http://countrybusdevon.co.uk/359-exeter-moretonhampstead-via-dunsford/
https://bustimes.org/services/359-exeter-moretonhampstead
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/countrybus/ (398)
Exeter - Chagford - Moretonhampstead
Monday to Saturday. 4 buses Exeter to Chagford, 2 of which continue to Moretonhampstead. Live Map - bustimes.org
Bus Stops:
Moretonhampstead Court Street Car Park (Stop A) - Chagford Easton Cross (NW-bound) - Chagford The Square (SE-bound) - Chagford Easton Cross (N-bound) - Chagford Sandypark Inn (NW-bound) - Drewsteignton Castle Drogo Drive (NE-bound) - Drewsteignton Square (NW-bound) - Crockernwell Shelter (E-bound) - Cheriton Cross Good Knight Inn (E-bound) - Tedburn St Mary Garage (E-bound) - Whitestone Heath Cross (E-bound) - Whitestone, opp Shelter - Nadderwater, opp Royal Oak - Exeter Sidwell Street
https://bustimes.org/services/173-moretonhampstead-exeter
https://www.dartline-coaches.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dartline/ (1.1k)
Newton Abbot – Okehampton via Moretonhampstead & Chagford
Monday to Saturday. Two buses from Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead, one continuing to Okehampton
Bus Stops: Newton Abbot Sherborne Road (Stop B) - Liverton Benedicts Road (N-bound) - Coldeast Cummings Cross (N-bound) - Bovey Tracey Dolphin Square (N-bound) - Bovey Tracey Lloyds Pharmacy (Stop A) - Lustleigh Turn (SW-bound) - Lustleigh Bishops Stone (S-bound) - Lustleigh, opp Eastwrey Barton Hotel - Moretonhampstead Square (Stop D) - Moretonhampstead Court Street Car Park (Stop A) - Chagford Easton Cross (NW-bound) - Chagford The Square (SE-bound) - Chagford Easton Cross (S-bound) - Chagford Sandypark Inn (NW-bound) - Whiddon Down Post Inn (W-bound) - S Zeal Oxenham Arms (NW-bound) - S Tawton Church (W-bound) - S Zeal The Croft (S-bound) - Sticklepath, opp Devonshire Inn - Okehampton Giblands Park (NW-bound) - Okehampton Hunters Gate (S-bound) - Okehampton Fore Street Arcade (Stop C) - Okehampton Market Street (Stop E)
http://countrybusdevon.co.uk/178-newton-abbot-okehampton-via-moretonhampstead-chagford/
https://bustimes.org/services/178-okehampton-moretonhampstead-newton-abbot
Dartmoor Explorer - Adventures by Bus
One of the UK’s most spectacular bus rides, traversing the beautiful and extensive Dartmoor National Park. Dartmoor National Park is one of the UK’s most stunning open wildernesses. Explore the moorland views and towns, spot the ponies and cattle wandering freely and catch a glimpse of the austere Dartmoor prison. Our Dartmoor Explorer provides the experience from both Exeter and Plymouth, as well as towns and villages across the moor.
Daily, One bus from Exeter - Tavistock - Exeter. One bus Plymouth - Moretonhampstead - Plymouth Live Map - bustimes.org
Routes
Exeter St Davids Station, Exeter Central Station, Exeter South Street for cathedral, Exeter St Thomas Station, Longdown, Dunsford, Doccombe, Moretonhampstead, Postbridge, Two Bridges, Princetown, Merrivale, Tavistock
Plymouth Royal Parade, Plymouth opp rail station, Milehouse, Crownhill Fort, Yelverton, Horrabridge, Tavistock, Merrivale, Princetown, Two Bridges, Postbridge, Moretonhampstead
https://www.firstbus.co.uk/adventures-bus/services/dartmoor-explorer
https://bustimes.org/services/dart-first-exeter-moretonhamstead-princetown-tavis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Adventuresbybus/ (1.6k)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adventuresbybus (170)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ABBTravelUpdate (50)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventures_bybus/ (141)
NT - Parke
A peaceful retreat set within the beautiful Devon countryside. There's something for everyone at Parke, found on the outskirts of the small market town of Bovey Tracey, gateway to mystical Dartmoor. You can walk from the town (about one mile) or stop off as you drive to the open moor, where the next stop is the rugged crag of Haytor. This compact estate was once the home of a wealthy local family and probably enabled them to be self-sufficient for all their day-to-day needs with a vegetable garden, fruit garden and orchard, cold house, fish pond, grazing meadows for livestock and beehives for honey, and gardens to wander in for spiritual refreshment. So, take a short stroll around the garden, or a longer more strenuous walk through the woodlands and along the river to the medieval weir. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for a myriad of wildlife and a host of wild flowers.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/parke
Dartmoor Way
https://www.dartmoorway.co.uk/ww/index.php
Walks in the Bovey Basin
Bovey Tracey is a wonder place to start walking.
From Bovey Tracey you can walk to the Parke Estate or Little Bradley Pools.
Walk a little farther to Chudleigh Knighton Heath or take a Wild Walk through these Devon Wildlife Trust reserves.
Follow the Templer Way up to Haytor, or down to Bovey Heathfield or Teigngrace Meadows on your way to Newton Abbot or Teignmouth.
The Wray Valley Trail will take you to Moretonhamsptead along the path of the old railway.
The Dartmoor Way walking route takes the high road to Moretonhampstead via North Bovey and the edge of the moors, or goes south to Ashburton via Yarner Woods.
