Birdcage to West Hill and Back s1

A Walk from Awliscombe to Dunkeswell and Back via the Chase and Rhododendron Walk.

Map OS Explorer 115 – Exmouth & Sidmouth. 1:25000. Time: About 8 miles 3 hours Grade: Easy, following incredible green lanes, off-road tracks and the incredible Rhododendron Walk. The down side – a few patches of road, but most of these are wonderful little richly hedged lanes. An opportunity to visit Wolford Chapel. Heard of it? Never been there? Go for it. Start from the Parish Hall car-park, Awliscombe, on the Honiton to Cullompton A373 road. Leave the Car Park and move right up the road for about 700 m. Not a good road so take care but there is a grass verge for some of the way. At Godford Cross move right towards Wolverstone – leaving the awful road behind you! Pass Cott Green and the lane off right to Wadhayes and look a little further on for Public Bridleway off to the right.

Now, enjoy almost 3 km of the most beautiful green stony track, thick rich hedgerows, and wild roses, passing Pomhayes, Oaklands and Grange Farms. Spare a moment to soak up the views across to Hembury and further. At Grange Farm pass through the metal gate and move on keeping to the left of the buildings. Turn sharp right through the yard via two metal gates to find the track moving gently uphill with hedges on your left. Follow this wonderful bridleway to where it opens out. Here move sharp left into open pasture and follow the hedge on your left (due North) up to a metal gate. Keep going uphill – again wonderful track – you are now on The Chase (bit of history, in the name?). All well signed. Cross the brook – well, brooklet. These dribbles meander downhill and eventually meet the River Wolf in Awliscombe. Did you know it was called that? Move left uphill through the open pasture with the hedge on your right to a small wooden gate. This is still an unbelievably wonderful bridleway. You pass under really ancient Oaks and Beech and can only wonder how many tired feet have passed this way through the years. Eventually, peace is over and you meet the main road – Limers Lane – at a T junction.

With care, although the road is not too bad, walk left for about 1 km, passing road to Wolford Chapel. It really is worth that little bit of energy to wander a couple of hundred metres down the lane to look at the Chapel and read about its history. Back to the road – if you made the detour – and on to Wolford Cross. Straight across and on for about 400m, passing the Dunkeswell Village sign.

Look carefully for the Public Footpath sign off to the right leading down a well surfaced and fenced track. Keep moving straight on for about 1 km, passing to the left of the farm. On reaching open pasture, keep straight on with the trees on your left to drop down to a wooden stile. Over here and in about 20 m cross another stile on your right and into, yes, Rhododendron Walk .Follow this just incredible path, through woods and rhododendrons for about a km to meet the road at a small metal gate. Fantastic. ( Just supposing you are NOT a walker but fancy this very short off- road and incredible circuit then find the footpath just beyond the Dunkeswell sign and follow the instructions given here to come back to this road , then turn right and back to your start. However, for the walkers turn left here at the gate and walk down to Ewins Ash junction. Ewins Ash? Not sure which Ash was Ewin’s but there are quite a few here. Move right here and stay on the road to Limers Cross (and where did that one come from?) Straight across here on to the very quiet but very scenic lane signposted to Awliscombe. At the very clear fork in the road move right and drop steeply down to emerge right beside the Car Park – Oh, yes and the Honiton Inn!

Chris Harwood June 2015.