Discover Bradworthy: Church, Village Green and Trails

Bradworthy combines local history with trails and nature. For planning your trip, you can distinguish between a trail from the village centre, walks by the lake and a longer waymarked route. The highlights also vary: in the village, the church and village green take centre stage, while the trails focus on the landscape at Bradworthy Common or the Tamar Lakes. This lets you weigh up nature, a visit to the village and trail length as different considerations for your stay.

Local History and Landscape

The Church of St John the Baptist is an Anglican parish church dating from the 13th century. The village green is considered the largest in the West Country, making it a separate landmark in the village. Bradworthy Moor was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1992. Together, these local highlights range from religious architectural history and the village centre to the formal designation of a nature area; the dates refer to different things: the age of the church and the year the moor was designated.

Walking from Bradworthy

The Bradworthy Trail starts in the village centre, passes through Bradworthy Common and crosses the River Waldon by a bridge. Bradworthy Common is also known for being home to a colony of the rare marsh fritillary butterfly. If you are interested in this rare species, the trail offers a specific nature highlight alongside the local history. Seasonal conditions for wildlife may vary. As trail and river conditions can change, check the current trail conditions before setting out.

Tamar Lakes: Walks and Nature

The Tamar Lakes lie on the south-west side of the parish of Bradworthy. A circular route of about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) around Upper Tamar Lake offers an option for a walk by the lake. As the operator’s route information may change, check the latest trail guidance before setting out.

Lower Tamar Lake is a designated nature reserve with a bird hide. The Tamar Lakes are home to a willow tit population of importance to the South West; wildlife populations can change over time. The bird hide and willow tit population highlight different aspects of wildlife: a place for observation and a regionally significant species.

Lower Tamar Lake was created in the early 20th century as a reservoir to supply the old Bude Canal. In 1949, it was designated a bird sanctuary. These details illustrate two distinct chapters: supplying the old canal and its later designation as a bird sanctuary.

The waymarked Bude Aqueduct Trail is five miles long and runs from the car park at Lower Tamar Lake to the car park at Vealand Nature Reserve. At about 4.5 km, the circular route around Upper Tamar Lake is shorter; the lakeside circuit also differs from the route between two named car parks. This lets you choose between a walk by the water and a longer trail with different start and end points.

Discover more destinations: Torquay, Exeter, Plymtree, Staverton, Throwleigh, Berrynarbor, Bigbury-on-Sea, Otterton.

For the broader travel overview: Devon.