Kingsteignton: History, Trails and Nature

When looking for a hotel in Kingsteignton, you can first decide whether you are particularly interested in historic buildings, the industrial past, the Ram Roasting Fair or nature. These local themes offer practical starting points for planning your stay around your interests.

Church Architecture and Industrial History

The Church of St Michael offers an introduction to architectural history: the surviving masonry dates largely from the 15th century and is in the Perpendicular style. Parts of a 15th-century wooden “road screen” also survive; it depicts saints. The masonry and furnishings thus offer different perspectives on the medieval church. If you are interested in historic architectural styles, you can make both a focus of your trip.

Clay Cellars Studio consists of two clay cellars with doors facing one another. It is an integral part of the nationally important industrial landscape of the South Devon ball clay industry. The brief description of the structure and its place within this industrial landscape complement one another: here, a specific building is also part of the wider history of the clay industry.

Watercourses and transport routes also illustrate different aspects of this history. Hackney Canal was built in 1843 to transport clay to the River Teign near Newton Abbot. Fairwater Leat served other purposes: it supplied the village of Kingsteignton with water and powered three mills. It was probably first constructed in the 13th century. Its route runs through the churchyard in Kingsteignton from Rydon to Lower Mill and from there on to the Teign. Comparing the two structures highlights the difference between transporting clay and supplying the village and powering mills.

Fair, Trails and Nature

The Ram Roasting Fair is considered a very old festival, probably dating back to the Middle Ages. A central feature is the roasting of an entire ram carcass outdoors. If you are planning your trip around the fair, check the date and event programme in advance, as arrangements may change.

For the Teign Estuary Trail, it is useful to distinguish between the sections that have opened and the planned overall route. The first section, between Town Quay in Newton Abbot and the centre of Kingsteignton, opened in March 2013. A 700-metre eastern branch to the Passage House Inn opened in April 2018. The trail is planned as a high-quality multi-use route along the Teign Estuary: for walking, use with mobility aids and cycling. It is intended to connect Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton with Dawlish. When planning your trip, it is important not to confuse this proposed connection with the sections that have already opened.

Hackney Marshes is a Local Nature Reserve. The area can be reached via Greenhill Way, where there is a free car park, and by a footpath from the Passage House Inn. As access arrangements and parking conditions may change, check them before your visit. The natural areas thus add a distinct focus to your trip planning alongside the historic and architectural themes.

Discover more destinations: Bovey Tracey, Harberton, Copplestone, Bideford, Lympstone, Longdown, Lamerton, Axminster.

For the broader travel overview: Devon.