Westleigh: Walking Trails and Village History

Westleigh combines several walking options with distinctive historical and landscape features. Within the parish, routes range from a circular walk of about 1.5 miles to longer outings. The Church of St Peter and the views from Tapeley Park over the River Torridge and the North Devon coast add village history and scenery to the choice of walks.

Walking routes from short circular walks to long outings

The parish has numerous footpaths and several forgotten lanes, which are suitable for circular walks. The Island is about 1.5 miles long, making it a short circular-walk option. There is also a long circular walk of about 8 miles and a long walk of about 6 miles. In order of length, The Island is the shortest, the 6-mile walk comes in the middle, and the 8-mile circular walk is the longest. This lets you factor the approximate distance of each walking option into your travel plans.

The circular walk of about 8 miles follows footpaths, parish roads and forgotten lanes. The walk of about 6 miles follows country lanes, the Tarka Trail, a beach and sand dunes. The two longer options therefore also differ in their routes: the 8-mile outing is specifically a circular walk, while the 6-mile walk includes the trail, beach and dunes as specific route features. If the circular route matters to you, the 8-mile walk offers a clear point of comparison. If you are interested in the landscape features mentioned, the 6-mile walk offers a different focus.

Tarka Trail: access and route connections

Westleigh is within easy walking distance of the Tarka Trail, which is also part of the walk of about 6 miles. To access the Tarka Trail via the parish path, head from Westleigh along the B3233; the entrance is on the left next to the bus stop opposite. The B3233 and the bus stop are two practical points of reference: one for access, the other for the entrance’s location. In addition, the section of the South West Coast Path between Bideford and Westleigh partly shares its route with the Tarka Trail.

Village history and scenery

At the upper end of the village, the castellated tower of the Church of St Peter stands out; it dates from the 15th century. The church also has 16th-century pews with elaborately carved ends. These ends are the side pieces of the pews; their carvings complement the distinctive shape of the tower with a finer decorative detail. The two features provide historical highlights from two successive centuries.

Tapeley Park is in the parish of Westleigh, on a hill overlooking the River Torridge and the North Devon coast. The view offers a separate point of scenic interest alongside the specific route lengths and itineraries: while the walks can be compared by the types of paths they follow, Tapeley Park looks out over the river and coast.

Discover more destinations: Kingsteignton, Bampton, Noss Mayo, Parkham, Liverton, Newton Poppleford, Braunton, Molland.

For the main travel overview: Devon.