The 10 Best Biking Trails in Devon, England

June 13, 2021 Florencio Paulino

Devon Cottages - The Ultimate in Relaxing Breaks

From the wilds of Dartmoor to the wooded hillsides of the Lyn Valley, Devon is undoubtedly one of England's most beautiful counties. Its overwhelmingly rural landscape means that catered accommodation is restricted to over-subscribed Bed and Breakfasts and hotels which are mostly concentrated in towns like Exeter and Barnstaple.

Devon is a great location for a family holiday in the great outdoors, with everything from beach resorts at Ilfracombe to rambling in the hills of Exmoor and tors of Dartmoor. It is a large county, but whether you want to follow the Tarka Trail, or walk down the Doone Valley, you can be sure there will be cottages open for holiday rentals nearby.

Devon's Cottages, All Mod Cons

Most of Devon's holiday rental cottages started as farm buildings of some sort, and planning restrictions mean that many of them retain their rural charm on the outside. However, the cottages are generally renovated to 21st Century standards inside, with double glazing, TV, washing machines and fully-equipped kitchens. Families are well catered for in the higher end properties with games rooms, sometimes including full-size pool tables and large gardens for children to explore.

Despite the unpredictability of Devon's weather even during the summer months, the comfort of these properties gives great peace of mind. Moreover, a week's holiday rental of a cottage in Devon can cost as little as £300 - £400. During the peak season you can spend as much as £900 a month for one of the larger or more luxurious cottages, which still works out to be cheaper than a lot of hotels, especially if you have to book several rooms to accommodate a family of four or five.

Town Mouse or Country Mouse

To get the best of Devon's startling countryside and its friendly communities, renting a holiday cottage near Lynton and Lynmouth can be a good start. It is a useful base from which to explore North Devon, and is within walking distance of several beauty spots, such as Watersmeet (complete with a small but impressive waterfall) and the Valley of the Rocks. Separated by a steep cliff, you can travel up a funicular railway from coastal Lynmouth to clifftop Lynton, with plenty of stunning walks, shopping opportunities and several beaches and boat trips to nearby coastal attractions.

The twin villages also boast a concentration of well-equipped holiday cottages, from modest fisherman's cottages on the path to Watersmeet to grander hillside houses on the way to the Valley of the Rocks. Whatever your budget, Lynton and Lynmouth can provide some tempting accommodation options for your first Devon holiday.


Restaurants in Devon

1. Exe Trail

Marina Way, Exmouth England http://www.exetrail.co.uk
Excellent
79%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 76 reviews

Exe Trail

2. National Cycle Route 27

Plymouth England http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-27
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 2 reviews

National Cycle Route 27

3. Trail Unknown

46 Radford Road, Exeter EX2 4ET England +44 7597 719507 [email protected] http://www.trailunknown.com/
Excellent
95%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
5%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 21 reviews

Trail Unknown

All inclusive mountain bike adventures showcasing the UK's most unpublicized and best riding locations in the finest areas of natural beauty.

Reviewed By 632pierrek

I've been on multiple trips lead by Tom and Hugo and have had an absolute blast every time. Genuinely couldn't recommend Trail Unknown enough to anyone, from those just looking to get into mountain biking all the way to highly experienced mountain bikers! 5* experience!

4. Exeter Eagles BMX

Cofton Road Marsh Barton Trading Estate, Exeter EX2 8QW England [email protected] http://exetereagles.co.uk
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 4 reviews

Exeter Eagles BMX

Exeter Eagles BMX track has had a major revamp and welcomes everyone to ride. We have all necessary equipment available to hire and your first ride is even free. Exeter Eagles is a BMX club for people of all ages who enjoy taking part in a sport, the club competes in regional and national BMX events. Please see our website exetereagles.co.uk for more information.

5. Tarka Trail (Braunton to Meeth)

EX39 2AZ England +44 7815 024677 [email protected] http://www.tarkatrailguide.co.uk/
Excellent
79%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 239 reviews

Tarka Trail (Braunton to Meeth)

The Tarka Trail is a pedestrian and cycle way within the North Devon Biosphere Reserve. This page is for the 48km, shared-use section between Braunton and Meeth which runs along the line of an old railway. It is part of the National Cycle Network and totally traffic free. Along this stretch, interpretation boards and other information help you discover the heritage, culture and natural features you can see. Horses are also welcome between Torrington (Servis bridleway) and Meeth. Further detailed information, including maps can be found in the Tarka Trail Guide available online from the website and in local bookshops, museums and Tourist Information Centres.

Reviewed By N1625YYsarahf

We hired bikes from Barnstaple station and cycled to bideford with a lunch stop at Instow. We had a fantastic time, lovely scenery and lots of things to look at along the way. instow was a lovely place we had a nice lunch there at the boat house. Fremington was nice too there is a nice cafe in the old railway station where we stopped for tea and cake on way back and a kids pirate ship play area which my nephew would have loved as he’s mad on pirates! Can’t wait to cycle more of the trail starting at the other end next time.

6. Plym Valley Cycle Trail

Plymouth England http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Plym_Valley_Cycle_Track-Cycle-Route-58.html
Excellent
69%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 200 reviews

Plym Valley Cycle Trail

Reviewed By Louetta - Georgetown, United States

Very nice trail, well groomed mostly, a little mud but it was only February. We got our bikes at the Plymouth Bike Hire. It's fairly level but generally going uphill away from the city and downhill coming back. There's one section of a pretty long tunnel and at one point a train went by (not in the tunnel, though). There are some deer and other smaller animals about and horses.

7. The Granite Way

Dartmoor National Park, Okehampton England +44 1837 861141 http://www.visitdartmoor.co.uk/things-to-do/the-granite-way-p456943
Excellent
62%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 229 reviews

The Granite Way

Reviewed By CTQO - Okehampton, United Kingdom

Great bike ride, wonderful views (especially at Meldon), and topped off perfectly with a sandwich and drink at the Castle Inn Lydford.

8. Drakes Trail

Plymouth England +44 1822 612960 http://www.drakestrail.co.uk/
Excellent
59%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 49 reviews

Drakes Trail

Reviewed By 734amik

A gorgeous, traffic-free cycle route from Tavistock to Plymouth - very "doable" as a steady day's biking - picturesque Devon scenes unfold as you ride through forest canopies, across bridges over viaducts, into tunnels with stalactites and with views across moors and open fields. Well worth ending up at one of the lovely tea rooms for a spot of cream tea!

9. Decoy Country Park

Decoy Road, Newton Abbot TQ12 1EB England +44 7971 051509 http://www.devonwindsurf.co.uk
Excellent
59%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 179 reviews

Decoy Country Park

Reviewed By kathandherb - Newton Abbot, United Kingdom

Took granddaughter for morning play. Great park plenty to do feed the ducks plenty of area for football. Lovely park ...swings spiny logs . Shop with tea coffee icecream .clean toilets.. great time was had

10. Stover Trail

The Stover Way Stover Country Park, Newton Abbot England http://www.traveldevon.info/cycle/cycle-routes/cycle-trails/
Excellent
73%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 11 reviews

Stover Trail

Reviewed By britholidayfans - Plymouth, United Kingdom

We've been here twice now, once after work riding from Stover to Bovey Tracey and back after work one evening on a week day. We arrived at about 1630 and were leaving by 1800hrs. There weren't many other people on the trail so it was a very peaceful way to wind down after a busy day. We returned on bank holiday Sunday and rode from Stover to Newton Abbot then to Bovey Tracey before returning to Stover. The trail was very busy, particularly heading to Newton Abbot with lots of groups of cyclists and families with young children learning to ride. Everyone was extremely polite and courteous, which meant it didn't matter that it was busy. When we got to Bovey Tracey we found the recreation ground and sat on a picnic table in the sun enjoying our lunch and people watching. The ride itself isn't the longest, we rode for about 1hour 30mins but lots of that was slow riding exploring little turn offs on the trail, so if you were just cycling without looking around the ride would be over much quicker. The time and distance was perfect for our day though. The trail will certainly be one to return to in the future when we only have a couple of hours. The trail was clean and overall litter free too which is always nice.

ThingsTodoPost © 2018 - 2024 All rights reserved.