08 Dec New walking routes created in South Devon National Landscape

Explore South Devon is a series of downloadable guided walks to help people get the most out of the fantastic network of public rights of way in the  South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

 

Thanks to  funding from South Devon Local Action Group administered by the DR company,  an additional 19  circular routes have been added to the  Explore South Devon Series

 

To make the walks  easier for people to access   3 layers of information have been  designed:

1.  A  Basic digital version with the route and directions for the walk, available from the website
2. A  Printer friendly version with a  simple map of the route and directions, along with information about landscape, heritage and history, which can be printed out to take  on the walk.
3.  The  Enhanced version  giving  the  route and directions for the walk, available from the website utilising Google maps to use on a  smartphone or tablet  plus audio descriptions of points of interest, local stories and general information on landscape, heritage and history. to clarify the route.  The South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is covered by the orange Explorer map OL20.

 

19 walks were completed  as part of this  project adding to the previous 19 completed in 2019 in partnership with The South West Coast Path Association.

 

To complement the new walks pages,  a set of short films was made , depicting the spectacular landscape of the National Landscape which can be reached using these brilliant walks. These can be viewed  on the  walks pages www.southdevon-nl.org.uk/walks or on the South Devon National Landscape YouTube channel.

 

The funding also extended to a set of outdoor information panels which have been installed at busy locations around the National Landscape, car parks, village centres and at  local businesses, helping people see where they can walk. It’s hoped   that these signs will encourage local residents and visitors to explore further afield, spending more time enjoying the unique natural landscape, profiting from the many benefits of spending more time outdoors being active.

 

With lockdowns and staycations in 2020  lots more locals have been exploring what’s on their doorstep ,as well as visitors seeking new routes in the protected landscapes. The walks pages are the most popular on the website.

 

Cheryl from Avon Mill Garden Centre  near Loddiswell said  “ The board looks great, we are so glad to have it  at Avon Mill, it will help people get the most out of the valley for many years to come.”

 

The other venues for panels include: Aveton Gifford, Noss Mayo, Mothecombe, Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Dartmouth, Stokeley Farm Shop, Totnes Train Station and Ivybridge Train station

 

National Landscape Communities Officer Nicky Bailey said:  “It has been a real pleasure working with our local parishes and businesses to complete the Explore South Devon project. We are so pleased with the beautiful films and hope they will inspire many people to venture out and explore our wonderful landscape. A huge thank you to South Devon Coastal LAG for supporting this project, to Skyflicks and the volunteers who starred in the films, our walk check  volunteers for helping to make sure the walks information was up to date as well as the venues and sites which have hosted one of our new information panels. “

 

The walks can be found at https://www.southdevon-nl.org.uk/walks/