Woodbury Castle Circular Walk

Route Description for Woodbury Castle Circular Walk

Walking the Woodbury Castle Circular Trail is a fun experience due to the lovely scenery and local history, but there are also a few sections of terrain that are a bit rough and rugged, potentially making travel difficult for less-mobile walkers. Be sure to take your time when traversing the moor and wear proper walking footwear with good support to ensure that you have the best footing along the trail. Additionally, there are a fair amount of side trails that intersect the main path here and might make navigation a bit tricky in certain circumstances. Bring a GPS if you would like an extra level of certainty while navigating this route.

Even with all of the above concerns taken into consideration, the Woodbury Castle Circular Walk is an amazing adventure that can be undertaken by almost anyone, including families with children. Setting out from the car park, you will head into the forest to visit the Iron Age hillfort that gives this walk its name before continuing through the peaceful woodland terrain. From here, you will loop around a barren, yet beautiful stretch of moor set in the picturesque Devon countryside. This is truly a relaxing walk if you find yourself needing to reconnect with the natural world.

To begin your adventure along the Woodbury Castle Circular Walk, head north along the trail to make your way gently up the hillside, where you will very quickly come to the remains of the Iron Age fort known as Woodbury Castle. While there aren’t any buildings, you can tell from the build up of earthworks and the commanding position over the surrounding landscape that this would have been an important location for early inhabitants of the area. Once you have had your fill of the site, continue along the trail to the northeast to exit the tree cover.

This is the point of the walk where you will encounter a large number of intersecting paths on the route, so if you have a GPS, now is a great time to have it at the ready. Follow the trail across the moor to the northeast as it runs parallel to the side of the road for a short stretch, before beginning to descend the hillside to the east. After passing through a brief stretch of farmland, you will arrive at the edge of a lane near the village of Hawkerland. Turn right along the road and follow it for 152 m, where you will turn left onto Naps Lane. Follow this as it cuts across the countryside and bends to the southeast, eventually passing by the old sawmills just outside of Colaton Raleigh.

Turn right here onto Hawkerland Road, followed by the next left onto a lane. Follow this south for 0.2 km and turn right, continuing on for 0.2 km to reach another intersection. Head straight across onto the track and follow it through the picturesque Devon countryside, enjoying the beautiful views of the surrounding fields until you cross over a brook and arrive at the edge of a lane. Turn left and follow the lane as it winds through the landscape for 1.2 km to arrive at a car park. Pick up the path heading to the west and break out your GPS to navigate the dense web of trails, as you pass through a stretch of forest and once again traverse the barren terrain of the moor on the return leg of the Woodbury Castle Circular Walk that will bring you back to the car park.

Insider Hints for Woodbury Castle Circular Walk

• This walking route will have some rugged and uneven terrain under foot, so be sure to wear proper walking boots.
• There are a number of intersecting paths along this route. Bring a GPS if you are concerned about straying off the main path.
• Some sections of this walk utilize roadways. Keep an eye on children and dogs in these areas.