Walk: Sidbury to Church Green, Farway

  1. Start the walk from Sidbury, a lovely Devon village with a good pub and convenience shop in the butchers. 

Cross over the road from the car park towards the Church then left down Bridge Street, two roads past the Church, walk past some typical Devon thatched cottages and go over the River Sid by the red brick bridge at the Millenium Green.

At the top of this lane turn right, keeping the barn wall of Long Barn House on your left (marked on the map), 20 yards further on turn left, go through the kissing gate up into the field. Go through the field, look up on the hilltop in front of you, mainly conifer trees; this is where you are heading.

Keep the hedge on your left as you go up and over the stile, go directly up to the line of trees. Once in the woodland go straight up the steep Buckley Plantation woodland, the climb is worth it for the views and it soon levels out.

   2. Turn left at the top (SY148 913) along a wide flat track for 3/4 mile.

Harcombe valley drops down to your right. Turn left (SW), downhill, along the tarmac lane at the T-junction. In front of you see the valley and great views of Devon’s patchwork fields.

   3. Turn right NNE (SY151 920) through the gate opposite Hatway Cottage with its wide tarmac drive and garage.

Go into a field on to a woodland edge, with the land rising up to your right; through the field to a gate into an enchanting conservation woodland. There is a boardwalk through part of it and it can be quite boggy elsewhere. Go through the gate at the end and on into another woodland.

Heading uphill, look down on to Sandcombe Farm (marked on the map) down in the valley and Mincombe Woods is on your left. Pass Oaklands Farmhouse on your left, continue up the road.

   4. Turn left at the road for 300 yards and left again joining the bridleway through a gate into a field.

Go down through this steep field, down the flint track, then through a gate.

At the bottom of the track we reach Lower Mincombe Farm, go left through the farmyard and over the ford, then right along the lane. Roncombe Brook (the river) is now on your right.

  5. Turn left off Roncombe Lane, (SY158 943) take the track into Lower Knapp Farm holiday complex and continue for 500 yds. 

At the complex, keep right between the buildings and stay right, through a gate, over a stream and uphill through Knapp Copse Nature Reserve. Continue up and out of the wood, along the track to the T-junction, turning right towards the B3174 road. (SY154 957).

Cross over the B3174 at Keepers Croft, a former Keepers Cottage, going (NE) into the woodland opposite. This is Farway Hill, marked on the map. Follow the track round into the woodland until you see a way marker turning you right away from the track, then turn left (NE) along the wide track.

You may soon hear the sound of cars as you emerge from Farway Forestry Commission woodland at Money Acre Cross and see an informal small car parking area.

   6. At the junction, marked Money Acre Cross on the map, cross over towards Farway and Northleigh.

Take the tarmac road down towards Church Green village the end of this stage, take time to look over to your right at the lovely views.

This is a very small village with an attractive 14thC church of St Michael with a fine yew tree in the churchyard.