Top 5 Dog Walks in Sandford, Devon
Dog owners in Mid Devon are often asking me for recommendations on great dog walks to take their four legged friends on, I thought I would write today about my five favourite dog walk locations in Sandford, in Mid Devon.
I will be looking at Sandford specifically in this article. If you have any additional walks in Sandford to add let me know and I will check them out. These are a selection of walks from 1 to 4 miles in length.
All the walks start from Sandford Village Hall Car Park, there is a litter bin provided but no other amenities, however, the village is a little gem with two pubs; The Rose & Crown & The Lamb Inn plus an amazing little community shop/post office. It is best to check their websites and socials for opening times and what they can offer you.
Photograph taken on the West Sandford dog walk in Sandford, Mid Devon to learn more about portrait sessions please click here
Postcode for parking spaces EX17 4NA
Google Map for Parking Spaces at Sandford Village Hall.
Links to help you plan you walks -
Sandford community shop/post office. It is best to check their websites and socials for opening times and what they have to offer.
1. Shaky Bridge Circular Walk from Sandford
Photograph taken on the Shaky Bridge circular dog walk in Sandford, Mid Devon to learn more about portrait sessions please click here
Total length of the circular walk 4.26 km (2.64 mi)
The walk is a mixture of quiet roads and a few tracks with some beautiful views, welly boots would be advisable for wet seasons but walking boots/shoes for the rest of the year should be fine.
This dog walk in Sandford sets off from the Village Hall Car Park, turn right out of the entrance and walk along this reasonably straight road with high Devon hedges.
At the T- junction turn right, downhill past Venn Farm & Acorns on your left. Take the next left down a tree lined road leading to a little hump backed bridge, up a slight hill to a T-junction, you are now at Lower Creedy, turn left and head towards Upton Hellions, both quant little hamlets of very pretty houses.
Follow this road for 40 meters, leaving Lower Creedy behind you, passing the Old Rectory on your right, you come to a sharp left hand bend there is a house ahead of you called Middleways, there is a footpath signed to the right of the house, take it and this leads down you down a little footpath that pops you out at Upton Hellions Church. Well worth a look around and the views from the church gate back across the valley are worth a moment too.
From the church head down the hill back towards Lower Creedy and take the first road on your right signed to Hellions Barton, as you come up to an old mill house on your left there is a byway on your left just in front of the mill, take it if you have wellies as it is more of a river bed than a path! However, as luck would have it there is a footpath on your left too, that cuts across this little field, avoiding the byway and pops you out at the famous Shaky Bridge - why famous I hear you ask? All thanks to Barney Butterfield and Sandford Orchards, it is now the name of one of his best selling ciders.
Cross the famous bridge, if you have a puppy-dog with you there is a path (albeit usually very muddy) from the bridge down to the river, so lots of fun can be had by your pooch there.
Follow the byway on until you pop out onto a road, this is where you can add Walk 3 - Cardiac Hill to your walk if you want more of a work out. If not turn left and follow this road back towards the village, there is a great viewpoint/layby at the top of the hill looking back over the entire walk you have just done. Take the next right and you are heading back on the road you walked out the village on. The car park will been your left as you come back into the village.
2. Millennium Green
Photograph taken on the Millennium Green dog walk in Sandford, Mid Devon to learn more about portrait sessions please click here
Total distance: 1.53 km (0.9 mile)
The walk takes you back towards the village and down to the amazing Millennium Green, which is kept this beautiful by a group of dedicated volunteers. The green can be muddy in the wetter months but there is a good path if you are doing a there and back.
This dog walk in Sandford sets off from the Village Hall Car Park, turn left out of the entrance and walk back towards the village. At the T junction turn left again and carefully negotiate a little bit of unpaved road until you get to the raised footpath, stay on this down past the Rose & Crown Pub as it drops back to road level. Follow this mis-match of pavements until you get to a right hand bend, again, carefully cross the road to access the Millennium Green.
The green is a warren of cut tracks, a great chance to explore with your dog, you can weave your way around, especially pleasant in the summer. There is an open area for a game of fetch or the wiggling paths around the trees and the pond for a game of hide and seek. There is a little water splash next to the pond which is easy accessible for your puppy-dog to have a splash, drink and general play all at ankle depth, ideal for puppies as an introduction to water. There is a well maintained main path that if you can go all the way to Crediton on or once you have explored the Green head back the way you came to the Village car park. It is uphill all the way but you have the Rose and Crown or The Lamb Inn as an incentive to get you up the hill.
3. Cardiac Hill
Photograph showing the view from Cardiac Hill dog walk in Sandford, Mid Devon to learn more about portrait sessions please click here
Total distance: 2.14 km (1.33 mi)
This dog walk adds on nicely to my Shaky Bridge walk (Walk 1) so it can be used as an extension or on its own. It is not for the faint of heart as it is pretty steep! It is a mixture of roads and tracks, the roads are slightly busier than the Shaky Bridge walk but at the right time of day, ie not rush hour you may see a handful of vehicles.
This dog walk in Sandford sets off from the Village Hall Car Park, turn right out of the entrance and walk along this reasonably straight road with high Devon hedges.
At the T- junction turn left, you get the most amazing view from a lay-by on your right, looking out over Lower Creedy and Upton Hellions. Keep walking down this road, there is a footpath on your left, opposite a byway on your right - this byway is part of the Shaky Bridge walk (Walk 1) if you want to add Cardiac Hill to that walk. Take the left footpath, it runs along the edge of a few fields which sweep up to the right, with a little stream running in the left hand ditch.
Cross the middle of the field at the end of the track, a diagonal to the right leading to a little gate/stile, this pops you into a little copse of trees and a very steep climb back up to a road. This is what we call Cardiac Hill, it gets the blood pumping nicely.
You pop out onto a main-ish road, turn left and this drops down to the village, take the next left, this leads you back to the village hall car park, which will be on your right.
4. West Sandford Byway
Photograph taken on the West Sandford dog walk in Sandford, Mid Devon to learn more about portrait sessions please click here
Total distance: 5.63 km (3.50 mi)
The walk takes you through the heart of the village and beyond, along little country lanes and an off road track, giving you unlimited views on a clear day. A welly boot walk in the winter or a good pair of hiking boots or shoes in the dry seasons. With unlimited views comes big hills so be warned it is steep but it is worth it.
This dog walk in Sandford sets off from the Village Hall Car Park, turn left out of the entrance and walk back towards the village, go straight across at the staggered junction taking you to the left of the church and into the village square, the Community Shop is just down here on the left and the Lamb Inn is on your right, keep this in mind for your return, it is a very welcome sight at the end of the walk. Walk to the right towards West Sandford, ie with the Lamb Inn on your right.
Walk through the village, passing quaint little houses and an old water pump outside Shute Cottage. Walk up the hill and exit the village, as soon as you pass the end of speed restriction sign take the next right, if the signpost is still standing (it has been know to get a knock or two!) it will say East Henstill. Follow this road, up and up to the very top, about a mile of gradual incline but remember you have the view at the top which will make it all worth while.
At the top of the hill the road opens out, you get the view and places to stop and admire it. Follow this road at your leisure, passing two roads on your right that you just ignore. You will come to a slight bend in the road to your left and there is a farm drive on your right and a byway tucked back to the left, take that byway and head down to the hamlet of West Sandford. Depending on the time of year and the hedge growth you may not get the views as you drop down.
You pop out onto the road, turn left, up another little hill to a T-junction and turn left.
Follow this lane back to the village, the pub and the car park.
5. Rocks Court & Bawdenhayes
Photograph taken on the Rocks Court & Bawdenhayes dog walk in Sandford, Mid Devon to learn more about portrait sessions please click here
Total distance: 4.47 km (2.78 mi)
The walk takes you through the heart of the village and beyond, along little country lanes and footpaths and tracks, giving you unlimited views on a clear day. A welly boot walk in the winter or a good pair of hiking boots or shoes in the dry seasons. With unlimited views comes big hills so be warned it is steep but it is worth it.
This dog walk in Sandford sets off from the Village Hall Car Park, turn left out of the entrance and walk back towards the village, go straight across at the staggered junction taking you to the left of the church and into the village square, the Community Shop is just down here on the left and the Lamb Inn is on your right. Take the road right towards West Sandford.
Walk through the village, passing quaint little houses and an old water pump outside Shute Cottage. Walk up the hill and exit the village, as soon as you pass the ‘end of speed restriction’ sign take the next right, if the signpost is still standing (it has been know to get a knock or two!) it will say East Henstill. Follow this road, up and up to nearly the top, there is a driveway on your right called Bawdenhayes Farm, there is a footpath that runs along the drive, take it.
As you come to the house the footpath goes through the gate to the left of the house and diagonally across this little field to a kissing gate in the hedge ahead of you. Ignore the farm track through this field, it is misleading and not the footpath.
Thought the kissing gate you get amazing views back towards Raddon Top and on a clear day, Sidmouth gap. The footpath runs along the left hand hedge to another kissing gate, this pops you out on the road, turn right and then immediate left down an un-metalled road. Wiggle down this path, it opens out at times to give you stunning views across the valley at any time of year.
It must be an old drovers path for moving stock to market, it is now a very deep path with exposed tree roots and an abundance of wildlife.
The path drops you out onto a road, turn right and follow this for a mile back to where the Shaky Bridge (Walk 1)/Cardiac Hill (Walk 3) cross, you could add one of these on or just follow the road back to an open lay-by on your left for stunning views across the Creedy Valley. Just after the lay-by is a road to your right, take it as it leads back to the Village Hall Car Park that will be on your left.
