A Stroll Around
Braunton
with Captain Dan Smith
I
was delighted to be asked to do this little piece. The weather was beautiful, clear skies and epic visibility. My dog, Monty, was ready and bouncing for a good leg stretch. We parked in the main Braunton car park right in the centre of town. Nearby are many attractions like the Surf Museum, Braunton Museum and The Countryside Centre. They are all worth a look but particularly The Countryside Centre if you have youngsters with you or are interested in the unique flora and fauna of the Braunton Burrows. The Burrows are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Just inland from them are the Great Fields, historic farming strips dating back to the medieval period. Also of interest is that the car park and surrounds used to be a rolling stock yard for the railway which serviced Braunton and Velator Harbour as recently as the early 1900s. If you look closely, you will see the old station buildings now being used shops and restaurants and you will be able to see the line of the now removed track. It is up this line that we now go. So, head north along the Tarka trail between the houses. It quickly turns into an open space between a play park and a bowling green where you could let the dog off. Keep walking for about half a mile until you meet an old railway crossing point. Turn right and head towards St Brannocks Church. This is a lovely old church and it used to be the centre of the original old village. Keep following the road or walk through the grave yard until you come across The Black Horse Inn – undoubtedly a coach house from yesteryear. If you can, pass this pub and head onwards to the next four way junction. You are surrounded by original old Braunton and the narrowness of the streets is telling – no big cars in those days. Turn left up the hill to Ash Barton and then immediately left into a ‘60s housing estate. Just a short walk through this to
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the right up Hazel Avenue brings you to the bottom of a secluded, cool trail that we will take to the top of Chapel Hill. Watch out for the geese (keep dog on lead!) and walk through the lane to the bottom of the meadow which leads very steeply to the top of the hill. This is well worth the effort; the dog can go mad and the ruined chapel is an interesting find. Make sure you do this walk on a clear day, however, as the view is sensational and not to be missed. The entire estuary mouth and all the surrounds for 10-30+miles can be seen. Work your way back the way you came, put the dog on the lead and make your way out of the estate, right onto Boode Rd. A short walk to the next left and then about 400m up the lane to the start of the next hill. You will come across a latch gate and a meadow that rises very steeply once again (sorry, but this is Devon after all!) Watch for sheep before letting the dog run and power your way to the top. More of the view from this vantage point but this time overlooking RMB Chivenor and towards Barnstaple. It is fascinating to see all the old uses for the area from the oil refinery at Fremington to harbours dotted along the river estuary and, of course, the now disused airfield of Chivenor itself. This was formerly a WW2 support airfield and then in later years a jet fighter training base and most recently the base for Search and Rescue for this region – now retired. Make your way downhill towards Braunton village. Luckily it’s all downhill from now on! As you descend you pass by a beautiful old oak tree so have a swing on the rope swing for old times’ sake. The woods envelope you and the path becomes more defined the nearer you get to the village. Watch your step here and be careful on the steps that have been built to assist your descent. You eventually pop out in the upper part of the village and from here it is a simple wend left towards the main street. I’m www.daat.org