Stage 3 Devon's Coast-to-Coast : Ivybridge to Holne

Description

(D) Leave Ivybridge via Harford Rd. leaving the riverside to go past the old mill (Stowford Paper Mill) and up to the Ivybridge Community College. Go straight across Cole Lane (look out for the Two Moors Way stone sign and the Dartmoor National Park plaque, on either side of Harford Rd. on the other side of Cole Lane) and over the railway. Just after a left hand bend, take the well marked Public Bridleway on the right, past some house and then left on another track out into the fields. Follow the track past fields until it opens out onto the moors at a disused quarry. Keep heading northeast up the hill to a marker stone on an old track. Bear left and stay on the track round Weatherdon Hill, past Hangershell Rock, past Glasscombe Ball and the stone rows at Piles Hill.

(1) Follow the boundary stones, almost due north, the bear slightly right at Sharp Tor. Still on the track, heading north west, go west of Three Barrows on Ugborough Moor and along Harford Moor to go close by Left Lake (a disused quarry pit). The track eventually turns right to Quickbeam Hill and round to the left to Brown Heath. Here, the route leaves the track at a marker stone, to head down to a clapper bridge over the River Avon. Follow the river east to find the Huntingdon Cross.

(2) From the Huntingdon Cross, climb up Hickaton Hill to pass a prehistoric settlement and then past Pupers Hill to reach a footbridge over a stream. Here the path turns right along with Scorriton Down and into fields as the village comes into view. Follow the track down past fields on either side (you could see them if the tall hedge wasn't blocking the view). Michelcombe is down in the valley, on the left as the lane bends right. Finally, the lane comes to an end at a T-junction in the pretty village of Scorriton.

(3) Check out The Tradesmans Arms, just up the road to the left. Ignore the road sign for Holne as our route takes us through the fields rather than the road. At the crossroads turn right then left past the telephone box and follow this road all the way to another T-junction. This time, turn left towards Holne, as indicated by the road sign and over Holy Brook. Ignore the small footpath off to the left but keep straight on to take a dirt track slightly left as the road bends right (indicated Unsuitable for motors). Follow this track up the hill to come out onto a tarmacked road and head straight on towards the houses. At a fork in the road, bear left to end the picturesque village of Holne.(A)