ROUTE: Short walk. Start Moretonhampstead. Butterdon Hill. Cranbrook. Fingle Bridge. Clifford Bridge. Finish Steps Bridge. Distance 15km. Allow 4.5 hours minimum.

SITES OF INTEREST: Butterdon Hill (nr Moretonhampstead) Standing Stone

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Exeter to Moretonhampstead via Dunsford (Country Bus 359) runs Monday to Saturday. The last bus from Moretonhampstead leaves at 16.16 to return to Exeter. This still leaves plenty of time for this walk.

Butterdon Hill Standing Stone

Start at the main Moretonhampstead bus stop in the car park. Walk down New Street into Moretonhampstead passing the Post Office and the Co-op Store. Keep to the left where the road forks. Go across Ford Street (A382). Note there is a bus stop here - indeed you could get off the bus here instead. A very short distance to the right, heading towards the Bell Inn, turn left down Fore Street (the church can be seen in the distance) and then immediately turn left into Lime Street. Head down hill (the road becomes Shute Hill) out of Moretonhampstead and just after the road goes over the stream on the left hand side is the start of the footpath.

The footpath heads north for about 2 km. It is fairly well sign posted and if you have a compass you can't go wrong if you keep heading north. The path goes pass Coombe Court and eventually becomes a track passing Hill Farm Barn.

The track becomes a lane. Follow the road north for a couple of hundred yards to Butterdon Barn. As the road turns sharply to the right there are two possible foot paths to take. The one that carries on in a northward direction heads to Willingstone going pass the eastern side of Butterdon Hill. Take the path to the left. This becomes a green lane that heads out on to Butterdon Hill.

Stick to the path as it goes round to the west of Butterdon Hill. On the route of the path is the Butterdon Hill standing stone.

Keep heading north along the path. This will eventually come out on a road, go a short distance left along the road to continue north on the path. At this stage there is an option to head west up to Cranbrook Castle an iron age fort. Follow the track down hill to Fingle Bridge.

This path descends steeply down to Fingle Bridge. Cross to the other side for the Fingle Bridge Inn for a drink or some food.

Return to the south side of Fingle Bridge and head east along the River Teign to Clifford Bridge. At Clifford Bridge walk a few hundred yards along the road to get on to the path to Steps Bridge. At Steps Bridge walk around 200 yeards along the road to the right to the car park for the bus stop for the bus home.

See also: Butterdon Hill (nr. Moretonhampstead) Standing Stone