Walking the John Musgrave Heritage Trail

Walking the John Musgrave Heritage Trail is a quietly brilliant way to see a stretch of South Devon that most visitors only glimpse from the coast road. The trail runs for 35 miles in a rough semicircle inland of Torbay, starting at Maidencombe just north of Torquay, dipping through Cockington, climbing across the rolling country south to Totnes, then dropping down the Dart to Dittisham and Greenway before finishing at Brixham Harbour. It is named after John Musgrave, a Torbay Rambler whose bequest funded the route.

You do not need to be a long-distance walker to enjoy it. The trail is broken into four signed sections, each walkable in a day, and the public transport links between the ends are decent enough that you can pick it off section by section over a few visits.

The four sections at a glance

Section 1, Maidencombe to Cockington (around 11 miles), is the hilliest. Expect steep wooded combes, several stream crossings and views back to the coast at Babbacombe. This is the section to do when your legs are fresh.

Section 2, Cockington to Totnes (around 9.5 miles), trades coastal hills for inland farmland, with parkland, lanes and a long descent into Totnes via Berry Pomeroy. It’s the most varied stage and the one I’d start with if you’re new to the trail.

Section 3, Totnes to Dittisham (around 9 miles), follows the west bank of the Dart through Ashprington, Cornworthy and the wooded creeks above Dittisham. This is the gentlest in terms of climb but has the best river views.

Section 4, Greenway to Brixham (around 5 miles), uses the Greenway Walk for most of its length and meets the South West Coast Path near Brixham harbour. It is the shortest and easiest section, and a brilliant half day with a Dittisham-Greenway ferry start.

What you walk through

The John Musgrave Heritage Trail is built to show off the things you don’t see from the A380. You walk past Cockington Court (a 16th century manor with a working forge), through the parkland of Berry Pomeroy with the castle ruins on a wooded crag above you, past the ruined arch of Cornworthy Priory, and through the National Trust grounds at Greenway House, Agatha Christie’s holiday home. Over 40 heritage features sit on or close to the route.

The countryside in between is classic South Devon: high-banked lanes, oak woodland in the combes, dairy pasture on the tops, and creek-side reedbeds where the river bends. Even on the busiest days of summer, you will go long stretches without seeing another walker.

Terrain, waymarking and gates

The trail is well waymarked with a stylised JMHT logo on signposts and waymarks. A few junctions in Section 1 are easier to miss when you’re tired; carry OS Explorer OL20 or a downloaded GPX. Underfoot you get a mix of woodland track, field paths, quiet lanes and short tarmac sections. Expect plenty of kissing gates and a handful of stiles, two or three with dog gates.

The total ascent across all four sections is around 1,000 metres. None of it is alpine, but the cumulative effect on Sections 1 and 2 can surprise you. Wear proper boots, not trainers.

Logistics: how to do it section by section

Section 1: Start at Maidencombe car park, finish at Cockington. Buses link both ends with Torquay.

Section 2: Start Cockington, finish Totnes. Bus 12 from Torquay to Cockington; train back from Totnes.

Section 3: Start Totnes, finish Dittisham. Train to Totnes; River Link ferry from Dittisham to Dartmouth, then bus or steam railway back.

Section 4: Start Dittisham (or Greenway), finish Brixham. Use the Greenway Ferry from Dittisham to Greenway Quay, then walk to Brixham. Bus 18 back to Paignton for the train.

When to walk it

Walking the John Musgrave Heritage Trail is best in spring and autumn. May brings bluebells in the Greenway woods and wild garlic in the combes near Cockington. September and October give you firm ground, clear light and quiet pubs at the section ends. Avoid the depths of winter for the Maidencombe-Cockington stage; some of the wooded paths become genuinely slippery.

The story behind the trail

The John Musgrave Heritage Trail was developed by the Torbay group of the Ramblers, named in memory of John Musgrave, a long-serving local rambler whose legacy helped fund the route. It was opened in stages from the mid-2000s, with the aim of joining up the heritage features of South Devon into a single waymarked walk. The trail is now maintained jointly by the Ramblers and a network of local volunteers, with regular working parties keeping the waymarks fresh and stiles in good order. It is a quietly impressive piece of community work.

For more on the river-side sections, see our Dart Valley walks guide, and for ideas on where to stay overnight between sections, our South Hams accommodation page covers the obvious options.