Nice Hacking In Devon With Lorry Parking

[Beausmate]

Hi folks. Looking for some nice off-road hacking in Devon that I can park my lorry near. Devon County Council's info on such things is woefully inadequate! Seems far more geared to tourists looking for pony trekking and jolly hikes, than it does people who just want to get away from the crappy tracks that are, sadly, the norm in this area and actually have a decent canter or two.

I am soooo done with dangerous bridleways and shedloads of traffic right now!!

 

[Spotherisk]

Whereabouts in Devon?

 

[Beausmate]

Anywhere, really. I'm based South Devon, Newton Abbot area.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Harcombe horse riding trail on Haldon? Don’t know it exactly, but I spent many happy hours bombing freely around on Haldon as a teenager.

Harcombe horse riding trail at Haldon Forest Park

Harcombe is a short distance away from the main Haldon Forest Park car park and offers a waymarked riding trail. For access to the designated de-boxing car park, please contact Haldon Rangers at haldon.rangers@forestryengland.uk for the gate code. Once you are registered with us, you can ride...

www.forestryengland.uk

 

[Beausmate]

I had considered Harcombe, but it does seem a bit restricted. There is dedicated horsebox parking though, so that's a plus.

 

[FFAQ]

Danes Woods at the Killerton estate might be worth a look, but I'd recommend going midmorning on a weekday if you can because it can get quite busy. Annoyingly most of the woodbury common car parks have head height restrictions now. Shame, because it's riddled with bridleways!
You could park in the top car park at Stoke Woods in Exeter and then it's just a 5 minute ride along the lane to get on a nice long bridleway and a further 2 minutes on the road to link up to another bridleway from there.
I'm sure there's loads more. I shall be watching the thread with interest as I will be in the same boat as you soon!

 

[sarcasm_queen]

Aylesbeare Common. Lovely moorland, lots of tracks.

 

[phizz4]

Roborough Common, on the road from Plymouth to Yelverton. Cadover Bridge, near Yelverton. Princetown car park, the car park opposite the turning to Lydford, leads straight onto Dartmoor, parking at Pork Hill on the road up to Princetown from Tavistock. The roads around the golf course on the common east of Tavistock. Several places on the road up to Dartmoor from the A38 near Bovey Tracey. Also easy access to the moor at Sowerton and south of Okehampton.

 

[paddy555]

can you not just drive up onto Dartmoor and offload wherever you want to ride? that's what most people do.

 

[follysienna]

Mothecombe beach

 

[Spotherisk]

Kennick reservoirs and Fingle woods. Kennick obv has all the bridleways marked on the OS, Fingle is huge so you can ride for hours, actually you could park at Steps Bridge, on the south side in the Bridford woods car park although it’s tight with a trailer if there’s anyone else already parked.

 

[w1bbler]

You've got the whole of Dartmoor, soo many places to park & ride, I'm still exploring & been doing so for 30 ish years. Have a drive up there, sus out some parking & off you go

 

[iknowmyvalue]

The car parks on Dartmoor are reasonably busy this time of year unless you go early or in the evenings. Though those are better times to go for a good canter anyway, as you’re at less risk of mowing down tourists or dog walkers!

If you want, I can PM you some car parks that are suitable for lorrys. One does have a very tight turning onto the lane depending which direction you come from, but takes you to near the bottom of ladies mile which is perfect for a good canter!

Vid is from Feb, but you get the idea of the type of track

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Aylesbeare Common. Lovely moorland, lots of tracks.

^^^ Yes it is lovely. BUT they've taken away the parking at Joney's Cross now - there is a height restriction. There ARE little places you can tuck-in, but unless you're local I wouldn't really suggest them as if you got lost you'd be heading down some very narrow lanes. There IS "official" parking at Wheathill park - but the access road is very narrow and woefully inadequate, and at the end of that road whether you are turning either right or left you are faced with a very steep hill in either direction - and that road is very fast. Uphams is no longer available to us, ditto Four Firs. It really is a woefully bad situation.

Haldon? Well I went to a "Consultation Meeting" held by the Forestry commission backalong which was frankly nothing but a P!ss-take. They couldn't care less about us horse riders and even their publicity material has nothing in it about horse box access or riding!

 

[paddy555]

If you drive up to Dartmoor you don't have to worry about car parks. There are lots of places by the side of the road you can pull in with a lorry. If you are in NA I would drive up in the car from BT up on the Haytor Road and have a look before you take a lorry up. I wouldn't go any further than half way down Widecombe Hill but there are lots of places you could stop. People often unload and leave their lorries at the turn off to Green Lane so that is less driving. Haytor bottom car park is popular next to the loos unless you are planning on a Sunday.

 

[MarvelVillis]

You can park at Cheston Farm equestrian centre for a small fee and it's very quick to get onto the moor from there

 

[Orangehorse]

Our Bridleway Association has a list of over 20 places members can park their lorry and trailers. Some are private yards, some are pubs or farms. Bless her! One Chairman literally went round knocking on people's doors to ask if the members could park there. All parking places are on or very close to a good bridleway network.

Members have to check with the host that it is OK to go the following day and to display their membership pass, so the landowners know who it is parking there. I've never heard of any problems (thank goodness). Some stop doing it due to a change of ownership, usually pubs.

There is no payment. A village hall gets an annual donation, everyone else gets wine/biscuits/chocolate at Christmas.

Its not Devon! But it is an idea for any other areas.