Yealmpton

If you are looking for a hotel in Yealmpton, walks and local history can help shape your stay. Six local walks differ in length, route and trail features. There is also the Goreus Stone, the Yealmpton War Memorial and Kitley House’s literary connection. This means you can plan your activities around specific routes and historical themes.

Walks by length and trail features

Walk 1 to Pimple Rock is less than a mile long and suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs and people with disabilities. Walk 2 follows the same route as Walk 1 and continues as far as Puslinch Bridge. It is just under two miles long and includes stiles. The comparison is therefore clear: Walk 1 combines a shorter route with explicitly stated accessibility; Walk 2 is longer and includes stiles as a trail feature. When choosing between them, you can take both the distance and the route into account.

Walk 3 crosses Bowden Hill and Gorlofen along paths or quiet lanes and is just under two miles long. Walk 4 passes through the former fields of the Shire Horse Centre to Yealm Bridge and can be extended to Lotherton Bridge. Walk 5 covers about 4½ miles to Dunstone and Marland Cross. Walk 6 is a circular route of about three miles between Yealmpton and Brixton. Among the routes with stated lengths, the range runs from less than a mile for Walk 1 to about three miles for Walk 6 and roughly 4½ miles for Walk 5; Walks 2 and 3 are both just under two miles.

The River Yealm also shapes Yealmpton’s landscape and offers opportunities for peaceful walks along its banks. The numbered walks have specific destinations and trail features; the riverside setting adds the option of making a walk along the riverbank the focus of your outing. The walks described therefore differ not only in length but also in their points of interest.

The Goreus Stone, memorial and literary history

In Yealmpton churchyard, the Goreus Stone stands ten metres west of the church tower. It is a rare surviving example among around 50 early Christian memorial stones known from south-west England. Its inscription suggests that the stone probably dates from the 6th century AD. The location is specified precisely, while the dating is explicitly described as probable.

The Yealmpton War Memorial is a First World War memorial dating from 1921; additions commemorating the Second World War were made later. This Celtic cross made of Cornish granite commemorates 18 members of the local community who died in the First World War. The later addition extends the memorial’s historical scope, while its original dedication is to the First World War.

Another historical connection leads to Kitley House, a large country house set in a landscaped park. In 1805, Sarah Martin wrote the Mother Hubbard Rhymes there, “The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and Her Dog”. This place brings together a specific literary work, its author and a documented year. Alongside its walks, Yealmpton therefore offers various points of interest related to archaeology, remembrance and literary history to help you plan around your interests.

Event and directions

The Yealmpton Agricultural Show takes place every year on the last Wednesday in July. If you would like to plan your trip around the event, check the date and programme for that year: the specific programme details may vary.

From Plymouth, follow the A379 through Elburton and Brixton to reach Yealmpton. From Exeter, take the A38 Devon Expressway to Smithaleigh Junction; Yealmpton is then about four miles farther on. The two sets of directions offer different reference points: the named villages on the route from Plymouth, and the junction and approximate remaining distance on the route from Exeter.

Discover more destinations: Totnes, Lympstone, Braunton, Rockbeare, Appledore, Kingsbridge, Dunkeswell, Slapton

For the main travel overview: Devon.