04 Walk around Rower Hill, Stockland

Blackdown Hills AONB, Devon

This is a short circular walk, mostly along quiet single track country lanes and with a short section on a footpath crossing fields. Watch out for livestock. The route will take you up to the top of the hill behind Ley Farm, with great views of the Yarty Valley below.

• Total distance 3.4 miles (5.5km)
• Estimated time 1hr 40mins
• Elevation 348 ft at lowest point, 653 ft at highest point
• Total ascent 46 ft

These instructions start at Ley Farm, Yarcombe, EX14 9LW.

1. Leave Ley Farm turning left out of the gate onto the lane (heading north). Follow the lane downhill crossing a stream before rising and passing Peterhayes Farm. Keep to the lane, passing the turning to Hays Farm, and eventually you’ll reach the first lane turning off to the left.

2. Take this lane, first rising and curving left before falling to a small cottage on the left of the road and large barns on the right. Keep to the lane, which curves right before climbing to Broadley Farm.

3. At Broadley Farm, where you see the white sign for the farm, the lane splits. Take the left turning next to the sign for the farm, where the lane heads downhill out of the farm. Keep to this lane, passing a house on the right before crossing a stream and rising again. After a sharp turn left, then right, the lane rises to Blackhayes Farm. Once you pass Blackhayes Farm look out for a left turning which first has a gate turning back into a field, then another field gate set back from the lane (signpost Public Footpath) and also a driveway heading up away to the right.

4. Go through the gate signposted Public Footpath and head directly up the field keeping to the hedge on the left. At the top of the field you’ll pass through another gate and onto a path heading through woods. Keep to the path, ignoring the route off to the right, winding around a couple of ponds, passing two gravestones on your right, then around Rower Fort, eventually reaching a metal gate. Pass through the metal gate and then straight through the field gate you’ll see in front of you. Head straight across the field crossing a stile at Wytch Farm, then crossing the cattle grid before reaching a lane.

5. Turn left onto the lane, which twists across the side of the hill. Look out for the church in Stockland village below you on your right.

6. At checkpoint 6, where the lane starts to fall steeply, you’ll have a great viewpoint looking across Ley Farm and up the Yarty Valley with Yarcombe village directly to the north. At the end of the lane turn left and you’ll soon arrive back at Ley Farm.