Greenway Boathouse walk
This circular route around the garden leads you through woodland and along the riverside. For pedometer users who may be interested, this route clocks up about 1,500 steps, and will get your heart rate up on the final stretch as you walk back up from the bottom of the garden.
Map
Start:
Greenway visitor reception
1
From visitor reception, walk through the courtyard, past the shop and head right to take you down to the house. Follow the Middle Path past the house, heading into the woodland garden.
2
Keep to the Middle Path until you come to a fork in the path which is signposted 'to the Boathouse.' Turn right here, and head downhill.
3
Follow the path downhill until you reach a fork. Take the path to the left.
4
This path leads you down to the edge of the garden, where it borders the River Dart. Grey herons nest in the trees here; there is the largest heronry on the River Dart at the edge of the garden.
Heronry
When you pass a gate into the field that borders garden, pop your head over it and look down towards the river. You may be able to see the heronry, and in the spring you can see the herons on their nests.
5
The path forks to the left again, leading to a viewpoint with a handily positioned bench. Why not stop for a minute and soak up the view of the river? From here you can see down towards Kingswear. When you're ready, join the path again and follow it along the riverside until you reach the Boathouse.
Greenway Boathouse
This was the scene of the crime in Agatha Christie's mystery 'Dead Man's Folly.' From the Boathouse Saloon you can visit the veranda for some wildlife watching, and meet the team there who will fill you in on the Boathouse's history. If the Saloon is closed, why not visit the Boathouse Quay?
6
Once you've finished exploring the Boathouse, rejoin the path and continue along it, keeping the river to your left. You'll arrive at The Battery.
The Battery
Agatha Christie and her family loved to watch the passing boats from The Battery. It dates from the late 18th or early 19th century, and was perhaps part of the Dart estuary defences during the Napoleonic wars.
7
From the Battery, take the path at the opposite end from the way you arrived, to keep the River Dart on your left while you begin the climb back up the garden. There are some steep and rocky sections of this path, so take it steady.
8
You'll come across another viewpoint with a bench where you can pause for a rest and enjoy the river view. Follow the path all the way until it emerges to the left of the house. Then turn right to go around the house and back towards the courtyard where you started.
End:
Greenway couryard
