Arlington run - Deer park woods 7km
Devon
This running route explores secluded School Wood and Withy’s Down before meandering through meadows and farm fields to Barton Court, dropping into Deer Park Wood, crossing Tucker’s Bridge and ascending to Arlington through the Wilderness.
Start point
Arlington Court car park, grid ref: SS611408Trail information
Difficulty
ChallengingFull trail
DistanceMiles: 4.3 (km: 6.88)Please note
This route includes sections on minor roads at the user’s own risk.
Total stages: 10
Total stages: 10
Start point
Arlington Court car park, grid ref: SS611408
Stage 1
Leave the car park, opposite the main entrance to Arlington Estate, turn left and run up the quiet road. Continue past a row of cottages and a lane going left. After Garden Cottage, just before another house, turn left up a track, following a public footpath fingerpost.
Stage 2
Go through a gate and run along a broad grassy trail, with banks and fields on either side. After 500 metres, the track descends into trees and meets another gate. Go over the stile here, ignoring paths leading off to the left, and continue along the path as it arcs right, running towards the sound of running water. A stream soon looms into view on your left.
Stage 3
Cross a small wooden bridge spanning the stream. There’s a stile straight in front of you, but ignore this and turn right, to run gently uphill with the brook babbling on your immediate right. Cross a second (very) small wooden bridge and go through a gate into School Woods on Withy’s Down. Run along a sublime section of singletrack through oak, holly, sweet chestnut and beech trees, with the stream now on your left.
Stage 4
The route leaves the stream and then meets a T-junction with a fingerpost at Cleave Cottage on Beccott Down. Turn right here and run along a broad track snaking through the mixed woodlands of Withy’s Down Plantation. As the trail gently rises, ignore a path leading left and carry straight on, running along a broad gravel track that steadily climbs through plantation pines punctuated with sweet chestnuts, and takes you through a wide gate. Another track comes in to meet you from the left here, but bear right and keep following the trail as it wends through more trees and crosses a stream.
Stage 5
Pass a National Trust sign for Arlington and continue to meet the road. Bear left and run along the tarmac briefly, going past The Old School, before turning right into a field through a gate, following a footpath sign. Keep the wall and hedge on your immediate left. Pass through a gateway into a second field and keep running with the bank on your left until you reach wooden kissing gate. Go through and when you meet track bear left and continue along the path, following a sign for Deer Park Wood.
Stage 6
Pass through a gate by a cattle grid and continue until you reach a stile by Barton Court, with an arrow sign indicating the Coombeshead Circular walk (ignore this). You can take a right here to shortcut back to Arlington, but our route carries straight on, passing Barton Court (on your left), going through a gate (or over a stile) and descending diagonally through a field (bearing slightly right) to a meet a gate at the bottom right corner.
Stage 7
Go through the gate and turn left, heeding an arrow directing you into Deer Park Wood. Descend the excellent gravel path and cross a stream to emerge at a four-way path intersection. Bear right here and run downhill, following a fingerpost for Loxhore Cott. The sound of water gets louder and the rushing River Yeo soon appears on your right. Continue cantering along the broad track, ignoring a turning to the left and a gate on the right. When you meet a major turning to the right, take this and cross the river at Tucker’s Bridge.
Stage 8
After the bridge, follow the track around to the right. Run along the broad trail as it undulates through the verdant woods, with the river flowing on your right. Shortly after a track joins from the hill on your left, you’ll see Smallacombe Bridge spanning the river on the right.
Stage 9
Pass Smallacombe bridge and continue along the broad track, before looping right to pass the Lake and weir. Just after going past a wooden horse sculpture, turn right and follow the fingerpost pointing to Arlington Court via the Wilderness. Ascend a set of stone steps and, at the top, turn right through a wide wooden gate and run along a gorse-lined level path, with fantastic views across the river and valley on your right. At the end of the grassy track, go through another wide wooden gate into the Wilderness. Follow a gravel trail as it arcs left through arrow-straight pine trees to join another track coming in from the right. Bear left and ascend this wide track, listening out for woodpeckers. As St James’s church looms into view, the trail takes you past a majestic redwood (sequoia) tree and leads to the ornamental pond.
Stage 10
Ignore the first turning left, continue until you’re opposite St James’s Church and then turn left and follow the broad track, passing the estate’s main entrance/exit (off to your right) and running past the mansion to the café and toilets (all on your left). Call in for refreshments, or keep going, following a sealed track around to the right to a gateway where, perched upon the posts, you will see a pair of stone herons with eels in their beaks (an emblem of Arlington). Exit the estate, carefully cross the road and run through an open gate almost directly opposite, which leads you along a little track, right into the car park.
End point
Arlington Court car park, grid ref: SS611408
Trail map
Arlington Run - Deer Park wood 7km | © Ordinance survey
Get in touch
Centenary walk at Arlington Court
Take a steep climb through woodlands and alongside the lake to enjoy stunning views of the house and parkland on our walk created to mark our centenary year.
Winford Valley walk at Arlington Court
Explore the woodland and fields of Arlington estate on this short walk. Along the way, look out for historic buildings and, in spring, a carpet of bluebells.
North Woolley Loop
The North Woolley loop is a t new walk on the edge of the Arlington estate, which connects existing footpaths into a 3km circular route. It takes in views across the parkland and out over Exmoor, through woodland and wildflower grassland, past the historic gatehouse (Woolley Lodge) and through a tunnel. You can either park near the lodge or make it a longer walk by joining the route via the Centenary Walk.
