Skip to content

back to Woolley Woods

Woolley Woods Ramble

Devon

A track in the woods lined by trees on either side — Walks into the wider Arlington estate from Woolley Woods | © Katy Anderson

Follow the historic carriage way through peaceful woodland before climbing to open countryside with panoramic views towards Churchill and East Down.

Near to

Start point

Woolley Woods EX31 4JZ

what3words

///sampling.townhouse.voted

Trail information

Difficulty

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 1.8 (km: 2.88)

Duration 40 mins

Dog friendly

Address
Woolley Woods EX31 4JZ
what3words: ///sampling.townhouse.voted
Directions via Google Maps
By road
From Barnstaple, take the A39, stay on this road for 6 miles, then turn right to follow the brown sign for Woolley Woods. From South Molton, take the A399 and stay on this road to Blackmoor Gate crossroads, turning left to join A39 towards Barnstaple – head past the turning for Arlington Court and continue for another 2miles on the A39. Turn left at the Brown sign for Woolley Woods.
Total stages: 8
Total stages: 8
Start point
Woolley Woods EX31 4JZ
Stage 1
Join the footpath to join the historic carriage drive and follow through the woods. Note: this carriage drive was the original route to the house at Arlington Court, you can still see the Lodge which was situated next to the entrance to the driveway.
Stage 2
Continue straight on. note: you’ll see some historic gate posts here. These were introduced by Rosalie Chichester of Arlington Court when she installed an 8ft deer fence around her nature reserve on the estate to protect the wildlife within from the local hunt.
Stage 3
Continue straight on. Note: you’ll be leaving the historic carriage drive which turns right at this point towards Arlington Court.
Stage 4
Branch off to the left and gradually climb up through the woods.
Stage 5
When you’ve reached the top of the footpath, go through the kissing gate. Follow the hedge line to walk up the field until you come to another gate on your left. Take a moment at the top of field to enjoy the panoramic view towards Churchill and East Down.
Stage 6
Turn left through the gateway and follow the path diagonally across the field to the next gate. If you walk too far to the right, you’ll meet two gates. Don’t go through these but continue alongside the hedge until you reach the gate with the fingerpost.
Stage 7
Go through the wooden gate with fingerpost and follow the hedge line straight ahead to cross the field. Don’t go through the first gate, keep following the slope to the kissing gate and go through here.
Stage 8
Walk through the field to the next kissing gate at the bottom. Once through the gate, turn right to rejoin the historic carriage drive and walk back toward Woolley Woods.
End point
Woolley Woods EX31 4JZ
Trail map
Map of Woolley Woods Ramble | © © Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey
You made it
Share your experience

Get in touch

National Trust Woolley Woods, Shirwell, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4JZ

arlingtoncourt@nationaltrust.org.uk

Sign up to hear more from the National Trust

By sharing your email address you’re agreeing to receive marketing emails from the National Trust and confirm you’re 18 years old or over. Please see our for more information on how we look after your personal data.