Honiton Running Club

THE BLACKDOWN BEAST

4 Pubs Great company Hot Pasty and Mulled Cider 15 miles of tracks and lanes with just a touch of mud

BASIC INFORMATION
The Blackdown Beast is a run-walk to enjoy not to race, so go round with a group of friends, soak up the scenery, splash through the mud, enjoy the pubs and the pasty. If you need to drop out then get to the next stop where arrangements will be made to get you back to your car. Emergencies - Contact the relevant Emergency Service as normal Finish at the Royal Oak, Dunkeswell, which will be serving food and liquid refreshment. Carry a MOB. Phone Number to Ring if you need to be picked up

FINDING YOUR WAY

The written instructions are accurate and the maps drawn from OS 25000 series. The dotted route lines were traced off the OS maps. The route will be marked at intervals by white drawing pins on posts and trees - good eyesight required. Footpaths are public rights of way even though they may go through the centre of a field of crops, a farmyard or down the side of a house. Footpath finger posts - look out for these, mainly where footpaths meet roads. The post points in the direction of of the route. Marker arrows are found on stiles, trees, footbridges, gates and sometimes as separate posts. Again the arrow points in the direction of the route PLEASE STICK TO THE ROUTE. & CLOSE ALL GATES PLEASE DO NOT run through the middle of a group of animals, although you are not likely to meet many at this time of the year. Go round a group if you can, but if you have to go through a group then just walk.

LEG 1a DUNKESWELL to NEWCOTT BARTON ~ 2.9 mi

1. From church follow road and turn right at T junction. 2. Follow road to FP on right 300m, follow FP 400m to lane. Turn right then 300m to gate at end of lane by farm. 3. Keep to top of fields to farm. Go left on lane 100m to FP on right. 4. Through gate and follow FP across middle of field to gate, across stile then across field to stile. Down track to gate, then down track keeping to right to bridge. 5. Follow path up through wood, at top go to right then over stile to plantation.

Straight up hill to track. Right on track 300m to 2 gates. Take left gate then 300m on track to gate. 6. Drop down above pond to stile and stream crossing then up towards Gorwell Farm. Before the farm go up left to field gate and into next field. Follow right-hand boundary to another gate that leads to track through the farm. Follow track left mile to road. 7. Left on road mile then right at house to footpath on private road to Newcott Barton Farm.
Dunkeswell Church

LEG 1b NEWCOTT BARTON to SMEATHARPE ~ 3.4 mi

Crarvan at Middleton mill

7. Contd.. Take track on right through yard then left at FP marker on track to gate 50m. down track and bear left along bottom of field. 8. Along track to gate then straight to road. Turn left down road 600m to FP on right. (Burcombe Farm). 9. Through first gate on left across field to gate and along field to footbridge. Over footbridge then right along hedge line then up to gate. 10. Up 100m to stone hut and left on rising track and along top of field to gate and road. 11. Right on road 50m then left on road through farm. Follow road mile down steep hill and over stream at bottom then rise 100m to footpath on right. 12. Through gate and up field to gate on right. Along track to 2 gates. Follow FP across open area, then past large fallen tree on track to gate. Follow track straight along and up to Springdale garden terrace where pasty and cider awaits you.

Springdale

LEG 2

SMEATHARPE to UPOTTERY ~ 2.8 mi

1. Go up drive and follow track along to road. Straight across onto lane by telephone box. Follow lane half mile to T junction. 2. Turn right on lane for 100metres to footpath stile on left. 3. Follow footpath across 2 fields to track left and 400metres up to gate. 4. Follow footpath across field to stile then around top of field to another stile. 5. Straight across middle of field to stile by wood. Through gate and drop down through wood to lane. 6. Left on lane 400 metres to road. Straight across road to lane which goes steeply down for 400 metres. Turn right at lane junction and follow muddy lane down to Upottery. 7. Past village hall and round to Sidmouth Arms Pub.

Upottery Church

Sidmouth Arms

LEG 3

UPOTTERY to LUPPITT ~ 3.3 m

1. Take road past church towards Rawridge mile. 2. Through Rawridge to almost last house in village then turn right onto footpath. 3. Down to river bridge and across. 4. Diagonally left across field to stile. 5. Through stile and onto lane past Otter Falls Leisure complex and straight up lane to lane intersection. 6. From intersection go left and immediately right and up 400 metres to house. 7. There is a footpath stile on right just by entrance gate. Footpath runs alongside drive. 8. Up footpath and along to footbridge. Up through wood to stile then follow path diagonally climbing right up hill to gate. 9. Up diagonally right across field to gate. Through gate then left and immediately up right. 10. 400 metres on track to stile and lookout point above Luppitt. 11. Straight across road and down steep track 200metres to road. Straight across this road 200m to another road. 12. Left on road and follow road mile to T junction below Luppitt. Turn right and climb hill to Pub.
Luppitt Inn

LEG 4

LUPPITT to DUNKESWELL ~ 2.4 mi

Luppitt Church

PLEASE TAKE CARE ON THIS LEG - narrow roads and several blind bends. 1. Turn uphill out of pub and follow road 1 mile up to busy road. 2. Straight across road and follow 1.5 miles then right at junction. 3. Follow road for mile to left turn just before church. 4. Left at junction and 400 metres to finish at Royal Oak Pub.

Royal Oak

ROUTE OVERVIEW
To Taunton Smeatharpe

Dunkeswell Upottery
To Chard

Luppitt

Rawridge

A30

To Honiton

To Honiton

Leg Leg 1

From Dunkeswell Royal Oak

To Smeatharpe Springdale Upottery Sidmouth Arms Luppitt Luppitt Inn Dunkeswell Royal Oak

Ascent 800ft 120 ft 569 ft 360 ft

Descent 740 ft 430 ft 460 ft 240 ft

Distance 6.3 mi 3.1 mi 2.9 mi 2.4 mi

Leg 2 Smeatharpe Leg 3 Upottery Leg 4 Luppitt