The Granite Way is a route of 18 km (11 miles) consisting mainly of a motor traffic-free cycle/walkway between
Okehampton
Okehampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and had a population of 5,922 at the 2011 census. Two electoral wards are based in the town (east and west) ...
(near the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
) and
Lydford
Lydford, sometimes spelled Lidford, is a village, once an important town, in Devon, north of Tavistock on the western fringe of Dartmoor in the West Devon district. There is an electoral ward with the same name which includes Princetown. The p ...
. It was built by
Devon County Council (DCC) and is part of the
National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 27
Route 27, or Highway 27, may refer to:
Australia
* Burke Developmental Road (Queensland)
* Zeehan Highway (Tasmania)
Canada
* Alberta Highway 27
* British Columbia Highway 27
* Manitoba Highway 27
* Prince Edward Island Route 27
* Saskatchew ...
‘
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
Coast to Coast’ between
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe ( ) is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England, with a small harbour surrounded by cliffs.
The parish stretches along the coast from the 'Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and along t ...
and
Plymouth. It is maintained jointly by DCC and
Sustrans
Sustrans is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network.
Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United K ...
.
Currently, the Way is supported by a Sunday-only train service during summer months to and from
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a terminus railway station on the Dartmoor line serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. The station closed to regular traffic in 1972, but heritage and occasional mainline services ran from 1997 to 2019. ...
providing links to nearby
Exeter run by DCC and
Great Western Railway.
The Granite Way largely follows the course of the
former Southern Region railway line. The route includes notable features such as crossing the
Meldon Viaduct
Meldon Viaduct carried the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) across the West Okement River at Meldon (near Okehampton) on Dartmoor in Devon, South West England. The truss bridge, which was constructed from wrought iron and cast iron not st ...
and Lake Viaduct both of which were formerly railway bridges and are of historical interest.
The Granite Way featured in ''Five of the best scenic bike rides in Devon''.
Much of the Way is within
Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous P ...
.
See also
*
Rail trail
External links
The Granite Way Cycle Trail– Dartmoor Tourism
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Granite Way
Cycleways in England
Footpaths in Devon
Rail trails in England