Tiverton Town Centre Circular Walk

Approximate Time: 45mins

Distance: 2½miles/ 4km

Type of Walk: The walk is easy, following pavements, riverside paths, parks, and quiet town streets with consistently reliable footing and only gentle gradients throughout. Expect narrow alleyways, occasional uneven surfaces near the river, and short road‑crossing sections, but overall it’s a straightforward, accessible route suitable for most walkers.

Parking:

Park in The Phoenix Lane Multistorey Carpark.

Directions:

1. Start at the main pedestrian exit of the multi-storey car park in Phoenix Lane (EX16 6PP)
2. Cross the road and walk up Phoenix Lane passing the Burma Star Association Memorial Garden on your right.
3. Continue up Phoenix lane to the T-junction with Fore Street and bear slightly left to see Coggan's Well, the termination of the Town Leat.
4. Cross over Fore Street and bear right to enter a passageway to Tiverton Pannier Market.
5. Walk through the market buildings and continue straight ahead through the car park, passing Market Walk on your right.
6. Leave the market square beside Clare House Surgery.
7. Turn left along Newport Street and pass the Baptist Church on your right.
8. Straight ahead you will see St Peter's Church. Go through its lychgate and explore the churchyard and, if open, the church itself.
9. Leave the church porch and bear left partway round the building to the corner of the churchyard by the road, where you find an exit gate and a large wooden bus shelter.
10. Walk along the road a little to admire the buildings of Tiverton Castle.
11. Return to the bus shelter and cross the road carefully towards Castle View Dental Practice.
12. Pass to the right of this building and bear immediately left down a narrow footpath known as Hit or Miss Alley, emerging onto Castle Street.
13. Turn left along Castle Street following the direction of the Leat.
14. At the end keep straight ahead along Bartows Causeway.
15. At the end of Bartows Causeway pass through the gates and enter People's Park.
16. At the path T-junction turn right and follow the path along the edge of the park, leaving by the large wrought-iron gates adjacent to the old park keeper's cottage.
17. Leaving the park, turn right along Park Road passing Belmont Road on your left.
18. Continue as the road becomes Park Street until you meet a junction with Silver Street to the right and Bampton Street ahead.
19. Turn left, away from Silver Street, and follow the narrow Water Lane, ignoring Barrington Street to the right.
20. Water Lane leads to a T-junction of paths. Go left, then follow the path as it bends right and past the site of the former Belmont Hospital, now private housing.
21. Go back to the T-junction and this time bear left with the lane.
22. Pass the entrance to Water Lane and keep ahead on the trodden earth path with houses on the right.
23. After 35m the path curves round to the right, continue along it for a further 170m to emerge on Barrington Street.
24. Turn left along Barrington Street and continue for 280m, passing William Street on your right, until you reach the T-junction with Gold Street.
25. On Gold Street, turn left towards the clock tower and cross the road to the statue of Edward the Peacemaker on the bridge over the River Lowman.
26. Continue along the road as it bends to the right by the clock tower.
27. Follow the stone wall until you reach an arched stone gateway through which you can see the original Blundell's School.
28. Retrace your steps towards the clock tower and continue along Gold Street, passing the old building of Greenway Almshouses on your left.
29. Continue past Banbury's department store on your left and continue onto the pedestrianised Fore Street.
30. Continue along Fore Street, passing St George's Church on your left, until you reach the grand Town Hall building.
31. With the Town Hall on your left continue ahead, descending to the River Exe, taking in the view upriver.
32. Retrace your steps uphill, this time bearing left up Angel Hill to enter St Peter Street. On your right you will see Slee's Almshouses and The Great House.
33. Walk up St Peter Street passing the Methodist Church on your right.
34. Follow the road as it bends round and you'll see St Peter's Church ahead of you again.
35. At the end of the road turn right into Newport Street and continue, passing the entrance to the market on your right.
36. At the end of the road turn right into Bampton Street.
37. Walk down Bampton Street until you reach Gold Street.
38. Turn right onto Fore Street once again and continue until you reach Phoenix Lane.
39. Walk down Phoenix Lane to the multi-storey car park where you started.

For a more detailed walk with information on the history of the buildings mentioned look out for a copy of the book 'Town Walks in Devon' (Culm Valley Publishing) which is available to buy in The Busy Bee newsagent on Fore Street as well as Tiverton's Tourist Information Service.