Badgworthy Water, Malmsmead, Exmoor, Devon

In a part of Exmoor which will forever be known as Lorna Doone Country. At the heart of it is 'Doone Valley' also known as Badgworthy Valley, and one of Exmoor's most beautiful river valley Badgworthy Water, a magical place and it makes for a lovely walk.

From the car park, walk back to Malmsmead and straight up the hill ahead to access a public bridle path through a field gate on the left, where a sign reads Doone Valley 2 miles.

You cross fields to the right of Badgworthy Water, dropping down to the river at Cloud Farm.

Keeping the river on your left, you reach the memorial stone to Richard Doddridge Blackmore, who wrote the novel Lorna Doone.

Enter a gate into Badgworthy Wood and, half a mile beyond, cross the pretty footbridge over Lank Combe Water.
Continue on until you reach a footpath sign 'Brendon Common 2.5 miles', where you turn right on to open moorland.

Follow the track uphill, after one mile passing through a gate in a wall, and across more open moorland.

Continue straight ahead above Lank Combe on the right, then drop down on the obvious path to Lank Combe Ford, cross the stream, and head up the farthest right of the tracks, to reach the ridge.

At the signpost 'Malmsmead 2', turn right, heading northeast, then after three-quarters of a mile head north to join a wider track coming from the left.

This takes you back to the Malmsmead Road, where you turn right down the hill back into the village.

Facilities: Tearooms at Malmsmead and Cloud Farm. Car park, toilets and souvenir shop at Malmsmead.

Paid Parking: £1 all day