Discover Ashwater: Trails, Nature and History

Ashwater combines designated footpaths, historic landmarks and opportunities for observing nature into a destination with a variety of ways to explore it. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage for their stay can use their own interests as the starting point for planning: Should a longer circular walk shape the day, should ecclesiastical history take centre stage, or should the trip lead into a landscape with marshes and reed beds? In Ashwater, these interests can be explored through specific paths and places.

Walking with Different Trail Profiles

Ashwater Parish Walk No. 1 is a 6-mile circular route. It starts and finishes at the Village Inn. Along the way, the route crosses the River Carey. The full route length is an important point to consider when planning your day if you would like to include this circular walk in your stay.

The public footpath network in the Parish of Ashwater also includes the Church Walk. Another designated public footpath leads from Ashwater via Lower Larkworthy to the A388. When planning your trip, consider which route best suits your preferred daily schedule.

Church, Memorials and House History

Ashwater also offers notable points of interest from a cultural and historical perspective. The Church of St Peter ad Vincula, also known as St Peter in Chains, is a medieval Grade I listed building. The Church of St Peter in Ashwater is described as containing a 12th-century font and a Beerstone monument. This monument is dated to around the late 15th century and is probably dedicated to Thomas Carminow, who died in 1442. The combination of medieval architectural history, a surviving font and a monument connected with a specific person makes the site particularly interesting for travellers interested in culture.

The Ashwater War Memorial Cross commemorates 12 local soldiers who died in the First World War; four names from the Second World War were added later. The ornately decorated granite memorial cross is designed in the Celtic style. Alongside the older church and house history, the village therefore also has a memorial site whose design and inscription evoke different historical layers.

Bell Tower Cottage adds a former farmhouse to this picture. It has a two-room through-passage plan and dates from between 1420 and 1540. The house has undergone later alterations. A walk through Ashwater’s history can therefore move between sacred architecture, memorial culture and a historic residential building.

Nature Along the Way and When Choosing Your Accommodation

Quoditch Moor Nature Reserve is located in the parish of Ashwater. Another connection with nature can be found on Ashwater Parish Walk No. 2: the route passes a marsh and reed-bed area where butterflies and dragonflies can be seen in spring and summer. Those travelling during these seasons can therefore deliberately include nature observation in their daily plans. For families with different interests, it can be worthwhile to alternate cultural destinations and walks with nature observation, without making every day the same.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Ashwater, you can use your preferred travel rhythm as a guide. For active days, there is a choice of the 6-mile Parish Walk No. 1, the Church Walk and the route via Lower Larkworthy; those who want to focus on something else can include historic buildings, the War Memorial Cross or Quoditch Moor Nature Reserve in their plans.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to consider other destinations in addition to Ashwater as part of your research, here is a concise selection: Beaworthy, Woody Bay, Bridgerule, Parracombe, Berrynarbor, Croyde, Modbury and Uffculme.

For the overarching travel overview: Devon.