Round trip from Barnstaple North Devon coast and Exmoor
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 19-12-2023
Route Summary
A spectacular tour of Exmoor National Park that takes in the vast open moorland, deep wooded valleys and stunning coastline. Excellent scenery, good roads and attractions earn this route 4**** stars.
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Verdict
Duration
7h 29m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
191.46 km
Countries
Saunton beach RP 6
RouteXpert Review
Round trip from Barnstaple. North Devon coast and Exmoor.Starting and ending at Roundswell Service station for fuel, this route is all about the scenery and views. Stunning coastal roads, deep wooded valleys, open moorland and a great twisty road to ride; this is a really good route and one that I ride regularly as I live nearby.
The route visits Ilfracombe Harbour where you’ll find the famous statue of 'Verity' by Damien Hurst. There is a lunch stop at Lynmouth route point (RP) 30 where there is a good selection of places to eat or find a place to sit for your picnic. You will also find the funicular railway to the village of Lynton, take a ride, the views from the top are stunning. This route is filled with views (green RPs) and none so better than the view from Countisbury Hill RP 31 as you climb out of Lynmouth. Porlock Hill is next and at 25%, it is the steepest 'A' road in the UK. The descent is long and gradual to start with a couple of tight bends at it’s steepest towards the end. Dunster at RP 36 is a medieval village with a castle, yarn market and tithe barn, the cobbled paths and ancient buildings all add to the character. The A396 from Dunster is one of the best motorcycle roads in SW England. The road is full of twists and turns in beautiful scenery following the River Exe. The high moorland of Exmoor is next including a visit to the pretty village of Withypool where there is a good tea room for coffee and snacks alongside the River Barle. As you leave Withypool and climb up unto the moor, look out for some Exmoor ponies as this is one of their favourite places, especially towards the evening. The Exmoor pony is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world and is on the endangered list. There are more Giant Pandas in the world than Exmoor Ponies!
You will enjoy this route, there are plenty of things to see and the roads offer plenty of thrills which is why this is one of my favorite routes.
There are some narrow, twisty lanes on this route but it is suitable to all cautious motorcycle riders. RP 13 leading down to Lee Bay is the trickiest, remove RP 13 & RP 14 for inexperienced riders.
As with all routes, this one can be adapted to suit your needs. Once you have chosen a route and added it to your library, you may wish to change the start and finish positions or add extra waypoints, or even reverse or split the route. This is easily done when you have a Gold membership of MyRoute-app and then by using the Gold Toolkit.
After reversing the direction of a route, it is advisable to check that it still accurate, some waypoints may be on dual carriageways or on one way streets which will affect the route.
Exmoor Ponies at RP 46
Countisbury Hill RP 31
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Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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