There are loads of lovely walks between Plymouth and Tavistock and out of Tavistock towards Cornwall or Okehampton so all you need to do is to check the bus time table and off you go. Here is a link to the the Number 1 bus timetable.
The 118 from Tavistock to Okehampton is an hourly service and the 79/87 service to serve Bere Peninsular and the Tamar Valley walks is also approximately hourly.
Click on the blue walk name to download the walk.
Walk 1 Crownhill to Roborough via Tamerton Foliot
Starts from: Crownhill low level:
Distance: 3.5 miles but can be extended to 6.5 miles
Difficulty: An easy walk with no significant hills
Description: You could call this a countryside city walk as the majority of the walk is through woodland. The walk will take you along the Cooperative way ending in Tamerton Foliot where you can catch the 42 bus back to Crownhill. You also have the option of going on to Roborough again through woodland and catching the No1 or 42 back to Crownhill. Or just the No 1 back towards Tavistock
Walk 2 Woolwell to Derriford Hospital
Starts from Woolwell Road near Tesco store
Distance: A 5.7 mile linear walk
Difficulty: Easy walk with the first 20 mins down hill from the Woolwell roundabout
Description: A walk from Tesco Store to Derriford Hospital and takes you via the river Plym. A large part of the walk is on an ancient tramway that is also used in Walk 3. There is hardly any road walking despite going through the Estover estate.
Walk 3 Around Roborough Down
Starts from: The bus stop opposite Little Down lane Roborough Down
Distance: 6.8 miles
Difficulty: No significantly steep hills just the usual Devon undulation
Description: Walk 3 is a circular walk of just under 7 miles so is quite a long walk but two thirds of it is either level or downhill. You do get to walk through an old railway tunnel, along an even older tramway and get to see what some believe to be an iron age hill fort just 50m from the A386 that you probably never knew existed.
Walk 4 Yelverton to Clearbrook is
Starts from: The bus stop at Yelverton shops
Distance:4.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy walk
Description: a circular walk that uses the ancient tramway but also the route 27 Cycle track and takes you right past the Skylark pub and down to the river Meavy and then back to Yelverton via the Harrowbeer wartime airfield and Roborough Rock.
Walk 5 is called the Three Bridges walk
Starts from: The bus stops on A386 in Horrabridge Distance: 3.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate walk with some ups and downs
Description: Walk 5 is a linear walk that takes in Drakes Trail cycle track and a path by the river as well as going under or over 3 bridges. Return to the start by bus.
Walk 6 Anderton Lay-by Whitchurch Tavistock to Double Waters.
Starts from: The bus stop at or opposite Anderton Lay-by on the southern approach to Tavistock
Distance: Its a circular walk of about 6 miles or 5 miles if you take the short cut back to the bus stop.
Difficulty: Moderate with some ups and downs
Description: You will walk on Drakes Trail through Grenofen Tunnel over Gem bridge and the newly replaced (2023) bridge at Double Waters. The full walk takes you along the river Walkham a fast flowing river with rapids loved by canoeists.
Walk 7 The Harvest Home at Gulworthy to Tavistock
Starts from: Tavistock bus station
Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: very easy either down hill or level.
Description: A walk that takes you along the Tavistock canal. Its a linear walk of about 3 miles. Catch the 87 or 87a get off at the Harvest Home stop and walk back to Tavistock Bus Station an almost entirely off road walk just crossing 3 roads but not walking along any.
Walk 8 Gunnislake Mines and manure
Starts from: Gunnislake railway station
Distance: 4.25 miles
Difficulty: Moderate with some ups and downs
Description: A Tamar Valley circular walk from Gunnislake Station so you can either catch the 79 from Tavistock or the train from Plymouth. The walk takes you past many mining features as well as a long since disused canal and lock.
Other BUSTOP walks not using the No1 bus between Tavistock and Plymouth
No87 from Tavistock Bus station.
This bus will take you to Bere Ferrers and also Bere Alston railway stations although its a bit random in its timing and you may have to either walk down or back from the station into the village.
From Bere Alston you can do the Silver Mines walk that you can find under TAMAR VALLEY WALKS it’s Walk 3.
From Bere Ferrers station you can do TAMAR VALLEY WALKS 2 and also Tamar Tavy Tracks and Trains which you can find under VILLAGE AND COUNTRYSIDE WALKS.
Using the 118 that goes between Tavistock and Okehampton railway station an hourly service check out the walks along the WEST DEVON WAY. Here you can go on Walk 10 from Mary Tavy and Walk 11 from Lydford both of which go through the middle of the village. Starting at Okehampton Station you can go on WEST DEVON WAY Walk 15 that goes past the station.
In DARTMOOR WALKS from Okehampton Station you can do the Irishmans Wall walk.
Heading off into Cornwall take the 79 from Tavistock Bus station that goes to Callington and stop off at Tavistock Woodlands for the TAMAR VALLEY WALKS no 7 Devon Great Consoles Walk.
