Walking the Exe Valley Way: From Exwick Through Brampford Speke and Beyond
The Exe Valley Way is one of those long-distance paths that does not shout about itself. It runs roughly 45 miles from the Exe Estuary at Starcross all the way up to Hawkridge on Exmoor, tracing the river through every change of character it has. Most Exeter walkers never tackle the full thing in one go. The good news is the loveliest single leg starts almost in the city, and walking the Exe Valley Way from Exwick to Brampford Speke is a perfect half-day in the saddle of the valley.
Picking up the trail in Exeter
The official Exe Valley Way passes through Exeter on the west side of the river. From the Quayside, cross Cricklepit Bridge and turn north along the river path. You will go past the Port Royal pub, under the railway, and over Millers Crossing into Exwick Playing Fields. That is your last urban pavement for a while. The path leaves the cricket pitches at the top end and slips into proper river meadow with the M5 humming faintly in the distance.
If you prefer to skip the city bit, drive or bus to Exwick and start at Station Road; there is on-street parking and a regular service from the city centre. The official waymarks (a stylised swan) take over from here.
Exwick to Brampford Speke: the popular leg
This stretch runs roughly six miles point-to-point, with around 250 metres of elevation gain, and most walkers reckon on two and a half to three hours at a comfortable pace. The path is a mix of riverside meadow, farm track and a couple of short sections of lane without pavements (eyes up, ears open). You climb gently away from the river through Cowley and Upton Pyne, drop down into Brampford Speke from the south, and finish on the village green.
Brampford Speke is the small, very pretty thatched village that earns this leg its reputation. The Lazy Toad Inn sits at the centre of it and is the deserved end-point lunch. There is no shop, so bring water for the walk and save your appetite for the pub.
Getting back
This is a point-to-point path, not a loop. You have three reasonable options. Walk back the way you came for a twelve-mile day. Catch the Stagecoach bus that runs from Brampford Speke into Exeter (check the timetable; it is not frequent). Or arrange a lift, which is what most locals admit to doing.
Carrying on north
If you want more, the next leg from Brampford Speke to Thorverton adds another four miles or so along the valley floor, with views of Raddon Hill on the eastern skyline. Thorverton has a community shop and the Thorverton Arms, and it is a more peaceful place to finish than to start. Past Thorverton, the Exe Valley Way climbs and rolls all the way up through Bickleigh, Tiverton and on to Exmoor, but those are full-day commitments rather than half-day strolls.
Surfaces, dogs and what to bring
The Exwick to Brampford Speke section is mostly grass and farm track with some compacted stone. After rain, expect mud. Stout trainers will get you through in summer; from October through March, wear walking boots and gaiters if you have them. Dogs are welcome throughout, but there are sheep and cattle on several fields, so a lead from gate to gate is the polite move. There are no public loos between Exwick and Brampford Speke, so plan accordingly.
Mobile signal drops in and out along the valley. Download the route offline before you go (the AllTrails entry is reliable), and pack a paper map if you are confident with one. The Ordnance Survey Explorer 114 covers this stretch.
Why this is the walk we recommend first
Walking the Exe Valley Way from Exwick gives you the slow geographical reveal of leaving a city on foot. The traffic noise fades within twenty minutes. Buzzards lift off the meadow oaks. The river loops back into view at three or four points, each time wider and quieter. By the time you reach the Lazy Toad’s beer garden, you have earned both the pint and the bus back.
For a flatter, easier riverside outing in the opposite direction, our guide to The Exeter Quayside to Topsham riverside walk and cycle path is the natural companion to this one.
A few extra notes for first-timers
The Exe Valley Way is well marked but not over-marked. Confidence with a map helps; one or two of the field-corner waymarks have weathered to near-invisibility, and Google Maps’ walking directions occasionally invent paths that do not exist. The AllTrails and Komoot recorded GPX traces are accurate. If you are downloading one, get the Exeter to Brampford Speke leg and have it open before you lose signal in the meadows.
Weather makes a real difference on this route. The valley floor floods after sustained rain; sections of the meadow path can be ankle-deep in February. In summer, the same fields are baked hard, hay-coloured and full of skylarks. Pick a settled day for your first attempt and the walk will sell itself.
Finally, if you reach Brampford Speke and the Lazy Toad is full or closed (Sunday evenings and Mondays catch a few people out), the village green has benches and a covered shelter, and the bus stop is a five-minute walk uphill.