A Curated Guide · East Devon
The Otter Valley
Trail
A curated guide to makers, farms, food, wildlife and walks along Devon's River Otter — from the Blackdown Hills down to the pebble shore at Budleigh Salterton.
Before you go
- ◆ This is a curated guide, not a continuous waymarked trail.
- ◆ Check opening hours and seasons before travelling — details change.
- ◆ Use OS maps or local rights-of-way information for walking routes.
- ◆ Devon lanes are narrow — please travel kindly and slowly.
About the River
The Otter rises in the Blackdown Hills just inside Somerset, near Otterford, then flows south through East Devon, passing Upottery, Monkton, Honiton, Alfington, Ottery St Mary, Tipton St John, Newton Poppleford and Otterton before reaching the sea at Budleigh Salterton — part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
For much of its length the river runs through two National Landscapes (formerly AONBs) — the Blackdown Hills to the north of Honiton, and East Devon to the south of Ottery St Mary. At one time as many as fifty watermills were powered by its waters; Otterton Mill, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, still grinds flour today.
The Otter is also the only river in England with a wild breeding population of Eurasian beavers — first noticed in 2013 and, since 2020, permitted to remain indefinitely in the first legally sanctioned reintroduction of an extinct native animal in England.
◆ Adapted from Wikipedia · River Otter, Devon ◆
The Living Map
Plot Your Route →
44 artisan stops, filtered for walkers, riders, cyclists or motorists.
Along the Way
Places of Interest →
Food, wildlife, orchards, heathland and heritage — filtered the way you want to travel.
Useful to Know
Parking & Buses →
Car parks, public toilets and bus stops along the route.
More than a route
The Otter Valley sits between two National Landscapes — the Blackdown Hills to the north and East Devon to the south — and skirts the Pebblebed Heaths, one of the largest remaining lowland heaths in the country. The story of this valley is as much about soils, farming and stewardship as it is about food and walks.
Stewardship in action
At Bowhayes Farm in Venn Ottery — between the river and the Pebblebed Heaths — a Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) award is supporting tree planting, hedge restoration and new pond and wetland features designed to reduce run-off and improve habitat. The orchards, tree nursery and farm campsite all sit within the same working landscape.
Status: FiPL-supported work awarded and delivered by Bowhayes.
From the Journal
Autumn · Field note
Ottery Tar Barrels
Every 5 November, Ottery St Mary hosts its famous Tar Barrels tradition. Check official event information before travelling.
Read on →
Seasonal Dispatches
A letter from the valley, four times a year
Tar barrels in November, blossom in May, the cider press in October, beaver sightings whenever they please. One short note per season — no more.
One unsubscribe link in every email. We never share your address.