The Living Map
The Otter Valley Trail
The River Otter rises in the Blackdown Hills and flows twenty-seven miles south to the sea at Budleigh Salterton. We've split the valley into three sections — each with its own character, starting points and suggested walks.
Sections of the river
Roughly 8 miles of river
The Upper Valley
Blackdown Hills to Honiton
Hidden springs, beech-shaded lanes and the lace-and-antiques town of Honiton. Quiet field paths in the river's headwaters.
Start The Sidmouth Arms, Upottery · EX14 9QE
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Roughly 8 miles of river
The Middle Valley
Ottery St Mary to Tipton St John
Cider orchards, ancient churches and a 14th-century miniature of Exeter Cathedral. The classic flat riverside footpaths.
Start Canaan Way Car Park, Ottery St Mary · EX11 1DQ
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Roughly 6 miles of river
The Lower Valley
Otterton to the estuary at Budleigh Salterton
Watermills, wild beavers, Jurassic Coast cliffs and the only English river with a sanctioned wild beaver population. Boardwalks over saltmarsh.
Start Lime Kiln Car Park, Budleigh Salterton · EX9 6HG
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By time available
Not sure where to start?
Pick a trip length and we'll suggest the section, the starting point and where to stop for lunch — from a half-day on the estuary to a three-day source-to-sea walk.
The whole valley
Source · north — Sea · south
Coloured ribbons mark each section: oxblood for the Upper, indigo for the Middle, sage for the Lower.