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Where To Go
On this page we suggest destinations and activities for visitors to Okehampton Station. The page is evolving, and contributions are welcome.
We strongly suggest looking at the Visit Okehampton website, for an overview of the attractions of the town and its environs. Visit Okehampton has also produced an excellent brochure 'Okehampton - The Gateway to the moor', which is available in hardcopy at many outlets including our shop, and can also be downloaded from their website.
The Okehampton and Meldon area, and the entire railway back to Coleford Junction, is contained on Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer Map 113. Please note that the railway east of Okehampton is not very accessible.
For an overview of the Meldon area, particularly its industrial archaeology and geology, download our Exploring Meldon
(274Kb) information sheet.Much more detail about Meldon is to be found in Peter Keene's excellent 'Exploring a Dartmoor Valley - The Meldon Beneath our Feet', which can still be found in various local outlets.
Also highly recommended is the series of Meldon Area Case Studies published by the Dartmoor National Park Authority subdivided into Geology, Ecology and Industrial Archaeology.
Tramlines footpath access.
Please note that safety issues have led to the closure of the of the useful flight of steps from Okehampton Station carpark to the Tramlines footpath. To reach the start of the footpath you have to exit the car park and immediately turn right. The area now comes within the Network Rail estate and their risk assessment led to the closure. We have been advised by NR that bringing the steps up to standard would be expensive.Okehampton Castle
Originally built by the Normans before becoming the Courtenay family residence, Okehampton Castle was Devon's largest castle, and there are substantial remains. It is managed by English Heritage, who publish more details on their website.We recommend the following out and back walks between the station and the castle:
Turn right out of the station car park, then turn right at the junction with the fountain and lamppost. Cross the road and continue down Station Road for 150 yards, and take the signed footpath to the left. Turn left onto Castle Road and follow the road over the bridge. Continue up Castle Lane, past the castle car park, to the castle entrance and ticket booth (beware, parts of Castle Lane do not have a pavement). Distance 0.8 miles, approximate walking time 15 minutes.
On leaving the Castle turn right and walk along the road. Take the path just before (or through) the car park and cross the footbridge over the West Okement River. Look to the right and follow a path leading diagonally up through the woods. Keep in the same direction until the tarmac road (which leads right, to the golf course). Turn left along the tarmac to another footpath on the right leading diagonally along the edge of the wood to Battle Camp Road. Either go straight across and walk along the unadopted Parklands residential road to the station, or turn up the hill to the right, join the Granite Way on the left and follow it left around the edge of the bushes hiding the former military sidings. This rejoins Parklands; turn right along it to reach the station. 0.9 miles.
Station Wood
Once part of the Deer Park of Okehampton Castle, seat of the Earls of Devon. Its more recent history saw the construction of a reservoir used as a source of water for topping up steam locomotives. Leave Okehampton Station from the platform 2 car park and turn left on to Klondyke Road. Before the houses there's a gate on the left and an info board with a good map of the woods. There's a (short) circular walk around it, and also a link up to the path over the A30 footbridge to the moor.Tramlines Wood
A pleasant walk from Okehampton Station. Leave the station on the platform 3 side, walk out of the car park and immediately turn right on to the path. This path follows the former route of the tramway down to the woods. An information board can be found along the path. You can continue further to view Fatherford Viaduct from below, and also to reach the start of walks along the East Okement river and up onto the moor.Further details are on the Woodland Trust's website. Grid ref SX593945. OS Explorer map 113.
The Tramlines name derives from tracks laid during the building of Fatherford railway viaduct in the 1870s.
Okehampton to Meldon and return walk.
Belstone
One of our proposed walk destinations is Belstone. We haven't quite got around to describing the route yet, but in the meantime we strongly recommend the Belstone Old School Tearoom.The Museum of Dartmoor Life
In the centre of Okehampton, with interesting displays and collections relating to the town and Dartmoor. Unfortunately not open on Sundays. Full details are on their website. Turn right out of the Okehampton Station car park, then right again onto Station Road. Turn left at the bottom of the hill and follow George St to the main town centre crossroads. Turn left. The museum is a very short distance on the left.Finch Foundry
A bit of a stretch on foot, but cyclists could consider the National Trust owned Finch Foundry, the last water powered forge in England. At Sticklepath, about 4 miles from Okehampton.More
The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership has more good stuff in the same vein:https://greatscenicrailways.co.uk/lines/dartmoor-line/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ejGbkVFNCk&t=36s