Harpford Common and Fire Beacon Hill, East Devon Way Walk
Fire Beacon Hill and Harpford Common are at the southern end of East Hill, a 5 mile long escarpment near Ottery St Mary. A large part of it is known as East Hill Strips and is a popular area of woodland for walking. Fire Beacon Hill was once one of the beacon sites that were lit to warn London of the impending Spanish Armada invasion. Although now largely wooded, there are still far reaching views making the climb up the the Beacon rewarding.
The East Devon Way (a marked footpath route) heads up the hill from Harpford Wood, runs along part of the hill then drops down into Sidbury. This is the section that this write up describes, a fairly short walk but with a good stomp up hill, around the top and back down again. It is possible to reach the top of the hill and trig point from further along East Hill Strips avoiding the climb, or make the walk longer by heading down and around Harpford Woods as well.
how to WALK To fire beacon Hill
I have to be honest I’m never quite sure how much detail to give you when I write about a walk. I’m lucky enough to be able to read a map but I know not everyone is confident. I really recommend some sort of walking app to help you – we have technology so may as well use it!
For this walk we followed the signs for the East Devon Way, up onto Harpford Common and looped around Fire Beacon Hill before retracing out footsteps.
Walking to fire beacon hill
From the parking area The East Devon Way footpath actually crosses the road 200 meters back down the road (we saw the sign as we drove past it). To avoid walking on the road there is a path running parallel to the road in the woods – from the car park go down some wooden steps into Harpford Wood and then left.
Follow the path to the road and cross it at the footpath signs to Fire Beacon Hill. The route headed straight up through two fields – a steady climb. Hannah spotted two young deer in the second field so I quickly put our dog on the lead before she bolted. It was lovely to watch them bound down the hill.
Then we saw a field full of donkeys. It appears that there is an over-spill from the local Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary for the healthy donkeys. Later they started their unique braying which really confused the dogs!
The view looking back down was lovely.
Once we reach the tree line at the top of the hill the map became pretty redundant. There are footpath signs for the East Devon Way and Fire Beacon Hill. We followed these and our noses up the hill and around the top.
Amazing views from Fire Beacon Hill
One thing East Devon certainly has in abundance is views. Fire Beacon Hill did not disappoint. Even on a dull day there are sweeping views of Lyme Bay and the Jurassic Coast. There is a trig point height of 224 meters.
The top was a mixture of heath land and woods with paths criss-crossing. We explored a bit and there’s a big area to walk around. It’s a great spot for bird watchers and nature lovers.
If you are a fan of Geo caching then there is a route here for you too. There’s lots of space for running around (dogs and children)! Fire Beacon Hill is also an East Devon Nature Reserve.
It would be a great spot for a small picnic if you felt like carrying one! Or you can do what we did and head back to The Bowd Inn for a sandwich!
So thank you to my friend Hannah, her little boy and Maisie the dog for sharing this walk with me.
Our walk, which included lots of photo stops, took about an hour. If you want an easier walk or an extension to this one then head for Harpford Woods – the East Devon Way takes you through the woods to the village of Harpford, over the River Otter and close to Newton Poppleford.
I would certainly recommend the route we took and 2 minute drive back for a pub lunch at The Bowd Inn was ideal. There is a children’s play area, benches outside and it is dog friendly so was a great way to end our morning out.
Harpford Wood
Harpford Wood itself is a great option if you are not in the mood for a hike up a hill with lots of footpaths to explore, a stream and the route of an old railway track through the middle making it a good route with little ones in tow. You can also walk to the pub or to Harpford – some but not all sections are suitable for pushchairs.
how to reach fire beacon hill
There are a few options but we turned off and drove past the Bowd Inn on the A3052 near Sidmouth and headed inland towards Ottery St Mary.
After 1/2 mile there is a proper parking place on the left which is one entrance to Harpford Wood.
Parking for the walk using What 3 Words ://what3words.com/figure.delighted.meatballs
There is also lane that goes up and round the hill with some parking on the edge of the road for an option nearer the top of the hill. Turn right immediately after The Bowd Inn.
Discover Devon Walks
There is a good selection of walks now on this blog. They vary from woodland walks to coast paths and others like this with great views. Follow this link for 2 pages of other ideas across East Devon and West Dorset.
Please let me know in the comments box below if you’ve got any favourites you think I could share or feedback on this or any other post. Happy walking.
Benefits to Blogging
When I started this blog I knew that it would encourage me to get out and explore my local area. Walks, cream teas, local attractions and even a bit of shopping. New things I could do with my family. I am surprised that I am always finding out about different places and that keeps me wanting to discover more.
What I did not expect from blogging was to make new friends. We chat mainly online over the trials and tribulations of blogging, sharing what we are passionate about, supporting each other in all manner of ways. However these are not just virtual social media friends, they’re proper, flesh and blood ones too!
Every so often we get a chance to meet up, and this was one of those days. Hannah also lives in East Devon and blogs at Devon Daze. We bonded in the car park with our Ordnance Survey maps and set off to explore.
Hi! I am Clare and I live in glorious East Devon with my family.
Join me in finding new places to explore in the West Country as well as further afield.
I hope you enjoy reading and taking inspiration from this website. 
Looks lovely! I love all your outdoorsy posts, I find them very inspiring.
What a lovely walk, thanks for sharing. And hear that you had someone to share it with too.
What a lovely post Clare! I’m useless at map reading so you are lucky you have that skill. This walk looks fab – another one to add to the list.