Although based in Scotland, I am always keen to discover new places to walk and I especially like the idea of exploring a new destination over multiple days. The Cicerone guidebooks offer a wealth of different options and a new guide to The Two Moors Waybill Devon is a great example. The route travels coast to coast from Wembury Bay to Lynmouth and covers a distance of almost 200km.
Details of The Two Moors Way by Sue Viccars
Devon’s Coast-to-Coast walk
From South Devon coast to North Devon coast
Total distance: 188km / 117 miles
Typical duration: 10 to 14 days (flexible; stages can be combined)
Route type: Long-distance way-marked walking route with 11 stages, plus low-level alternatives
Difficulty: Moderate grading. Hilly terrain with moorland and rural paths, suitable for walkers of reasonable fitness
Terrain: Dartmoor granite moorland, rolling countryside, woodlands and Exmoor landscapes
Navigation: Guidebook includes detailed descriptions and mapping; a separate map booklet is include detailing the full route on OS 1:25K maps.
GPX download files available via Cicerone online
Accommodation & logistics: Practical section includes accommodation, public transport and services info for stage planning.
Who is the author Sue Viccars?
After gaining a degree in geography and archaeology at Exeter University, Sue Viccars worked for a London map publisher before then returning to Devon, where she spent 20 years commissioning walking, equestrian and countryside books for David & Charles Publishers.
She received her first walking book commission three weeks after going freelance in 2000 and, since then, she has written and contributed to, around 20 books, She specialises in her home territory of southwest England, with particular focus on Dartmoor and Exmoor.
My thoughts: Cicerone’s The Two Moors Way
I have not been to Devon, as far as I can recall. I think I once went to the neighbouring region of Cornwall, but that was to compete in a national judo competition when I was a about 15. I only saw the inside of the gym hall.
I have had a hankering to visit south-west England for a while, especially since a friend moved to Devon.
The pocket sized guidebook offers a huge wealth of information and detail about this one long-distance route. Flicking through, I stop to look at photos that reveal a wide range of landscapes, from coast, to moorlands, to pretty villages, quite lanes and hills.
Known as Devon’s Coast to Coast walk, I learn that the route combines the well-established path between Ivybridge and Lynmouth with the Erme–Plym Trail, beginning (or ending) at Wembury Bay on the dramatic South Devon coast.
It traverse 188km across the breadth of England’s southwest peninsula and travels through two of southwest England’s wild and contrasting moorlands, Dartmoor and Exmoor.
The route is divided into 11 manageable daily stages (between 11km and 29km), which can be adjusted to suit different experience levels and ambitions.
The wealth of information and mapping are excellent. There is an inset booklet of maps only and it’s great that you can download the GPX files, too, so that as well as a hard copy of the mapping, you can use a mapping app. The route is also way-marked, which will give people the confidence to go self-guided with a partner or friend, or solo.
It’s helpful that there are options for higher or lower level sections and also ways to walk shorter or longer stages, plus many places to eat, drink and stay along the entire way.
I think the best way to enjoy the Two Moors Way is to take as long to walk it as you can, therefore allowing for plenty of stops at places and settlements of interest.
The printed book is £18.95 and there is an e-book, also £18.95. See Cicerone The Two Moors Way.
Also read about Cicerone’s Best Walks in the Lake District: 50 Great Mountain Days