Coming off the A38 and driving towards Oakenham Bridge is a joyful experience. Travelling south, the dense and wild vegetation grows thicker and signals the moment you have started to follow the River Avon. Beech and sycamore branches reach out at the sides of the narrow road, hazel and hard fern jostle for space, and pines stretch in the background forming a quintessential English scene. One can sense the river, and suddenly the flora at the banks open up and allow a glimpse of it making its merry way with you. This is the entrance to South Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it leads to a little ancient stone bridge covered in moss and ivy — blink and you’ll miss it. Cross it and you will find yourself in a perfect field for pitching a tent right beside the babbling river.
Located between Dartmoor National Park four miles to the north and the rugged bays and estuaries of the Devon coastline to the south, Oakenham Bridge Camping is a very back-to-basics affair. There’s a toilet and there’s a drinking water tap, both in a six-acre field overlooked by the patchwork rolling countryside and along the edges of the Avon. This is almost wild camping, so if you have no problem going down to the river to rinse your dishes or refresh yourself, then it’s a place that will suit you just fine. It’s peaceful, it has space, the field has lush grass to roll around on, and most importantly, its pitches are level.
It would be quite easy to stay and look out for deer and foxes all day long, given that it has that lazy appeal; but going out and about, even if it’s in a meandering kind of way, one should follow the river and let it lead them to discover more. For adventurers and explorers, tracking the river on foot north instead of walking the road would lead to the village of Avonwick 30 minutes away and a well-deserved drink at The Avon Inn. From here it’s a short walk to the Avon Cobbly Walk, a short section of ancient cobbled lane between the Old Toll House at Avonwick Bridge to the medieval Horsebrook Bridge — everything is covered in lichen, moss, and ivy, giving the sense of another time and place. Jump in the car, and you can be on Dartmoor in ten minutes or, like the Avon itself, you could head south to the beaches and to the sea, where the stream meets the tide.
Other than discovering the immediate vicinity on foot, there's no better way to take in the wider area than to step aboard the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company (01803 555872). There are plenty of options but the Round Robin, which takes in the towns of Totnes, Paignton, and Dartmouth by steam train, riverboat, and bus is by far the most popular. The itinerary, including the starting point, can be customised to suit the customer's preferences. Totnes is just over 15 minutes away by car and if you'd prefer to get the hiking boots on and take in some of the county at a slower pace, then the Totnes Torbay Trail (or 3Ts) is a must. Not only does it offer beautiful country vistas across the Devon hills but also includes 15th-century Berry Pomeroy Castle (01803 866618) and Manscombe Woods with its lakes and manicured gardens. For families with younger children, Pennywell Farm Activity Centre (01364 642023) featuring bottle feeding, ferret and pig racing, goat walking, pond dipping, and egg collecting among other things is only 15 minutes away and Dartmoor Zoo (01752 837645) is only 20 minutes away. The nearest beaches are Paignton Beach and Blackpool Sands, both about 30 minutes by car.
