Nine footpaths give Washfield a clear focus for exploring on foot. Historic building styles offer a second perspective, from a 12th-century font to houses with varied building and use histories. When planning a stay, you can first decide whether to focus on a particular route or on building history.

Routes with specific points of comparison

There are nine footpaths to explore in Washfield. Two are described in more detail, including their routes and lengths. Footpath three runs from Footpath two across a field above New Park, via Courtenay, to Ennerleigh and is 1.44 miles long. Bridleway seven runs from the road above Smiths Farm to the road above Ramstorland and measures 0.92 miles. This gives you two specific route lengths to compare: the difference is 0.52 miles, and Bridleway seven is the shorter route. The route descriptions also differ in their points of reference: Footpath three is described using a field and several place names, while Bridleway seven is identified by roads above two farms. The length and route descriptions offer different points of reference to help you choose. As route conditions may vary, it is a good idea to check them before setting out.

Building history across several periods

The Church of St Mary the Virgin has a 12th-century font. At Cowlins Farmhouse, several historical details come together: the farmhouse is built of cob and probably dates from the 16th century. Its roof has a cruck frame made from joined cruck blades. The house also preserves evidence of the domestic habits of a late medieval household; buildings with joined cruck blades were a distinctive regional building type at the time. At Cowlins Farmhouse, a tentative date, a specific roof construction and evidence of earlier domestic habits come together. For those interested in architecture, this combines a distinctive building feature with a glimpse of how the house was used. The probable date of the farmhouse and the late medieval household evidence point to different historical periods.

Wynerfreds is a former farmhouse and may originally have formed the solar wing of a larger house. Its notable oriel window is supported by a carved head and framed by carved mouldings with bead and nick ornament. Here, a possible interpretation of the house’s former layout sits alongside precisely described decorative features. Pilemoor and Adjoining Outbuilding has origins in the 16th century. The War Memorial Seat, meanwhile, is a First World War memorial erected around 1918: a shelter with a bench inside. While the farmhouses highlight construction and historic use, the Seat combines remembrance of the war with its form as a shelter with a bench.

A regional natural setting

In the Exe Valley, Washfield Wetland is a wildlife restoration area. If you are considering visiting, check access arrangements separately before assuming that public access is available.

Discover more destinations: Burrington, Drewsteignton, North Bovey, Burlescombe, Newton Poppleford, Tiverton, Broadclyst, Bottreaux Mill

See the broader travel overview: Devon.