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The Tarka Line and the Tarka Trail
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Henry Williamson's
Tarka the Otter
(1927), rated by some as one of the finest pieces of nature writing in the English language, has been appropriated as a promotional device by the Devon tourist industry. As parts of the book are set in the Taw valley, it was inevitable that the Exeter to Barnstaple rail route - which follows the Taw for half of its length - should be dubbed the
Tarka Line
. Leaving almost hourly from Exeter St David's station, trains on this branch line cut through the sparsely populated heart of Devon, the biggest town en route being
Crediton
, ancient birthplace of St Boniface (patron saint of Germany and the Netherlands) and site of the bishopric before its transfer to Exeter in the eleventh century.
Barnstaple forms the centre of the figure-of-eight traced by the Tarka Trail , which tracks the otter's wanderings for a distance of over 180 miles. To the north, the trail penetrates Exmoor then follows the coast back, passing through Williamson's home village of Georgeham on its return to Barnstaple. South, the path takes in Bideford, following a disused rail line to Meeth, and continuing as far as Okehampton, before swooping up via Eggesford, the point at which the Tarka Line joins the Taw valley. Twenty-three miles of the trail follow a former rail line that's ideally suited to bicycles , and there are rental shops at Barnstaple (near the train station), and Bideford. Sculptures have been placed along the route to mark its inclusion in the National Cycle Network. A good ride from Barnstaple is to Torrington (fifteen miles south), where you can eat at the Puffing Billy pub, formerly the train station.
Tourist offices give out leaflets on individual sections of the trail, but the best overall book is
The Tarka Trail: A Walker's Guide
(Devon Books; A?4.95), available from tourist offices or bookshops. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United Kingdom,
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