- Time: 40mins
- Distance: 3km
- Terrain: Marshy and muddy in places
- Ability Level: Fairly easy
- Accessible: Not good for prams or wheelchairs
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Dog Friendly: Be careful of sheep roaming the area and wildlife
This is a very peaceful walk along the tidal river Pill on Northam Burrows Country Park.
Start at the Tip Lane entrance to the park accessed from Burrows Lane. Walk over Appledore Bridge where the river meets the sea and then wonder down to the sandy area at the rivers’ edge. At high tide the river is deep and can flow quickly but this is a great paddle spot on a warm day.
Walk alongside the river as it twists and turns. The going can be a bit mucky in patches and sheep and horses do roam free across these grasslands of the Burrows so be careful with dogs.
You will soon reach another stone bridge over the Pill. Cross over the bridge and continue along the other side of the river towards the Sandymere Entrance to the park.
After crossing the little stone bridge and continue along the riverbank. There are some amazing views across the grasslands of the burrows and out towards Westward Ho!
There are some deep drainage ditches throughout the grasslands. Most will have shallow fords or little bridges to help you cross but you may need to follow them a bit to find a place to cross. There are plenty of animal tracks along this side of the river that will help you find crossing places!
When you reach the road for the Sandymere park entrance, turn right and cross over the road bridge to the opposite bank of the Pill. Then drop back onto the marshland on the other side of the Pill.
Now you can start to make your way back along the river. This side of the Pill is a bit more marshy with less well trodden paths and fewer crossing places across the ditches, so it’s wise to stick fairly close to the river bank.
When you reach the little stone bridge you crossed over before, continue along the river the way you came until you get back to the Appledore Bridge and the end of the walk.
