Summary of Attractions
The market town of Newton Abbot is situated on the River Teign, strategically positioned between the South Devon coast and Dartmoor.
The River Teign, which expands into an estuary just beyond the town, historically served as the export route for Newton Abbot’s ball clay, which remains quarried in the vicinity and is now transported by road to the docks at Teignmouth.
Granite also constituted a significant economic resource for the area, making its way to the coast from Dartmoor via a tramway and canal.
This route can be traced through the 18-mile Templer Trail footpath.
While evidence is sparse today, Newton Abbot was once a railway town, employing around 1,000 individuals in conjunction with the Great Western Railway during the 1930s and 40s.
The local museum reflects this industrial heritage as well as Brunel’s brief experiment with the Atmospheric Railway connecting Exeter and Newton Abbot, which operated on air pressure instead of steam.
1. Town Trail
The Newton Abbot Museum has established an informative walking trail that guides visitors through various interesting sights and subtle curiosities in the town.
A trail guide can be obtained for £1 from the museum, or an app is available for download.
The route comprises over 20 stops, including Union Street, the location of a minor riot involving Emmeline Pankhurst and the suffragettes in 1908. Queen Street houses the Pharmacy Cafe, which retains much of the original decor from 1877, and the Globe Inn nearby was once the premier coaching inn in the Southwest, hosting notable guests such as the Duke of Wellington and Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia.
As you make your way back toward Courtenay Park along East Street, you’ll encounter a series of eight almshouses established in the 16th century and reconstructed in the 1840s.
2. Decoy Country Park
The Green Flag-winning Decoy Country Park is located just south of Newton Abbot.
This park, formerly part of the grounds of Forde House, derives its name from the wildfowl that were once decoyed here to protect the house’s food supply.
The park encompasses a pond, formed from a flooded clay quarry, surrounded by densely wooded banks that provide a sanctuary for waterfowl and are interlaced with walking paths.
During the summer months, visitors can rent canoes or paddleboards from a jetty situated on the west bank, which also accommodates a nature discovery center and a kiosk offering refreshments.
Furthermore, Decoy Country Park features a superior children’s playground filled with climbing equipment, swings, slides, a zip-line, and a splash pad operational in the summer.
3. Stover Country Park
Comprising 114 acres that were formerly part of the estate of Stover House (currently used as a private school), Stover Country Park is a serene woodland area surrounding a central lake.
This land is owned by the county council and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its rare dragonfly species.
The central lake, excavated by James Templer in the 18th century, features bird hides along its banks, as well as various other attractions to engage visitors.
Interpretive displays reveal the park’s diverse wildlife, and there are live camera feeds, while a 90-meter aerial walkway provides a vantage point above the lower canopy beside a pond re-discovered in 2001. Additionally, in 2006, Carol Hughes, widow of Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, assisted in creating a poetry trail featuring Hughes’ nature poems etched into granite posts and often paired with illustrations by Raymond Briggs.
4. Bradley Manor
Situated a pleasant walk from the town center along the River Lemon, Bradley Manor is one of Devon’s most well-preserved Medieval manor houses.
Managed by the National Trust, it remains a family residence.
Constructed primarily in the early 15th century, the manor showcases numerous original features, including wall paintings, ancient ceilings, catholes, and exquisite traceried windows on the western facade.
The manor also includes a detached chapel, a charming structure consecrated in 1428, which ceased to serve its religious purpose during the Reformation and has since been repurposed for various uses, including as a barn and billiard room.
The delightful informal garden surrounding Bradley Manor was once farmland, offering an opportunity to appreciate the Medieval architecture amid the picturesque countryside of riverside meadows and woodlands.
5. Plant World Gardens
En route to Torquay, Plant World encompasses a four-acre hillside garden designed as a botanical map of the globe.
With distant views of Dartmoor, the River Teign, and the undulating Devon hills, visitors can meander through landscaped gardens representing regions across the world, featuring exotic trees, flowers, and shrubs suited to the area’s moderate climate.
Garden sections include representations from Africa, America, New Zealand, Australia, the Mediterranean, Siberia, and the Himalayas, along with a succulent garden and a traditional English cottage garden.
A scenic café serves cream teas, and a nursery is available for those interested in acquiring exotic plants featured throughout the attraction.
Children can engage in fun activities such as searching for “flowerpot men” and characters like a yeti in the Himalayan Garden or a koala among the Australian flora.
6. St Leonard’s Tower
A prominent feature in the pedestrianized center of Newton Abbot is the fortified Medieval chapel tower known as St Leonard’s.
The visible damage on the rear of the structure indicates where this tower once connected to the remaining chapel.
Founded in 1220, this chapel was dismantled in 1866 to make room for increased traffic in the town center.
Adjacent to the tower is a plaque commemorating the location where William of Orange delivered his initial declaration on November 5, 1688, after arriving in England to claim the throne.
The tower is accessible from May to September on Wednesdays and select Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:00.
7. Newton Abbot Town Quay
This historic docking area, located where the River Lemon meets the Teign, has been utilized for loading and unloading granite, timber, and coal for decades.
Established in 1848, the quay underwent restoration in the 1980s, with further improvements made in the 2010s.
It is a tranquil site for reflection, featuring benches, picnic tables, bicycle racks, and a small outdoor café that operates from Easter to September.
In addition, during spring and summer, Pilkington Marine organizes nature-spotting boat excursions along the Teign and other local waterways aboard the Kestrel, a shallow-draft inflatable vessel.
8. Templer Way
At Newton Abbot Town Quay, visitors can embark on an 18-mile trail that connects the Haytor granite quarries on Dartmoor to Teignmouth along the coast.
This path, bearing the name of the influential granite trading family residing at Stover House, follows the granite’s journey from extraction to export, tracing remnants of the Haytor Granite Tramway (1820-1858) and the Stover Canal.
The trail meanders through moorlands, woodlands, and picturesque riverside scenes along the Teign, passing by historical locks and quays.
Newton Abbot lies approximately two-thirds along the route traversing from west to east.
If beginning at Haytor, the walk is predominantly downhill and can be completed in a day, provided one starts early and is adequately prepared.
9. Compton Castle
Located merely 15 minutes south of Newton Abbot is Compton Castle, a rare fortified manor house dating back to the late Medieval period.
Although owned by the National Trust, it is inhabited by the Gilbert family, who have resided there for most of the past 500 years.
A notable member of this family was Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1539-1583), renowned for colonizing Newfoundland; he was also the half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh.
The house is compact yet full of fascinating aspects, including the great hall, solar, sub-solar, and Medieval kitchen.
The great hall, featuring a warming apple wood fire on cooler days, houses a model of “The Squirrel,” the vessel that Sir Humphrey Gilbert sailed to Newfoundland.
To mitigate fire hazards, the kitchen was situated in a separate building, showcasing a high-barrelled ceiling and a unique three-flued chimney, providing insight into Medieval domestic life.
Surrounded by defensive walls, the gardens contain croquet lawns, lavender-lined borders, a Tudor knot garden, and a rose garden featuring an armillary sphere erected in 1983 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Sir Humphrey’s journey to Newfoundland.
10. Shaldon
Located a mere 15 minutes along the Teign Estuary from Newton Abbot, visitors can find beaches on both sides, with the Georgian resort of Teignmouth on the north bank and Ness Cove at Shaldon on the hilly south side.
Shaldon boasts an abundance of impressive Georgian architecture, particularly along the waterfront.
Ness Cove Beach offers a distinctive feature in the form of a long tunnel that visitors must traverse to access the water, believed to have been excavated by 18th-century smugglers.
The Shaldon Wildlife Trust is dedicated to the conservation of some of the world’s most endangered species, while Homeyards Botanical Gardens offer stunning vistas of the Teign, Teignmouth, and the coast.
Additionally, visitors can take a ferry to Teignmouth and stroll along the promenade, flanked by stuccoed Georgian residences, restaurants, and a lush foreshore.
11. Courtenay Park
This well-maintained urban park, located directly across from the train station, is named after the Courtenay family, who were prominent in Newton Abbot from the 17th century until 1936. Their gabled 17th-century residence, Forde House, lies just east of Courtenay Park and serves as a venue for weddings and conferences.
Awarded a Green Flag, Courtenay Park gently slopes downward and contains spacious grassy areas ideal for picnics and ball games.
Moreover, the park features a pond, a bowling green, a sensory garden complete with tactile signs, and an elaborately designed Edwardian bandstand (constructed in 1907) that hosts outdoor concerts during summer weekends.
12. Devon Bird of Prey Centre
Located off the A38 at Fermoy’s Garden Centre, this attraction allows visitors to interact with and fly various birds of prey, including eagles, falcons, owls, a caracara, and a Harris hawk.
Distinct from many similar attractions, the Devon Bird of Prey Centre features its own visitor centre, enabling guests to explore the aviaries at any time without prior arrangements.
Regular “meet the birds” and feeding sessions are held, showcasing each bird’s flight during daily exercise routines, which provide exciting demonstrations.
In-depth experiences are available, ranging from a one-hour introductory session to half-day programs that allow participants to handle these birds and learn about their distinct temperaments and care needs.
13. Newton Abbot Town & GWR Museum
This local museum chronicles the history of Newton Abbot, particularly its connection to Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Great Western Railway.
Exhibitions offer insights into the Templer family’s legacy, featuring items salvaged from Stover House, such as a remarkable 16th-century oak overmantle acquired by George Templer (1781-1843), alongside information on other notable “Newtonians,” including John Lethbridge, the inventor of the first underwater diving machine in 1715. Additionally, the museum displays an original section of Brunel’s innovative yet unsuccessful Atmospheric Railway and an intact signal box.
As of early 2019, the Newton Abbot Town & GWR Museum was in the process of relocating to the Newton’s Place community center on Newfoundland Way, with plans to reopen by the year’s end.
14. Newton Abbot Racecourse
Nestled within the valley to the north of Newton Abbot, the town’s racecourse was established in 1866. This left-handed course is primarily utilized for National Hunt racing (jumps) and features seven relatively low fences.
With approximately 20 race events annually, the racing season typically commences around Easter and extends until the end of October, with a few evening jump events occurring in June.
In addition to racing, the course serves as a venue for horse shows, antiques and collectibles fairs, toy and train fairs, car boot sales, a Christmas fair in December, and the biannual Newton Abbot Wellbeing Show in June and November.
15. Trago Mills Family Shopping & Leisure Park
Difficult to encapsulate succinctly, Trago Mills functions as a vast department store encompassing gardens, furniture, electrical items, DIY supplies, sports and leisure equipment, automotive needs, clothing, and footwear, all set within a complex with whimsical castle-like features.
During the summer months, visitors can enjoy the “Family Fun Park,” situated on 110 acres with views of Dartmoor and featuring numerous activities for children.
Trago Mills is home to one of the UK’s largest model railways and a miniature steam railway that spans 2.5 miles.
The animal park allows children to interact with ponies and goats, while the facility also boasts show gardens, a bouncy castle, trampolines, go-karts, bumper boats, and adventure golf.
