A gentle walk along a well placed path, walking along The Byes in Sidmouth allows you to meander between Sidmouth and Sidford in a beautifully peaceful, traffic free manner. Take the time to explore the seaside town of Sidmouth before making your way back to the car, or start the other end and stop for lunch at The Blue Ball in Sidford. Dog, pushchair and wheelchair friendly, The Byes makes for an excellent walking route for all ages, at all times of the year.
The Byes, Sidford – Sidmouth
As the walk runs between Sidford and Sidmouth, you can choose your start end dependent on where you fancy exploring in the middle. During the summer, parking is harder to come by in Sidmouth so it can be a lot easier to park at the Sidford end. This guide will cover the route from Sidford to Sidmouth primarily.
In Sidford, parking is available at Church Street car park (EX10 9RL) which is located directly behind the Spar building as you drive through the main road. Toilets are also nearby at the traffic lights. To start the walk, exit the carpark toward the main road and turn right, follow the main road and take the second turning on the right ‘Warren’s Mead’. Follow Warren’s Mead until you get to the rugby pitch and continue straight ahead along the side of the rugby club. You’ll walk through their carpark before reaching the entrance to The Byes pathway.
The Byes is a long flat path that will first take you past the back of the school before entering into paths that are within fields. The route is shared with bikes at this end so be sure to take care, particularly with young children. The route will split before the fields taking bikes off of the routes before entering fields which are dog friendly – don’t worry, the route is still pushchair friendly on these but those with strollers or narrow wheeled mobility aids may prefer to follow the cycle route.
If going through the fields, you’ll find a small enclosed area within Margaret’s Meadow that doesn’t allow dogs within it. This is a great spot to stop for a mid-point picnic and some quiet contemplation, it’s a little shaded also which is ideal for little people. The route then continues and starts to bring you back in to more civilisation as you get closer to Sidmouth. You’ll find it gets busier and there are options to cross the couple of bridges and choose a side of The Byes to explore.
When you get to Sidmouth, you’ll find that the fields stop and that the route crosses a main road. To get into the town centre and sea front, simply cross this road and go straight ahead of you, continuing to follow the river. You’ll cross the river just next to the ford car crossing. Once over, continue along in the same direction to reach the sea front. For cafes and the main high street you’ll need to go approximately one road over to the right after you’ve gone past the first car park.
If you’re hoping to start at the Sidmouth end, try parking in Ham West Car Park (EX10 8BL) as this is the biggest one available and most likely to have spaces. You want to take the road running directly away from the sea, which will put the swimming pool building on your right hand side as you walk. Follow this road in the same direction until you reach the river and ford crossing. Cross the river, continue along the road and directly ahead of you is the entrance to The Byes.
Is It Pushchair Friendly?
Yes walking along The Byes is pushchair friendly. There is a small gravel section to the path that some may find difficult however there is an alternative cycle route that’s clearly marked and avoids this section before re-joining later.
How Long Is The Walk?
From Sidford car park to Sidmouth seafront via The Byes the route is 6.68km. If you choose not to go into Sidmouth, the route is 5.5km.
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