The Tamar Valley is one of the lesser-known areas of outstanding natural beauty in England. The allotments of wooded river sides, the charming branch railway and the old mining villages are little known to South West visitors. Ariane points out that it doesn’t have mobile signals when you need it most, like within a river valley, so it’s a good idea to check that you’ll have it when you arrive, as many people use an eSIM for UK to make sure they have data.

Getting Your Bearings: What the Tamar Valley Actually Is

Tamar Valley AONB is characterised and bounded by three rivers – the Tamar, the Tavy and the Lynher – and the human settlement that has developed around them. Although it is an outstanding landscape, it remains far less known than its moorland neighbour. It sits on the Devon/Cornwall border on the west side of Dartmoor National Park. The old quays, the buildings of the engine house and the terraced hillsides around the rim provide numerous walks, of which the mining past and the market gardening tradition are eloquently apparent throughout.

The Long Way Round: The Tamar Valley Discovery Trail

Tamar from Tamerton Foliot in Devon to Launceston in Cornwall – a route through the AONB for visitors with several days available. It incorporates walks along rivers, nature reserves, historic villages, panoramic views across the valley and further afield, and some of the Calstock section is a special favourite – the walk along the riverside here provides panoramic views across the valley with the boats on the water below, and through woodlands.

Shorter Legs: The Tamar Trails and the Calstock–Cotehele Walk

The Tamar Trails are shorter, 15 miles long, and mostly follow old 19th-century trams and tracks which were used as part of the mining activity. They are also family-friendly, just a short walk from the Visitor Centre, where you can walk straight.

The River Tamar runs through an approximately 1.5-mile walk from Calstock to the Cotehele House of National Trust (which is then turned around and walked back to Calstock). A variant route of the same way bypasses the house and gardens entirely and drops instead through the woods, which is a better option if you prefer to spend your time by the water.

Village Stops Worth Building a Day Around

Calstock makes a convenient starting point for a day in the valley. It is about a half hour from Plymouth by Tamar Valley line, and the village of course is dominated by its imposing railway viaduct over the river. Disembarking from the train, you’ll find the Tamar Inn for pub food, and a walk to Cotehele on the Tamar’s edge where artisan ice cream is served at Valenti’s.

Upriver at Cotehele is the home of the National Trust’s house and gardens of the Tudor period. It only takes 10 minutes by car to get here from the surrounding area, or it’s a short walk downriver from Calstock.

There is an easily accessed valley that runs up to Gunnislake. It is the end of the Tamar Valley Line. Together with the Queen’s Head pub at nearby Albaston, it forms a wonderful opportunity to get off the train at one of a number of stops throughout the day on the Tamar Valley Line Rail Ale Trail.

Riding the Tamar Valley Line

The branch line is a part of the experience along with the trails themselves. Running from Plymouth to Gunnislake, it’s a practical route for joining up different stretches as part of a longer walking route rather than retracing your steps, and it will give you a lovely ride through rolling green countryside, sleepy villages with beautiful river crossings. The easiest way to complete the full day trip to the valley could be to hop from one station to another, back to the river.

Water, Woods and Wildlife

River Tamar also offers great opportunities for kayaking, paddle boarding and a swim, with ideal launching spots at Morwellham, Calstock and Cotehele. Gunnislake, Calstock, Cotehele and Gulworthy are also home to beautiful woodland, and even a short detour off the main trail tends to put you under tree cover within minutes.

Staying Connected in a Valley That Doesn’t Make It Easy

It is these same traits – the deep wooded combes, the twisted nature of the river and the villages that straddle folds – which wonderfully illustrate the valley’s appeal and give rise to its several challenges in connectivity. Signals can be very good in the town of Calstock and poor in a matter of minutes after turning well onto the riverside path or indeed deep into the woodland of the Tamar Trails.

Book a table at the Tamar Inn or check opening hours at Cotehele – it is better done from within Calstock village than out on the trail. A working data connection – one with which you can already find a signal rather than waiting in the woods for it – makes a full day’s plans a lot easier to arrange around; worth making.