Page 1 of 9

Lydford Gorge Access Guide Reviewed November 2019 All measurements are approximate

General information For further information about access and opening times please check the website or contact the Lydford Gorge team on 01822 820320 or email lydfordgorge@nationaltrust.org.uk

• Lydford Gorge is a steep-sided wooded river valley. The River Lyd runs through the gorge which is 35 metres at its deepest point.

• There are a range of hiking trails that take you into the gorge from moderate to challenging and an easy walk along the route of the old Great Western Railway to a bird hide.

• There are two entrances to the gorge each with a car-park.

• On site there is a shop, two visitor reception buildings, and two tea-rooms. - There is limited opening in winter (November to February)

• The busiest times of year are bank holidays, the Devon Easter school holiday and October half-term.

• The busiest times of day are 11am to 2pm. Mobile phone reception and emergency procedures

• Mobile phone reception on site is patchy and varies between networks. When in the gorge phone reception is poor.

• During opening hours staff can communicate with each other via radio and will be able to organise help in an emergency.

• Out of hours there are emergency phones at both entrances for visitors to use to contact the emergency services directly.

Devil’s Cauldron entrance - emergency phone

Waterfall entrance - emergency phone

Page 2 of 9

Assistance dogs

• Assistance dogs are welcome. Dogs are admitted to the property in all areas and must be on leads throughout.

Other key information

• Visitor reception staff brief all visitors of the hazards of walking in the gorge and give out a map which has the health and safety messages on it.

- A large print guide is available on request.

• A mobility tramper is available to hire (March to October) to access Whitelady Waterfall and the bird hide. It requires advance booking (01822 820320) and is operated through the South West Countryside Mobility Scheme.

Tramper on route to Whitelady Waterfall

Page 3 of 9

Arrival & Parking Facilities

Directions

• Head to the Devil’s Cauldron entrance for the full Lydford Gorge trail, Devil’s Cauldron trail, shop, visitor reception and main tea-room.

• Head to the Waterfall entrance for the full Lydford Gorge trail, Waterfall trail, easy walk to the bird hide, Tramper hire, visitor reception and tea-room.

• There are brown signs from the A30 and on the A and B roads to the property for both entrances.

• For sat navs, please use the postcode EX20 4BH for the Devil’s Cauldron entrance and EX20 4BL for the Waterfall entrance

- Please note that some mobile devices do not navigate to the right destination when Lydford Gorge is selected so it’s best to use the postcode.

Parking

• There are two designated spaces for disabled visitors at either entrance to the gorge on a tarmac surface.

- At the Devil’s Cauldron entrance the spaces are 20 metres from the visitor reception building (level access) and 35 metres from the tea-room (sloped gravel path).

- At the Waterfall entrance the spaces are 5 metres from the visitor reception building (small ramp) and 10 metres from the tea-room (level access).

Devil’s Cauldron entrance - nearest to Lydford village

Waterfall entrance

Devil’s Cauldron entrance - the visitor reception and shop are in the building pictured

Waterfall entrance - visitor reception pictured

Page 4 of 9

• At the Devil’s Cauldron entrance the rest of the car park surface is compounded gravel.

• There is no transfer vehicle available.

• There is an overflow car park at the Devil’s Cauldron entrance which has an uneven grass surface.

WCs • Accessible toilets can be found at both entrances.

Accessible toilet at the Devil’s Cauldron entrance:

- Accessed through visitor reception - There is an external door to access

the toilets, 0.82m wide, opens in, left open in summer

- 1.47 x 2.25m, doorway 0.83m, door opens out

- Right hand transfer - Artificial light activated by a

movement sensor - Tiled floor - Hand wash facilities and automatic hand

drier available inside cubicle - Also has baby changing facilities

Accessible toilet at the Waterfall entrance:

- Accessed from the car park - 1.63 x 1.93m, doorway 0.83m, door opens out - Left hand transfer - Artificial light activated by a movement sensor - Fan activated by a movement sensor - Tiled floor - Hand wash facilities and automatic hand drier

available inside cubicle

Visitor Reception Devil’s Cauldron entrance

• From the tarmac section of car park there is a very light incline to the entrance which is brick.

• The entrance door is manual and opens inwards, it is 0.65m wide but can open to 1.31m wide.

• The exit door which leads to the toilets, tea-room and gorge trails is manual and opens inwards, it is 0.95m wide.

- Staff can assist with opening the doors if required. On warm days in summer they are left open.

Outer door to toilets

Page 5 of 9

• The height of the reception desk is 0.87m. - Staff can come out from behind the desk.

• An induction loop is fitted at the till.

• The floor is hard brick, the walls are light cream and stone.

• There is some natural light and artificial florescent lights. On bright days there are no artificial lights on.

• There are chairs available, they do not have armrests.

• During busy times it can be very noisy - Staff can come outside if requested

Waterfall entrance

• From the tarmac car park there is a small tarmac ramp into the visitor reception. - The start of the walks can be accessed without going through the visitor

reception building

• The entrance door is manual and opens inwards, it is 0.68m wide but can open to 1.38m wide.

• The exit door which leads to the gorge trails is manual and opens inwards it is 0.76m wide with one step down.

- Staff can assist with opening the doors if required. On warm days in summer they are left open.

• The height of the reception desk is 0.92m. - Staff can come out from behind the desk.

• An induction loop is fitted at the till.

• There is some natural light and artificial florescent lights. On bright days there are no artificial lights on.

• There are chairs available, they do not have armrests.

• The tramper (pre-booked only) can be picked up from this entrance. - Staff can come out of the cabin to do the paperwork and induction.

Visitor reception counter Visitor reception exit (optional)

Visitor reception entrance

Visitor reception entrance Visitor reception counter

Page 6 of 9

Food and beverage Devil’s Cauldron tea-room

• The tea-room is accessible through visitor reception and the shop, over a small area of rough stone paving and along a sloped gravel path.

• It is 15 metres from the visitor reception building.

• The doors are heavy manual doors that open outwards, they are 0.64m wide (the entrance door can open to 0.98m wide), on warm days they are left open.

• There is indoor and outdoor seating - Indoor the flooring is flagstones, the chairs are moveable but do not have arms,

there are no soft furnishings. - Outdoor there are wooden picnic tables on grass, which have accessible places

for wheelchairs.

• The area is lit with natural and artificial lighting.

• The counter is 0.9m high and an induction loop is fitted at the till.

• Staff will assist visitors on request.

• Large handled cutlery and straws available

• The nearest accessible toilet is at visitor reception 15 metres away up the gravel slope.

• During busy times it can be very noisy Waterfall tea-room

• The tea-room is accessible from the Waterfall car park along a paved path.

• It is 10 metres from the car park.

• The doors are manual and open outwards, they are 0.87m wide, on warm days they are left open.

• There is indoor and outdoor seating - Indoor the flooring is lino in the servery area, and wooden laminate flooring in

the seating area, the chairs are moveable but do not have arms, there are no soft furnishings.

- Outdoor there are wooden picnic tables on gravel, which have accessible places for wheelchairs.

Access to Devil’s Cauldron tea-room from visitor reception

Devil’s Cauldron tea-room counter and seating

Devil’s Cauldron tea-room outdoor seating

Page 7 of 9

• The area is lit with natural and artificial lighting.

• The counter is 0.9m high and an induction loop is fitted at the till. - Staff can easily come out from behind the counter and will assist visitors on

request.

• Large handled cutlery and straws available

• The nearest accessible toilet is behind visitor reception 20 metres away through the tarmac car park.

• During busy times it can be noisy

Retail

• The shop is located at the Devil’s Cauldron entrance.

• The surface to the entrance is tarmac. It’s 20 metres from the car park (accessible spaces) and 5 metres from the top of the main gravel car park.

• The entrance to the shop is through a porch, 1.08m wide. The shop door is manual and open inwards, the doorway is 0.77m wide.

- Staff can assist to open the doors.

• The flooring is brick with wooden units and shelving for the stock.

• The shop can also be accessed on exit from the tea-room or gorge trails through a manual door that opens inwards, it is 0.95m wide.

• The area is lit by a little natural as well as artificial light.

• The counter is 0.84m high and an induction loop is fitted at the till.

• Staff will assist visitors on request.

Main entrance to Waterfall tea-room

Seating in Waterfall tea-room

Shop entrance, porch and door Shop counter

Page 8 of 9

Gorge

• On arrival all visitors receive a welcome leaflet which includes a map of the site. They are also briefed about the terrain in the gorge and what the walking trails are like.

• There are bigger maps, at least 75.5cm x 56.5cm, inside and outside both visitor receptions.

• There is no route around the gorge that doesn’t have a steep slope or steps.

- The railway path to the bird hide is a level path with a compounded surface, however there is an initial steep section of tarmac and compounded surface.

• The paths in the gorge are a mixture of soil, bedrock and compounded hardcore.

- There are also obstacles such as tree roots, wooden gullies, uneven steps and bridges along the paths.

• There are very steep gradients (more information will be available soon)

• Some of the more hazardous sections do have handrails and safety wire fencing.

Initial steep section to access railway path

Page 9 of 9

• There is one gate on route that requires opening. - It is light and pushes away from you. It is on

the Lydford Gorge trail at post 13.

• There are wooden benches at locations throughout the gorge, however they are well spaced.

• The River Lyd runs through the bottom of the gorge and in sections flows quickly and other sections slower and more tranquil. It can be quite noisy, particularly after periods of high rainfall.

- The viewing area at the bottom of the 28.2m high Whitelady Waterfall can be accessed from the Waterfall and Lydford Gorge trails.

- The feature known as the Devil’s Cauldron, a deep pothole which visitors can walk into on a metal platform over the water, can be accessed from the Devil’s Cauldron and Lydford gorge trails. There are a small number of narrow rock-hewn steps, with a handrail but no barrier, that need to be negotiated to access the viewing area.

Contact details for more information 01822 820320 lydford.gorge@nationaltrust.org.uk

Whitelady Waterfall viewing area - pictured above Devil’s Cauldron viewing platform - pictured left

Gate that requires pushing open