The best walks and hikes around Ashton

This sheltered viewpoint is on the family friendly, multi-user trail at Haldon Forest. Big views over the flat lands around Exeter and towards the coast at Exmouth.

Haldon Forest Park opened the new start to the red trail in mid December 2023 and it's fantastic. It's packed gravel with berms at the start, then splits in two. Take the right 'short cut' to cut the entire red in two (or take it to ride back to the start and do the new section again) or stay left to carry on along the new bit and then get onto the usual red. This new section is nowhere near as challenging as the main red, but it's super fast and fun. As it spits you out on the fire track after a short distance, it's great for kids too, who can have a great time on this punchy gravel but bail before the red gets hairy. The way it's set up means it's easy to only do this bit, ride back to the start, and do it again and again.

Great little hire shop. £20 for 4 hours and decent bikes for the trials around the forest. Don't forget ID

Nice and very cycle friendly cafe at Haldon Forest. Plenty of outside bike storage, picnic benches etc as well as indoor seating. Good simple menu for food, snacks, and drinks. Perfectly positioned to ride from here on the surfaced trails of Haldon or to include it as a stop in a longer loop. Open every day.

As you round the corner on Haldon's Discovery Trail, the woods fall back and the views open up. Looking east, the Exe Valley drops down before your eyes and you can see right across to the other side. On a clear day, this view is always exceptional but autumn evenings or early mornings can be particularly special.

Here you can hire mountain bikes for riding at Haldon Forest Park and enquire about the Segway tours that operate here. It's right next to the cafe, car park, play area and toilets so there's plenty of facilities for all the family. Bike servicing is also offered here, so if your mountain bike could do with a little TLC, it's a great place to come. At the end of the ride, make the most of the bike wash too (a small charge applies), so that's one less thing to clean when you get home! For more information about the hire bikes, availability and pricing, visit: http://www.forestcyclehire.co.uk/

The pump track at Haldon Forest Park is found next to the cafe building and children's play park, and is best suited to toddlers and young children learning to ride. The aim of the game is to make it all the way around the twisting course without pedalling, which you'll find is particularly hard here! A great place for youngsters to practice riding while you can enjoy a cuppa from the cafe.

After the thrilling descent on the Kiddens Trail that zig-zags down the hillside, you'll enter into the woodland section. Here the twisting singletrack darts between the tall pines, banked by mossy hillsides with a few stream crossings. It's a bit more pedally through here than the previous section, but really beautiful.