[1] Leave the car park past the public toilets and cross over the main road. Turn up left into a narrow road (High St.) leaving war memorial on left hand. Carry on up this road for about ¼ miles looking out for a mirror on the left. Turn right here up the drive sign-posted "Gray Gables", and also marked Exe Valley Way. Pass house entrance to left and right and pass through the field gate ahead of you.
[2] At this point the views begin to open up as you ascend. Walk up the field with the hedge on your right, then over a stile. Turn left and walk down, along a track, into the dip and then up following the trees on the left until reaching a double stile which you cross over. Turn right and immediately cross another stile. Turn left and follow the fence past the end of a line of trees, and then turn right to walk up the hill, keeping the trees then hedgerow on your right hand side. Continue on to and over the stile into the next field.
[3] Cut diagonally left across this field and through pedestrian gate into next field.
Again cross field diagonally, a clear path can often be seen, to pass through gate way into the next field where you follow the left hand hedge (with a signpost "Exe Valley Way") to the field corner. Go through the gate ahead of you.
(A) The settlements in the valley ahead of you are the villages of Exebridge with Brushford beyond. Bampton Down is to your right.
The hedgerow will now be on your right hand side. Follow this hedge on down the hill, through two gateways Having passed through the second gate, turn half left and down to a gap in the hedge marked with a yellow topped post. (NB. Your own map might differ here as there has been an official diversion to take you clockwise around the farm. However, the new route has plenty of way markers). Now bear slightly right to and through a pedestrian gate. With a ditch on your right, walk down to a yellow topped post to cross over the ditch and on to and through a pedestrian gate. Go through the second gate on your left and follow left hand hedge until you come out onto metalled road.
Turn right and follow this road for about a mile until it joins the main road at Lower Lodfin
(B) The cottage on your left would have been occupied by the crossing keeper of the old Exe Valley Railway line. The line (owned by the Great Western Railway) ran from Bampton to Dulverton. It opened on 1 August 1884 and closed on 7 October 1963.
Turn right and follow the road until it turns sharp right. Proceed up the track in front of you which you. This turns sharp left and then sharp right and then the track levels out. Just before the track begins to descend again, turn right through a pedestrian gate into the field. Follow beside the right hand hedge, through one gateway and over a stile. Follow the left hand hedge up the field, through a pedestrian gate and immediately over a stile. Continue up the field with the hedge on your left hand.
Pass through a field gate and then immediately through another on your left. Now turn half right and walk across field towards and through another field gate. Carry on in roughly the same direction to a stile. You can now see Bampton, your final destination. Continue on a fenced path down to and over another stile.
(C) Ahead of you can be seen the old motte and bailey of the Norman castle, first built around 1067. It was burnt down by King Stephen in 1136 and then later a stone mansion was built on the motte.
Follow this path (very obvious) down hill to meet up with metalled road where you turn right and then take the second left. Follow down this narrow road and at the bottom turn left into Frog Street which you follow to its junction with Castle Street.
(D) Look out for some frog themed house names along this street and some unusual gateposts.
At the junction of Frog Street is an information board about Bampton. Turn right and follow straight ahead and back to start.