[1] Leave Seaton town centre up Castle Hill and cross the road into Marlpit Lane. At the top of the hill turn left into Durley Road and, at the end, left into Bunts Lane.
[2] As this lane swings left to join the Beer Road turn right into a lane and immediately right again to pass through a gate and take the sign posted footpath. Follow the path uphill into the woods, bearing left where the overhead wires go steeply uphill. This path rises gently and curves right to join the power cables again. Bear right at another fork, ignoring a small gate on the right and continue through the wood to a field gate. Pass through the gate which is slightly to the right and then left along the hedge to the end of this field. Turn right again along a track on to the road at Seaton Down Hill.
[3] Turn left and after 350m cross the main A3052 road (with care) and go through a gate opposite. Continue ahead along the hedge down to a metal kissing gate into the woods. At a fork take the right hand, lower, track and continue round the left-hand end of a small reservoir. Follow the path through the woods, and pass through a gate and go over a field to a gate.
[4] Do not go through the gate, but take the bridleway back left uphill to another gate. Go through, then diagonally right up to the hilltop.
(A) Looking back there are good views over the Axe Estuary.
Continue along the hilltop to a gate in the corner of the field. Turn right then immediately left through a gate to follow the path to Pratts Hill.
[5] When the path emerges into Pratts Lane turn right into it and continue, crossing a road, until the lane peters out at a small clearing. Take the path on the right along the edge of the wood to the end of the trees, keeping an old hedge on the right. Cross the stile on the right, another on the left and follow the hedge on the right down to some woods. Enter the woods over a stile and follow the yellow way-marked footpath to a small gate on the right.
[6] Do not go through the gate but continue on the path as it bends left near the boundary until a field gate is reached. The going can be quite boggy. Cross two minor roads and continue in the same direction to the bridleway just to the right of Heathhayne Farmhouse.
(B) This track is thought to have been a Bronze Age route for trade in salt and other commodities.
The track leads to the River Coly, which is crossed by a footbridge a short distance to the left of the ford. Cross and turn back along the northern bank to pass through a gate and then turn left along the hedge. At waymarker sign at corner of hedge turn left to rejoin bridleway and continue short distance to a gate.
(C) From this point the striking lantern tower of Colyton Church can be seen ahead along the river. This ancient Saxon town is well worth a visit.
Continue along the bridleway to a minor road at Gittshayne Cross.
[7] Cross the road turn left then right along the lane to Gittshayne to take the footpath on the right before the farm. The path crosses two fields bending right to a stile in field one and then turning left in field two to follow boundary hedge on left. At corner of field turn right to continue following boundary hedge on left. Exit into road through gate in field corner.
[8] Turn left and after about 40m turn right at Tritchhayne Farm and follow the lane to just beyond Tritchmarsh, before turning off right to a footbridge over a ditch. After crossing turn left across two fields and two more footbridges, ignoring a stile on the left into the lane.
[9] After the last bridge a gate can be seen ahead go through and diagonally right across the field. Cross the stile then bear right to a footbridge in the bottom right-hand corner of the field. After crossing footbridge bear left (ignore direction shown straight ahead on waymarker) to cross field diagonally to a stile mid way along the boundary fence. Cross stile and go uphill to the footbridge over the railway line.
This is the London, Salisbury, Exeter line but Seaton Junction station is closed.
After crossing the railway footbridge turn right.
[10] After about 150m, at a road junction, take the sign-posted path on the left. The footpath follows the hedge on the right then joins a track before, reaching a stile on the right.
[11] Cross the stile and go diagonally left over the field towards the left hand end of a wood where a stile can be seen in the middle of a wire fence. To reach the stile cross a footbridge below the farm buildings on the left and then turn left through a gate. Walk uphill to stile on the right and then pass along the edge of the wood. Climb a stile at the top, turn left then right on a lane which leads across the elegant frontage of Shute House.
(D) Shute House was built by the Pole family in the 1790s replacing the 14th century manor house, part of which survives near the gatehouse at Shute village.
Take the left fork to continue along the driveway.
Ahead, there are lovely views over the Axe Valley.
At the end of the drive cross the road into the road opposite and after a bend, go uphill and turn into the bridleway on right which meanders its way to Springhead. Here follow the byway on the left to Shute Road.
The path through the woods to Springhead can be muddy and an alternative is to walk via Shute village. To do this do not cross the stile at [11] but continue up the track until you reach another stile on the right. Do not cross this but bear left before a big barn to a stile in the hedge. Follow the line of poplar trees to another stile, then a gate and bear right with the hedge to a gate into a lane. Turn left along the high wall to meet the road then turn right across the front of the imposing gatehouse to Shute Barton. Take the narrow byway uphill to the right of a thatched cottage and continue on this track for about 1km, climbing through the woods over Shute Hill to rejoin the main route at [12].
[12] At Shute Road, turn right and continue on to the Centre of Kilmington.