River Sid Ford – View of Sidmouth loop from Branscombe

River Sid Ford – View of Sidmouth loop from Branscombe

Moderate

riders

River Sid Ford – View of Sidmouth loop from Branscombe

01:19

20.6km

450m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 30, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

East Devon National Landscape

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

10.7 km

Salcombe Hill Climb

Highlight • Viewpoint

Salcombe Hill from Sidmouth is a climb in the region South West England. It is 1.2km long and bridges 150 vertical meters with an average gradient of 12.5%, resulting in a difficulty score of 196. The top of the ascent is located at 164 meters above sea level.

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10.7 km

Salcombe Hill

Highlight (Segment) • Summit

Bring a new pair of legs

Tip by

12.6 km

View of Sidmouth Lifeboat Station and Seafront

Highlight • Settlement

The RNLI lifeboat is often on display at the end of the eastern end of The Esplanade

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12.8 km

Sidmouth Sailing Club

Highlight • Other

Sidmouth lifeboat is a fully self-funded independent lifeboat in East Devon, covering an area of approximately 150 square miles of sea between Axmouth and Budleigh Salterton. It is not part of, or funded by the RNLI, although it has close links with them. It has a volunteer crew that are on service 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. It has two boats: an Arctic 24 self-righting Rigid Inflatable Inshore lifeboat and a smaller Sidmouth 2 boat. It also provides lifeguard services and sea safety education to the local community.

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12.9 km

Sidmouth Beach

Highlight • Beach

Nice views of Salcombe Hill Cliff and Sidmouth Beach, over the River Sid, from the east end of the Esplanade.

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13.5 km

River Sid Ford

Highlight • Bridge

This pretty ford over the River Sid can be cycled across if you are careful on the slope, which can be slippery at times. There's a little bridge you can walk your bike over if you'd prefer.

The River Sid is claimed to be the shortest complete river in England, flowing for 6.5 miles (10.5 km) southwards from a source in Crowpits Covert.

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14.8 km

View of Sidmouth

Highlight • Viewpoint

Stunning and worth the climb :D

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15.0 km

Norman Lockyer Observatory

Highlight • Structure

Norman Lockyer was a Victorian amateur astronomer, who discovered the element Helium in the Sun’s corona in 1868 and was one of the founders of the science journal Nature in 1869. He became the director of the Solar Physics Observatory at South Kensington and the first professor of astronomical physics in the Normal School of Science (now the Royal College of Science) in 1887. He was knighted in 1897.

After his retirement to Sidmouth, Lockyer obtained support in 1912 for the building of the Hill Observatory, renamed the Norman Lockyer Observatory following his death in 1920.

Tip by

20.6 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

19.5 km

657 m

320 m

198 m

Surfaces

13.2 km