How to find us

The Old Kennels, Stentwood,
Dunkeswell, Devon, EX14 4RW
tel. 01823 681138

Getting Here

We completely support car free days out and if we can help you lift share, or work in with public transport we will.

If you will be arriving by train please see our special tips here.

If you are holidaying here bring your bikes for evenings at the pub or exploring the countryside.

How to find us by car …

Please choose the most suitable directions from the selection of routes below

printable directions

Travelling south/west on the A303;
Turn right at the Eagle Tavern (which is just a couple of miles further on in the direction of Honiton from the Ilminster roundabout). After some miles you will come to a T junction (cross roads), go straight over, then follow signs to Smeatharpe, (which is; fork immediately left, stop almost immediately and straight over cross roads, T junction turn left, 1/2mile fork right) drive through village of Smeatharpe and then follow signs to Dunkeswell (which is; across aerodrome then after several miles turn right (first good wide right turning you come to rest are single track lanes), right again at cross roads this brings you into village of Dunkeswell). Follow main road through Village and across the airfield. Approximately half a mile after crossing the airfield, take first right (small drive marked Stentwood), go past Stentwood Farm/Tea Room and follow lane slowly (large drain half way down!) to bottom of hill, turn left back on yourself before you drive onto gravel at bottom – in to The Old Kennels. If you go wrong you can follow signs to Hemyock or Dunkeswell and come in from there as below!

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Travelling South on the M5;
Take Wellington junction (26) and follow signs to Hemyock (this is; 1st exit off motorway roundabout (travelling southbound), right at the T junction, left at T junction, up a long steep hill, right at T junction then 1st left, then follow road – in all about 5 miles or more) to Hemyock. Turn left at the Catherine Wheel pub. Follow this road for approximately five miles, approximately 1/2 a mile after passing through Gypsy Cross, turn left into small drive marked Stentwood (if you reach the airfield you have gone too far),  follow lane slowly (large drain half way down), go past Stentwood Farm/Tea Room on right, to bottom of hill, turn left back on yourself before you drive onto gravel at bottom – into The Old Kennels.

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From M5 Tiverton Junction (form North Devon);
take A38 (straight across roundabout if coming from Link Road).Turn right after a couple of miles at top of hill (signposted to Culmstock). Follow road through Culmstock, over bridge and up hill out of village – you will follow a 20ft high wall on your left, immediately after this – take left turn marked Dunkeswell. Follow lane a couple of miles to grass triangle in road – turn left (uphill). Follow long straight road for ages, then at end T junction (which is a cross roads called Gypsy Cross) turn right. After 1/4mile take first left into small drive marked Stentwood (if you reach the airfield you have gone too far), follow lane slowly (large drain half way down!) go past Stentwood Farm/Tea Room on right, to bottom of hill, turn left back on yourself before you drive onto gravel at bottom – into The Old Kennels.

VIEW ON MAP

From Honiton;
Take the Dunkeswell/Hemyock/Smeatharpe/Luppitt road, (this is located on the 2nd north bound slip road off the A303 to Honiton). Then follow the signs to Dunkeswell. Follow main road through the Village and across the airfield. Approximately half a mile after passing the airfield, take first right (small drive marked Stentwood), follow lane slowly (large drain half way down!) go past Stentwood Farm/Tea Room on right, to bottom of hill, turn left back on yourself before you drive onto gravel at bottom – into The Old Kennels.

From Hemyock;
Take the road marked ‘Dunkeswell’ beside the Catherine Wheel pub. Follow this road for approximately five miles, approximately 1/2 a mile after passing Gypsy Cross (a cross roads with white finger posts), turn left into small drive marked Stentwood (if you reach the airfield you have gone too far), follow lane slowly (large drain half way down!) go past Stentwood Farm/Tea Room on right, to bottom of hill, turn left back on yourself before you drive onto gravel at bottom – into The Old Kennels.

From Dunkeswell;
Follow main road through Village and across the airfield. Approximately half a mile after crossing the airfield, take first right (small drive marked Stentwood), follow lane slowly (large drain half way down!) go past Stentwood Farm/Tea Room on right, to bottom of hill, turn left back on yourself before you drive onto gravel at bottom – into The Old Kennels.

From Taunton:
Although you can easily travel via Wellington, there are also several routes to the Blackdowns which are shortcuts depending which side you live – the roads through Trull & Corfe both lead directly up to the Hills, simply follow signs to Hemyock and then follow directions above.

Or if you wish to avoid Hemyock ford after severe rainfall take Corfe or Trull road – then go via Smeatharpe and then to Dunkeswell instead (see below for directions).

ACCESS AVOIDING SEASONAL FORDS ON ROADS (AFTER EXTREME RAINFALL ONLY!)…

From the M5 travelling south – route after extreme rainfall only (Travelling north is unaffected); The river Culm causes a ford across the road in Hemyock very occasionally during extreme rainfall which can be avoided altogether by coming in via Taunton or Tiverton Junctions of the M5

From Taunton Junction M5 travelling south – take slip road to ROUNDABOUT TAKE THIRD EXIT (to Taunton) at ROUNDABOUT TAKE FIRST EXIT (to Taunton), at Creech Castle cross roads which is the first set of lights TAKE SLIP ROAD TO LEFT TURN ONTO BRIDGWATER ROAD, then THIRD LEFT ON TO ILMINSTER ROAD. Continue TO ROUNDABOUT TAKE SECOND EXIT ON TO BLACKBROOK WAY, follow road to ROUNDABOUT – TAKE FIRST EXIT ON TO CHESTNUT DRIVE. Follow road to T JUNCTION AND TURN LEFT ONTO SHOREDITCH ROAD (B3170). Follow road out of town and through the village of Corfe, past the racecourse then up the long climbing hill. As you reach the top of the hill you will see an obvious CROSS ROADS – TURN RIGHT which is signposted to Wellington, now FORK IMMEDIATELY LEFT, stop almost immediately and STRAIGHT OVER CROSS ROADS, T JUNCTION TURN LEFT, then fork FIRST RIGHT.  Drive through village of Smeatharpe and then follow signs to Dunkeswell as follows; drive past aerodrome then after several miles TURN RIGHT signposted Dunkeswell (first good wide right turning you come to rest are single track teeny lanes), RIGHT AGAIN AT CROSS ROADS this brings you into village of Dunkeswell. Follow main road through Village and past the airfield. APPROXIMATELY HALF A MILE AFTER THE AIRFIELD, TAKE FIRST RIGHT (small drive marked Stentwood), follow lane slowly (large drain half way down!) go past Stentwood Farm/Tea Room on right, to bottom of hill, turn left back on yourself before you drive onto gravel at bottom – into The Old Kennels.

See this route on Google maps…

From the A303 at Honiton – route after extreme rainfall only (from A303 Eagle Tavern is unaffected): Langford Bridge (just off the A303 at Honiton) occasionally becomes a ford during really extreme rainfall which can be avoided by travelling down Honiton high street to the second set of traffic lights and turning right towards Cullompton, shortly after crossing the bridge over the a303 turn right signposted ‘Egland’ this is a narrow steep winding hill and climbs all the way up to Dunkeswell through beautiful beech woods, eventually you will find yourself at Limers Cross T Junction where you turn left and follow directions above from Dunkeswell.

Alternatively if you are travelling in from Exeter take the M5 north directions above rather than the A303.

See this route on Google Maps