About
Woolley Woods is a new outdoor destination on the National Trust's Arlington Court estate in North Devon, opened for walking, cycling and play on the edge of Exmoor. A 1.2 km surfaced multi-use trail suits wheelchairs, pushchairs and bikes and passes through different habitats, the natural play area has balance beams, swings, monkey rings, a climbing net, slides and a wooden climbing tower, and the cycle skills area includes a pump track with berms, ramps and jumps and an introductory route for younger riders. From the car park the historic carriage drive, the original approach to Arlington Court past Woolley Lodge, leads into the estate's wider network of walking and cycling routes. Benches and picnic spots are dotted around, with a welcome hub, seasonal indoor seating and toilets including an accessible one. Camping and overnight parking are not permitted. Dogs are welcome, on leads on the North Woolley Loop. The 1.8-mile Woolley Woods Ramble follows the carriage drive through the woods before climbing to views towards Churchill and East Down.
Check today’s timesSee all times
- Woolley WoodsDawn – Dusk
- Welcome Hub10:00 – 16:00
- KioskClosed
Opening times may change at short notice.
The woods, trail, play area and cycle skills area are open dawn to dusk every day; the Trust's calendar shows the Welcome Hub open 10:00 to 16:00 and the Kiosk closed on every day listed to 31 December 2026.
Camping and overnight parking are not permitted at Woolley Woods.
Toilets including an accessible toilet, designated parking, an accessible route and map, seating and a powered mobility vehicle are listed; the 1.2 km multi-use trail is surfaced and suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs.
Dogs are allowed; they must be on leads on the North Woolley Loop into the wider estate.
Photo: Forestry tracks in Woolley Wood on the Arlington Court estate. Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tracks_in_Woolley_Wood_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6083685.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
Dogs at the location: Allowed. Dogs allowed is listed under the site's facilities with no further detail; whether dogs may enter the Welcome Hub building is not stated.
Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs are welcome on the woodland trails from the car park; on leads on the North Woolley Loop, and the Woolley Woods Ramble is marked dog friendly. Free access, parking charges for non-members.
Dog walks in the surrounding area: Allowed with restrictions. The North Woolley Loop runs from Woolley Woods into the wider Arlington Court estate (parkland, woodland, Woolley Lodge and a tunnel) with dogs on leads welcome; it can also be joined from Arlington Court's car park via the Centenary path.
Leads: On leads on the North Woolley Loop; no lead rule stated for the multi-use trail or play area.
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Walking routes3 routes
Woolley Woods Ramble(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
WalkmoderateDog friendly2.9 km distance
