Drivelines
England · Near Exeter/8 min read

The 10 best driving roads around Exeter.

Devon’s topography dictates its road network: deep valleys feeding out from the high granite blocks of Dartmoor and Exmoor, and crinkled margins wrapping the South Hams. The best driving here marries broad-shouldered A-roads sweeping across the moorland with tight, technical B-roads plunging into the combes.

By Drivelines·Published 06 May 2026
REGION OVERVIEW

Navigating the Granite and the Green

It is a county that repays a fluent driving style, where sightlines are earned rather than given, and the prevailing damp demands respect. The geography enforces its own rhythm: wide moorland blasts inevitably give way to single-track descents, ensuring that raw speed is far less important than precision and patience. These ten roads represent the finest tarmac within an hour of Exeter, balancing technical engagement with sweeping topography.

Routes mapped
10
Total distance
200km
Avg curve idx
6.5/10
Map of all 10 routes in near-exeter
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Kelly Cross (A382)
10
A382 · Moretonhampstead · Spirited
Mixed widthSmooth surface

Kelly Cross (A382)

Nearing Moretonhampstead, this dual-track road throws a surprising number of complex curves into a short distance. It requires active management of the throttle to settle the car through the transitions, rewarding those who plan two corners ahead. The smooth surface flatters a tidy line but the frequency of the bends leaves no room for hesitation.

The transition from shadow to bright sunlight beneath the tree canopy can briefly mask the entry to the tighter corners.

Distance
11km
Drive time
0h 14m
Curve idx
7.6/10
Climb
293m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Teignmouth Road (A379)
09
A379 · Shaldon · Expert
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Teignmouth Road (A379)

This coastal stretch above Shaldon offers another hyper-technical challenge, stringing together blind corners and steep pinches in rapid succession. The road width narrows unpredictably, forcing you to adjust your line mid-corner and respect the unforgiving hedges. It is a physically busy drive that relies entirely on precise positioning.

Salt spray leaves a greasy residue on the tarmac over the winter months, halving the mechanical grip you think you have.

Distance
9.3km
Drive time
0h 16m
Curve idx
8.6/10
Climb
236m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to The Ridges (A379)
08
A379 · South Hams · Expert
Dual-trackSmooth surface

The Ridges (A379)

Clinging to the South Hams coastline, this road is an abrasive, intense experience that crams an immense density of corners into just six miles. It ducks and weaves relentlessly, requiring sharp, decisive inputs and constant attention to the vanishing point. The tight margins and rapid direction changes demand full concentration.

The camber falls away abruptly on the landward side of the tighter bends, pushing you wide if you turn in too early.

Distance
10.2km
Drive time
0h 17m
Curve idx
9.1/10
Climb
244m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Bishop's Tawton Road (A377)
07
A377 · Taw Valley · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Bishop's Tawton Road (A377)

Tracing the path of the River Taw northwards, this is a masterclass in relaxed, linear driving. The curvature is minimal, allowing you to settle into an effortless cruise along the valley floor while enjoying consistent, predictable tarmac. It is a road that provides mental space, demanding little more than a light touch on the wheel.

Farm vehicles pull out from the blind junctions south of Bishop's Tawton without warning, so keep your sightlines long.

Distance
37.8km
Drive time
0h 39m
Curve idx
2.6/10
Climb
503m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Station Road (A386)
06
A386 · Dartmoor West · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Station Road (A386)

This is the A386 north of Okehampton, not the Dartmoor flank: from Hatherleigh it picks up the River Torridge and follows the valley through Meeth and Merton to Great Torrington, then on down to Bideford. The curve density is low and the sightlines long, so the road asks little of the steering and a lot of the driver's observation. The one real change of tempo is Torrington, where the road drops off the hilltop town to Lord Rolle's 1843 New Bridge and climbs straight back out.

The wooded valley between Torrington and Bideford is the weak link: fallen trees and then a landslip closed it after Storm Goretti in January, and the low ground by the river floods. Check before relying on it in a wet winter.

Distance
33.8km
Drive time
0h 42m
Curve idx
4.8/10
Climb
562m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Clay Pits Way (B3193)
05
B3193 · Teign Valley · Spirited
Dual-trackVaried surface

Clay Pits Way (B3193)

The B3193 threads the Teign Valley for 11 miles from the A38 at Chudleigh Knighton up to Dunsford on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, following the valley floor the old Teign Valley railway used until floods finished it in 1961. It is wide enough for two, which the lanes off it up to Christow and Trusham are not, and it flows through medium-radius bends with the river never far away. It rewards a settled pace and attention to what the valley trees hide.

Christow and Trusham sit just off the road up single-track lanes; the Cridford Inn at Trusham is the stop, and Dunsford Woods at the top end is the wild-daffodil walk in spring.

Distance
17.3km
Drive time
0h 23m
Curve idx
5.8/10
Climb
372m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Cutcombe Hill (A396)
04
A396 · Exmoor · Spirited
Dual-trackVaried surface

Cutcombe Hill (A396)

The A396 follows the Exe north from the Devon border at Exebridge, past the Dulverton turn and up the wooded Quarme valley to the crossroads at Wheddon Cross, then falls down Cutcombe Hill to Timberscombe and Dunster. Cutcombe Hill is the set piece: 230 m of height over 5.5 km, mostly under trees, with a single hairpin and a steepest pitch near 10%. It is a road of gradient management and sightlines you have to wait for, not of speed.

After a coach crash in July 2025 Cutcombe Hill spent months under temporary signals and a 20 mph section, with overnight repair closures the following winter, so check for works before an evening run. Treat the hairpin as a place to be fully slowed rather than trailing the brakes.

Distance
35.9km
Drive time
0h 43m
Curve idx
6.3/10
Climb
835m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Dart Bridge (A3072)
03
A3072 · Mid Devon · Spirited
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Dart Bridge (A3072)

Seven and a half miles of Mid Devon A-road between Crediton and Bickleigh Bridge, threading the ridges above the Creedy and dropping through Stockleigh Pomeroy to the wooded little Dart valley before meeting the A396 and the Exe. Motorcyclists rate its corners near the top of the scale and its straights near the bottom, which is about right: a continuous run of well-sighted sweepers and short climbs with a decent surface, rewarding smooth inputs rather than any pace.

The dips at the stream crossings hold water; Devon has closed the road twice for drainage works, at Stockleigh Pomeroy and between Creedy Bridge and Nomansland Cross, and the Dart Bridge end at Bickleigh is tight enough that one broken-down lorry shut the road in February 2025.

Distance
12.4km
Drive time
0h 16m
Curve idx
7.4/10
Climb
321m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Longdown Road (B3212)
02
B3212 · Longdown · Spirited
Mixed widthSmooth surface

Longdown Road (B3212)

The B3212 is a classic arterial route into Dartmoor, undulating through wooded corridors before breaking out into more open terrain. It is decidedly technical, constantly altering its pitch and asking the driver to balance the car through medium-speed transitions. The cadence here rewards smooth steering inputs and measured throttle application.

Traffic builds quickly on weekend mornings as walkers head for the moors; the early dawn light offers the clearest run.

Distance
21.3km
Drive time
0h 37m
Curve idx
7.6/10
Climb
447m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Northway Bridge (B3387)
01
B3387 · Dartmoor · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Northway Bridge (B3387)

From the A382 at Bovey Tracey the B3387 climbs onto open Dartmoor, past Haytor Rocks (457 m) and Saddle Tor, over the Hemsworthy Gate cattle grid and then sharply down into Widecombe-in-the-Moor. Once the hedges give way to heather the road is wide, smooth and open-sighted, with generous radii that let you read the camber well ahead. That is a rare thing in Devon, and a gentle introduction to moorland driving.

Ponies and sheep graze right up to the tarmac around the Haytor and Saddle Tor car parks, and the road pinches in briefly just after the turn off the A382. Widecombe Fair, the second Tuesday of September, fills the village end.

Distance
10.8km
Drive time
0h 16m
Curve idx
5.1/10
Climb
411m
// KEEP READING
Sibling guide · Scenic
Top 10 scenic drives in Exeter
Parent region · England
Top 10 driving roads in England
Nearby · The east of England
Top 10 driving roads in the east of England
Nearby · London and the Home Counties
Top 10 driving roads in London and the Home Counties
Nearby · The Midlands
Top 10 driving roads in the Midlands
Index · Every region
All Top 10 Field Guides

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