Newton Abbot Voyage Tips and guide

Newton Abbot is a market town in the English Riviera and South Devon region of Devon. It runs alongside the River Teign, and has a population of about 26,000 in 2010.

Newton Abbot is a historic market town, but grew rapidly in the Victorian era as a railway hub. The area around Newton Abbot has been used to mine ball clay at least since 1680. In 1792, James Templer built the Stover Canal to move ball clay from the clay pits to the Teign Estuary, and then on to Teignmouth, where it was transferred onto ships and exported. Clay mining is still a major economic activity in the town.

Decoy lake is an abandoned clay pit that has since flooded. The lake and the surrounding forests are now part of Decoy Country Park, a popular area for local recreation and watersports.

50.53-3.59971 Newton Abbot station is on the Riviera Line serving Exeter, Starcross, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Torre, Torquay and Paignton.

Newton Abbot is serviced by a few main roads. The A380 connects to Torquay, and Exeter, and joins with the M5 motorway, connecting the town to the rest of Britain. Ashburton Road (A383) connects to the Devon Expressway (A38), which leads to Plymouth and Cornwall. The A381 leads to Totnes. Bovey Road (A382) leads to Bovey Tracey, but parts of it are closed as of March 2026.

There are several bus lines that connect Newton Abbot to its neighbours. The 2 bus connects to Dawlish and Teignmouth, the 178 connects to Moretonhampstead and Okehampton, the 7 connects to Totnes and Dartmouth, and the 12 and 13 both connect to Torquay and Brixham.

Additionally, National Express operates long distance buses on the 102 line, terminating in Birmingham and Plymouth, and stopping in several towns and cities along the route, including Newton Abbot.

The town has several bus lines, most of which go through Newton Abbot Bus Centre, mostly operated by Stagecoach South West and Country Bus.

The town is fairly walkable, with a semi-pedestrianised town center.

50°31′43″N 3°36′45″W

Map of Newton Abbot

• 50.529417-3.6126151 St. Leonard's Tower, Newfoundland Way, TQ12 1EX (in the centre of Newton Abbot). All that remains of the medieval chapel of St Leonard, founded in 1220. The main chapel was demolished in 1836 to ease traffic congestion.  
• 50.5273-3.59572 Forde House. Jacobean manor house built in 1610 by Richard Reynell and his wife Lucy. It was built with an E-shaped floor plan thought to be in honour of Queen Elizabeth I, who had died in 1603.  
• 50.5261-3.625833 Bradley Manor, Totnes Rd, TQ12 1LX, ☏ +44 1803 661907, [email protected]. Medieval manor house.  
• 50.531884-3.5993314 Tucker's Maltings, Teign Rd, TQ12 4AA, ☏ +44 1626 334002. For a long time, it was the only traditional malthouse in the UK open to the public. The malt house produced malt for over 30 breweries, and enough to brew 15,000,000 imperial pints (8,500 m3) of beer per annum. It closed in 2018.  (updated Aug 2022)
• 50.530139-3.6036015 Railway Museum, 2A St Paul's Rd, TQ12 2HP, ☏ +44 1626 201121. It displays the history of Newton Abbot and of the Great Western Railway.  

Newton Abbot has two non-League football clubs: Buckland Athletic F.C., which plays at Homers Heath, and Newton Abbot Spurs A.F.C., which plays at the Recreation Ground. The headquarters of Devon County Football Association are in the town.

Newton Abbot's South Devon Cricket Club was established in 1851 and also plays at the Recreation Ground.

The town has a long-standing rugby union club, Newton Abbot RFC (established 1873), which plays home games at Rackerhayes in nearby Kingsteignton.

• 50.530922-3.6097321 Farmer's Market, Courtnay St, TQ12 2QN, ☏ +44 1626 353567. Tu F 9AM-3PM.  (updated Oct 2017)
• Market days are on Wednesday and Saturday in Market Square.

• 50.528976-3.6080271 Ye Olde Cidar Bar, East St, TQ12 2LD, ☏ +44 1626 354221. A historical monument to cider-only pubs serving a good range of real ciders . Make sure to have a pint of Eric's Farmhouse Rough.  (updated Aug 2022)

• 50.540722-3.5998681 Premier Inn Newton Abbot, Newton Abbot Racecourse, Newton Rd, Kingsteignton, TQ12 3AF, ☏ +44 871 527 9300.  
• 50.581-3.7372 Rock Inn, Haytor Vale TQ13 9XP (off B3387), ☏ +44 1364 661305. Excellent little hotel in former quarrymen's cottages, great comfort, service and dining. B&B double £110.  (updated Jun 2020)
• 50.573-3.7233 Ilsington Country House, Ilsington TQ13 9RR, ☏ +44 1364 661452. Stylish country house hotel and spa on edge of Dartmoor, open Feb-Dec. B&B double £135.  (updated Jun 2020)

Newton Abbot and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of March 2026, 5G has not reached this area.

• Newton Abbot is 5 miles from the coast at Teignmouth and Torquay. Travelling north west, visit Dartmoor National Park, again just a few miles from the town.