Ageing with Awareness: Barn Retreat for the over-55s

From the A38/Devon Expressway take the Totnes/Buckfastleigh exit.

On arriving in Totnes, at the first traffic lights, turn right onto the A381 towards Kingsbridge. Half a mile outside Totnes turn left to Ashprington (about two miles).

After 1.8 miles of winding road, turn left at the crossroads (sign shows left to Natural Burial Ground and straight on for Ashprington. If you get to the village you've gone too far).

After 50 yards turn right down a private road signposted 'The Barn Retreat' and 'Lower Sharpham Barton'.

Follow this over 12 speed bumps all the way down to the bottom (0.7 miles).

Drive through the farmyard bearing left and head up the concrete road to The Barn. Please park by the woodsheds (you may have to double-park).

Be aware that if you're using a sat-nav, our postcode TQ9 7DX directs you to Sharpham Barton Farm.

On Google Maps the Barn is about 300m due north (you can see our poly-tunnels and gardens about 150m north-west of The Barn building). Our driveway is obscured by trees, but identified if you 'show labels'.

Frequent direct trains run from London, Birmingham, and the North. The journey time by train is less than three hours from London Paddington via GWR (www.GWR.com) and under four hours from London Waterloo.

Find train times and buy tickets from www.thetrainline.com

Trains to Totnes are on the Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance lines. Totnes railway station is a 5-10 minute walk from the town.

We are not able to provide rides from the Totnes train station at this time. If you travel by rail, you will need to take a taxi or walk or cycle to The Barn.

Click here to see how to book a single or shared taxi to The Sharpham Estate

From Totnes railway station, walking takes 45-60 minutes and cycling takes about 25 minutes.

Out of Station Drive, turn left at the main road, crossing over at the pedestrian lights. At Morrisons petrol station take the road straight on-ish into town (you'll soon walk past Morrisons supermarket on left). Keep going straight on over the mini-roundabout. At the Doctors' Surgery the road swings right. You go straight on, passing the Doctors' Surgery to your right.

When the road bears left around the back of the Steam Packet Inn on your left, you turn right (signposted National Cycle Network 28), up the hill for 30 metres to a sign for footpath/cycle route to Ashprington. Follow this, taking the right hand route at the first fork, continue up a long hill, and through woodland.

Go through a gate at the top, then continue downhill along this path. You will reach another gate with the Sharpham compass logo on its post, and go through that gate.

Continue on about 200 metres through a third gate and soon after you’ll pass a striking bench on your left commissioned by the Sharpham Trust as a wonderful sit-spot facing down the River Dart Valley towards Sharpham House.

Follow the path down and through a fourth gate. Soon after this gate, take a turn-off to the right, through a gate going up along a tree-lined path.

Did you go perhaps not see the turn-off? You’ve gone too far if you meet another gate and a split in the path with a sign pointing toward Ashprington. If you meet either of these, turn back to find the gate leading to the tree-lined path.

Walk up this path, through yet another gate, to a paved road and Lower Sharpham Barton Farm. You are nearly there! Where this paved road begins, turn right, through the farmyard and follow the road up a hill. There will be a couple of sharp turns, but at the end of the road you’ll be at The Barn Retreat.

The journey time by National Express coach is just over six hours from London, (Victoria Coach Station, Departures Hall) and the route travels via Heathrow Airport, (Central Bus Station). The coach is the 501 - Route Exeter, Torbay to Heathrow Airport and London.