[Closed] Relocating to Devon, which Kings?

I’ve not lived there but holidayed a lot nr Dartmoor, and that corner of Devon/side of the Moor has got some great riding.

We lived in Mid/North Devon and I was desperate to find somewhere to ride because anywhere outside of N Exmoor was like an MTB desert and I’d wind up having to drive my bike over to South Devon to get some riding in!

Have some friends who move from Teignmouth to Ashburton and they absolutely love it. Of course it helps to be gregarious and up for mucking in with/promoting local community. That’s one thing I miss about the West Country, it’s a different world.

Have a scan here:
https://www.komoot.com/guide/762658/mtb-trails-around-newton-abbot

Good luck with yr move 🙂

I think Kingskerswell is about a 20 min drive to Haldon Forest. Same to Ashburton/edge of Dartmoor

No idea about the merits of the places, but your closer to better riding in kingsteighton than kingskerswell.

Bovey Tracey is a fairly flat ride from there and that the start of all the lustleigh goodness etc. haldon isn’t too far either.

Road bike or mountain bike? Last week I did Kingsteinton to Bovey mainly off road on the Stover trail,then Bovey to Moretonhampstead on the Wray trail.This cut out all the overcrowded main roads South Devon specialises in.You can access Dartmoor from Bovey and Moretonhampstead.Did it on my gravel bike.

Echo what @Jam-bo says. Wonderful riding on that bit of the Moor, loosely around Lustleigh and you could do it from Kingsteignton. I'm a Haldon local, riding there from the door most of the time. I guess most would drive from Kingsteignton but it'd be rideable; I used to ride Haldon from Exeter which is only marginally closer. Worth getting a local to show you round Haldon - feel free to give me a shout if that appeals.

What type of riding OP? Although really all are covered except really DH IMO! I'd agree with Kingsteington over Kingkersewell too.

In terms of a place to live, rather than ride around, i'd say Kingskersewell is marginally better, and is a slightly 'nicer' place. Though I personally don't really think either is amazing - but I guess it depends on your list of priorities. I think personally if I wanted to be nearer the riding, then Chudleigh (NOT Chudleigh Knighton), Bovey Tracey or maybe Liverton would be places I'd look. Ashburton is really nice, but does carry a bit of a premium price wise. To answer oikeith's comment on DH, you've got Exeter Bike Park at Little Silver, and (when it reopens) there's Cafe Side. Also, probably only 30-40 minutes drive from most of the places mentioned to Gawton and Tavi.

it's more like an hour+. I live in tavi and work in totnes a couple of days a week.

Noted jam-bo! I live Teign Valley and tend to blast it straight across the moor early doors if going to either - so my concept of the time would be a bit different for sure.

In terms of accessing the best of the riding, no real difference except that KKW is an extra 15 mins on the cycle path up to Dartmoor or 5 mins in the car up to Haldon.
As a place to live? Not much in it except that some parts of KKW are into Torbay so you’ll have more traffic generally and definitely in summer. KT has better access from the main A39 and A380. Both have nice old villages bits but are both largely urban.

Thanks all some really useful info and plenty of options. Would be predominantly MTB - Trail & XC with a bit of gravel. Limiting factors at the moment are somewhere on the school bus routes, affordable and big enough to house the Mother in Law 😳😉. Have a fairly wide search area and really like Ashburton and Totnes but no properties coming on that work. May well take up some of your kind offers when I'm in situ 👍🏻

Kingsteignton is a bit nearer everywhere (apart from Torbay, and who wants to go there?) again.