River Lemon

The River Lemon rises on the south-east side of Dartmoor National Park near Haytor and the village of Widecombe-in-the-moor. The River Lemon is 9.9 mile long and is one of the main tributaries to the River Teign, along with the River Bovey and Aller Brook.

After the river leaves Dartmoor it is joined by several smaller rivers before passing the village of Bickington. It run easterly until it reaches the area of Newton Abbot. Here it flows through the woods of Bradley Valley and past the medieval Bradley Manor before it reaches the town centre. The River Lemon then passes through the town of Newton Abbot through a 400 metre long tunnel below the town centre before reappearing on the north east of the town. The River Lemon then joins the beautiful River Teign at Newton Abbot Quay near the head of its estuary.

From here until the river meets the sea at Teignmouth it is tidal, with the river leaving exposed mud flats at low tide. The river reaches the sea at Teignmouth which sits on one side of the estuary month with the village of Shaldon on the other.

The River Lemon is an ideal walking spot and is a great location for spotting wildlife on calm days. If you're lucky you may spot the odd otter or perhaps the footprints of an otter that has been nearby. Part of the River Lemon is accessible to cycling. Details on cycling routes along the River Lemon and Newton Abbot can be found on the cycle Devon website.

When Newton Abbot power station was in use between 1898 and 1974 the water used to cool the plant was drawn from the River Teign before it was discharged in to the River Lemon. This was just upstream from where the two rivers met.