Dartington to Totnes
Foot- and Cyclepath
In 1989, Shared Habitat initiated the Dartington to Totnes Foot- and Cyclepath as a practical intervention in everyday life. The aim was simple and ambitious: to create a safe, shared route that would change how people move between Dartington and Totnes.
Since its completion in 1991, the path has had a lasting social and ecological impact. It reshaped access to the landscape, encouraged walking and cycling, and opened a route usable by cyclists, pedestrians, and wheelchair users alike, replacing a previously dangerous stretch of road.
Eila Goldhahn negotiated rights of way with the Dartington Trust, worked alongside the national charity Sustrans, and collaborated closely with local communities in Totnes and Dartington. Built with the help of a committed group of volunteers, the path is not a static object but a living structure, maintained through daily use and collective care.
More than three decades on, it remains a much-loved part of local infrastructure — a shared space that affirms the importance of public access, community initiative, and the possibility of shaping environments for collective benefit. While the Dartington Trust hosts information about the path, Shared Habitat initiated and coordinated its creation in collaboration with local communities.
(map drawn by Juliet Robertson of NUTSHELL Natural Paints)
Shared Habitat’s original proposal was to connect Totnes with Buckfastleigh. Thirty years later, new local groups are campaigning to complete the path to Buckfastleigh.
Shared Habitat’s original proposal was to connect Totnes with Buckfastleigh. Thirty years later, new local groups are campaigning to complete the path to Buckfastleigh.