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The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from
The route is described here anticlockwise, from Minehead to Poole. The distance and total ascent between any two points, in either direction, can be obtained fro
A survey carried out in 1999 and 2000 found that at that time the path had 2,473 signposts or waymarks, and included 302 bridges, 921 stiles, and 26,719 steps. In practice, any such calculation is soon out of date because of path diversions due to landslips or access changes. Many walkers take about eight weeks to complete the path, often dividing this into sections walked over several years. A team of six
The South West Coast Path starts from the western side of
After rounding Widmouth Head, the path passes 'The Coastguard Cottages' in 
The path leaves Ilfracombe through
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...
in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more challenging trails. The total height climbed has been calculated to be 114,931 ft (35,031 m), almost four times the height of Mount Everest. It has been voted 'Britain's Best Walking route' twice in a row by readers of The Ramblers' ''Walk'' magazine, and regularly features in lists of the world's best walks.
The final section of the path was designated as a National Trail in 1978. Many of the landscapes which the South West Coast Path crosses have special status, either as a national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
or one of the heritage coasts. The path passes through two World Heritage Sites: the Dorset and East Devon Coast, known as the Jurassic Coast, was designated in 2001, and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape in 2007.
In the 1990s it was thought that the path brought £150 million into the area each year, but new research in 2003 indicated that it generated around £300 million a year in total, which could support more than 7,500 jobs. This research also recorded that 27.6% of visitors to the region came because of the Path, and they spent £136 million in a year. Local people took 23 million walks on the Path and spent a further £116 million, and other visitors contributed the remainder. A further study in 2005 estimated this figure to have risen to around £300 million. Following investment through the Rural Development Programme for England, more detailed research was undertaken in 2012, and this found the annual spend by walkers to have risen to £439 million which sustains 9771 full-time equivalent jobs
History of the path
The path originated as a route for the Coastguard to walk along patrolling for smugglers. They needed to be able to look down into every bay and cove: as a result, the path closely hugs the coast providing excellent views but rarely the most direct path between two points. The South West Coast Path is no longer used by the Coastguard but it has been transformed from a practical defence system into a resource for recreational walkers. The path is covered by England's right-of-way laws, as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which keep historic footpaths open to the public even when they pass through private property. Sections of the path are maintained by the National Trust, which owns parts of the coast. The path is a designated National Trail, largely funded by Natural England. It was created in stages, with its final section, Somerset and North Devon, opening in 1978. It is maintained by a dedicated South West Coast Path Team. TheSouth West Coast Path Association
The South West Coast Path Association (SWCPA) is a United Kingdom charitable incorporated organisation (before 2015 a registered charity) which exists to promote the interests of users of the South West Coast Path, the longest National Trail in ...
, a registered charity, exists to support the interests of users of the path. The Association was formed in 1973 and since then it has campaigned for improvements to the path and undertakes considerable fundraising to help care for and improve the path. Its services include accommodation guides and completion certificates.
Route description
The route is described here anticlockwise, from Minehead to Poole. The distance and total ascent between any two points, in either direction, can be obtained froA survey carried out in 1999 and 2000 found that at that time the path had 2,473 signposts or waymarks, and included 302 bridges, 921 stiles, and 26,719 steps. In practice, any such calculation is soon out of date because of path diversions due to landslips or access changes. Many walkers take about eight weeks to complete the path, often dividing this into sections walked over several years. A team of six
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
, taking turns in pairs to run two-hour sections, completed the path in six days in 2004. In 2012 Mal Law ran the entire path in 16 days, 9 hours and 57 minutes. New records for completing the path were set on 11 May 2013, when Mark Townsend and Julie Gardener completed the trail in 14 days, 14 hours and 44 minutes and 23 April 2015, when Patrick Devine-Wright completed the trail in 14 days, 8 hours and 2 minutes. This record was however quickly broken by Mark Berry, who ran it in 11 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. On 24 May 2016, Damian Hall set a new fastest known time of 10 days, 15 hours and 18 minutes. The current record is 10 days, 12 hours and 6 minutes, set by Kristian Morgan in September 2020.
Somerset
The South West Coast Path starts from the western side of Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...
, in Somerset, at a marker erected in 2001 and partly paid for by the South West Coast Path Association. The path follows the waterfront past the harbour to Culver Cliff before climbing up on a zigzag path through woodland. Entering the Exmoor National Park, it cuts inland past North Hill, Selworthy Beacon
Selworthy Beacon is a hill and Marilyn of Exmoor in Somerset, England. It lies within the boundaries of Exmoor National Park, to the north of the village of Selworthy and northwest of Minehead. A road leads to the top, where there is a National ...
and Bossington Hill before regaining the cliff top at Hurlestone Point
Hurlstone point () is a promontory of land between Porlock Weir and Minehead in the Exmoor National Park on the coast of Somerset, England.
Hurlstone Point marks the boundary between Porlock Bay and Blue Anchor Bay in the Bristol Channel and is o ...
. After passing through Bossington it follows the beach to Porlock Weir and connects with the Coleridge Way
The Coleridge Way is a long-distance trail in Somerset and Devon, England.
It was opened in April 2005, and the route links several sites associated with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge starting from Coleridge Cottage at Nether Stowey. Origi ...
.
The scenery of rocky headlands, ravines, waterfalls and towering cliffs gained the Exmoor coast recognition as a Heritage Coast in 1991. The Exmoor Coastal Heaths
Exmoor Coastal Heaths () is a 1758.3 hectare (4344.7 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Devon and Somerset, notified in 1994.
This site lies within the Exmoor National Park, and contains extensive areas of heathland commu ...
have been recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
(SSSI) due to the diversity of species present. The path passes the smallest parish church in England, Culbone Church
Culbone Church, located in the village of Culbone in Somerset, is said to be the smallest parish church in England. The church, dedicated to the Welsh saint Beuno, has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building and the ...
, in Culbone
Culbone (also called Kitnor) is a hamlet consisting of little more than the parish church and a few houses, in the parish of Oare in the Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England. As there is no road access it is a two-mile walk from Porlock Weir, ...
. The path crosses the county boundary into Devon, a few hundred yards north of the National Park Centre at County Gate.
North Devon
The next big headland isForeland Point
Foreland Point is a rocky headland in Devon near Lynmouth, and is the most northerly point along the Devon and Exmoor coast. The highest cliff is above the high tide, although the highest point of the entire headland is near Countisbury (a v ...
, after which the path comes to Lynmouth with the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway linking it with Lynton on the hill above. At Lynmouth the path intersects with the Two Moors Way
The Two Moors Way is a long-distance trail mostly in Devon, UK, first established in 1976. It links Dartmoor and Exmoor and has been extended to become a Devon Coast-to-Coast trail.
History
The Two Moors Way was the brainchild of Joe Turner ...
. The river here suffered a catastrophic flood in the 1950s. Beyond Lynton the path passes through the Valley of Rocks
The Valley of Rocks, sometimes called Valley of the Rocks, is a dry valley that runs parallel to the coast in north Devon, England, about to the west of the village of Lynton. It is a popular tourist destination, noted for its herd of feral ...
, known for its herd of goats, then Duty Point and Lee Bay
Lee Bay or just Lee is a small village on the North Devon coast near Woolacombe.
Lee is situated on the rugged and inhospitable stretch of coast between Ilfracombe and Woolacombe, which includes Bull Point (with its lighthouse) and Morte Point, ...
, then Crock Point and Woody Bay. After Highveer Rocks the path crosses the small River Heddon
The River Heddon is a river in Devon, in the south of England. Running along the western edges of Exmoor, the river reaches the North Devon coast at Heddon's Mouth. The nearest road access to the beach is at ''Hunter's Inn'', approximately sou ...
then skirts Trentishoe Down and Holdstone Down and climbs Great Hangman
Hangman cliffs, consisting of Great Hangman and Little Hangman, are near Combe Martin on the north coast of Devon, England, where Exmoor meets the sea.
Great Hangman, with its summit at , is high with a cliff face of . It is the highest sea clif ...
.
At this is the highest point on the path. With a cliff face of , it is described as the highest cliff on mainland Britain. The path now leaves the Exmoor National Park and enters the village of Combe Martin, which claims to have the longest village street in England (two miles ()).
After rounding Widmouth Head, the path passes 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay
Hele Bay is a small village and beach just to the east of the town of Ilfracombe in North Devon, England. It is on the South West Coast Path.
The small village of Hele is inland from the beach. Hele was listed in the Domesday Book
Domes ...
and enters the seaside resort of Ilfracombe, with its small harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
, surrounded by cliffs. A seasonal foot passenger ferry service runs from the harbour to Lundy Island
Lundy is an English island in the Bristol Channel. It was a micronation from 1925–1969. It forms part of the district of Torridge in the county of Devon.
About long and wide, Lundy has had a long and turbulent history, frequently chang ...
, and the ''Balmoral'', the ''Waverley'' and pleasure boats ply to Porthcawl near Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
. From Ilfracombe to Bideford the Tarka Trail coincides with the South West Coast Path.
The path leaves Ilfracombe through The Torrs
The Torrs are a Local Nature Reserve and one of the four main hills in the North Devon coastal town of Ilfracombe.
The Park originally was designed in the 1880s for Victorian recreation.
The South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Pa ...
and follows the cliff top past several small bays including Lee Bay before passing Bull Point and the Bull Point Lighthouse, into Rackham Bay
Rackham (later, Rackham Entertainment) was a French miniature and role-playing games production company founded in 1997 by Jean Bey, CEO and Creative Director. At its peak, Rackham had over 70 employees, including designers, illustrators, writer ...
. It then rounds Morte Point
Morte Point is a peninsula on the north west coast of Devon, England, belonging to the National Trust. To the east is the village of Mortehoe and to the south is the seaside resort of Woolacombe.
In the summer season, tractor and trailer ride ...
, passing the nearby village of Mortehoe
Mortehoe is a village and former manor on the north coast of Devon, England. It lies 10 miles north-west of Barnstaple, near Woolacombe and Lee Bay, and is sited in a valley within the hilly sand-dune-like land behind Morte Point, almost direc ...
before turning south to enter the long sandy Morte Bay
Morte Bay is a bay on the northwest coast of Devon in southwest England. It stretches from Whiting Hole about 500m north of Baggy Point in the south to Morte Point in the north. At the back of the bay is a long stretch of beach known as Woolaco ...
which includes Woolacombe
Woolacombe is a seaside resort on the coast of North Devon, England, which lies at the mouth of a valley (or "combe") in the parish of Mortehoe. The beach is long, sandy, gently sloping and faces the Atlantic Ocean near the western limit of the ...
and Putsborough
Putsborough is a hamlet in Georgeham Civil Parish on the west-facing coast of North Devon, England. It is about north of the village of Croyde and west-northwest of the village of Georgeham. north of the hamlet is Putsborough Sands, which for ...
. Baggy Point
Baggy Point is a headland in north Devon, England. It separates Croyde Bay and Morte Bay which includes the beaches of Woolacombe and Putsborough.
There is evidence of human occupation from the Mesolithic era. It was used during World War II ...
divides Morte Bay from Croyde Bay
Croyde is a village on the west-facing coastline of North Devon, England. The village lies on the South West Coast Path near to Baggy Point, which is owned by the National Trust. It lies within the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural ...
, and the surfing mecca of Croyde and then the much larger Barnstaple or Bideford Bay, which forms part of the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The wide expanse of Saunton Sands, which takes its name from Saunton
Saunton is a village located approximately two miles from Braunton on the North Devon coast in the South West of England.
Several kilometres long, the village borders Braunton Burrows, the heart of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve, the first ...
, merges into the Braunton Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest, the largest sand dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...
system ( psammosere) in England and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is particularly important ecologically because it includes the complete succession
Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence.
Governance and politics
*Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...
al range of dune plant communities, with over 400 vascular plant species. The short turf communities are very rich in lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Biodiversity Action Plans.
From Braunton Burrows the South West Coast Path turns inland following the Braunton Canal to Braunton and then along north bank of the River Taw, following part of the route of the old Ilfracombe Branch Line, past the perimeter of the
The path crosses into Cornwall at 
The scenery is now less wild, the cliffs less high. Rumps Point has Iron Age defences across its narrow neck but the path heads straight past to 
The long, sandy
Turning into the wide sweep of 
From 
The path now turns south again, passing the village of Perranuthnoe (or Perran) and Perran Sands, then skirting inland across the neck of Cudden Point to Prussia Cove and Bessy's Cove. A larger sandy beach is Praa Sands after which the path climbs up onto a series of cliff tops such as Trewavas Head. This area shows many signs of Cornwall's mining history with abandoned engine houses such as
After passing The Lizard the path turns northwards, continuing past Housel Bay and a building used by 
The path now passes Polridmouth (pronounced 'Pridmouth') and
The Cremyll Ferry lands in Devon at Stonehouse, one of the Three Towns that make up the modern city of 
The path then continues around Lannacombe Bay to Start Point and its 
Crossing the river by ferry or the long Shaldon Bridge brings walkers to Teignmouth, beyond which the coast path follows the South Devon Railway sea wall to Hole Head where the Parson and Clerk rocks look out to sea. Passing beneath the railway, the path climbs up to the main road, which it follows for a few yards before turning back towards the cliff top (in stormy weather the sea wall is too dangerous and this road must be followed most of the way from Teignmouth). Entering 
On the eastern side of Exmouth, the coast path climbs up onto the High Land of Orcombe. This is the start of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. The next town is Budleigh Salterton, beyond which lies the River Otter. The path then skirts
Across the Dorset border, the Coast Path runs through the town of Lyme Regis where the Cobb breakwater was seen in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman and features on the film's poster. Further east, where it shares its route with the Monarch's Way, the path passes through Charmouth, up 
In Weymouth the coast path runs along Weymouth Harbour and the Wey Estuary up to
There are regular train services from other parts of the UK to the south west, principal destination stations being
Official site of the South West Coast Path National TrailSouth West Coast Path Association (SWCPA)
nbsp;— News, guidance for walkers, publications (maps and guides)
South West Coast Path on National Trails websiteLong Distance Walkers Association — SWCP information
* {{Authority control Coastal paths in England Footpaths in Cornwall Footpaths in Devon Footpaths in Somerset Jurassic Coast Long-distance footpaths in Dorset South West England Cornish coast
Royal Marines Base Chivenor
Royal Marines Barracks Chivenor is a British military base used primarily by 3 Commando Brigade. It is situated on the northern shore of the River Taw estuary, adjacent to the South West Coast Path, on the north coast of Devon, England. The near ...
towards Barnstaple
Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...
where the new Barnstaple Western Bypass
The Barnstaple Western Bypass is a congestion-relief scheme designed to take road traffic away from the town centre of Barnstaple, a market town in Devon, South West England. Construction of the new road started in the Spring of 2005 and it was o ...
now forms the closest bridge over the Taw to the sea. After crossing medieval Barnstaple Long Bridge, the path then turns west following the disused Bideford & Instow Railway line along southern bank of the Taw past Fremington Quay and the Fremington Quay Cliffs SSSI to Instow at the joint estuary of the Rivers Taw and Torridge
Torridge may refer to:
* Torridge District, a local government district in the county of Devon, England
* River Torridge, is a river in Devon in England
* Torridge Lass
Suffix beginning with F
''Empire Fabian''
''Empire Fabian'' was an E ...
and the Taw-Torridge Estuary (SSSI). The ferry which used to operate at Instow ceased on the retirement of the ferryman in 2007, but since 2013 a revived ferry again runs in summer. The path goes upstream to cross the river by the 13th-century Long Bridge at Bideford, which is the site of the Bideford Railway Heritage Centre
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre CIC (previously the Bideford and Instow Railway Group) in Devon, England, is responsible for the management of the Bideford station site.
The company is also responsible for Instow signal box which opens on ...
and terminus of the North Devon Railway.
The path continues north beside the Torridge Estuary, in places following the route of the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway (B, WH & A, R) was a railway running in northwest Devon, England. It is unusual in that although it was built as a standard gauge line, it was not joined to the rest of the British railway netwo ...
, past Northam to Appledore Appledore may refer to:
Places England
* Appledore, Kent
** Appledore (Kent) railway station
* Appledore, Mid Devon, near Tiverton
* Appledore, Torridge, North Devon, near Bideford U.S.A.
* Appledore Island, off the coast of Maine In fiction
* App ...
and around the promontory past the Shell middens and a submerged forest, that dates from the Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
period, off the pebble ridge to Westward Ho! (this is the only placename in the UK which includes an exclamation mark). The path then follows the coast around Clovelly Bay where several small villages including Abbotsham lie inland, because of the cliffs. The path passes the site of the Iron Age Hill fort at Peppercombe Castle
Peppercombe is a small valley (combe) on the north-western coast of Devon, England. It is situated on the South West Coast Path between Westward Ho! to the north and Bucks Mills to the west. There is also a path descending from Horns Cross on t ...
and the village of Bucks Mills
Bucks Mills is a small English village within the parish of Woolfardisworthy on the north coast of Devon. It was anciently the mill of the manor of Bucks, anciently ''Bokish'', Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1 ...
. Clovelly itself is a historic village with a small natural harbour. The path continues past the site of the Iron Age Hill fort at Windbury Head
Windbury Head is the site of an Iron Age hill fort on the Hartland Peninsula, just north of Clovelly in North Devon, England. Most of the fort has been lost to coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the lon ...
to Hartland Point
Hartland Point is a high rocky outcrop of land on the north-western tip of the Devon coast in England. It is three miles (5 km) north-west of the village of Hartland. The point marks the western limit (on the English side) of the Bristol C ...
and Hartland Quay
Hartland Quay is located on the Atlantic coast of Devon, England, south of Hartland Point and north of Bude, Cornwall. It experiences some of the roughest seas in winter and is a former harbour.
History
The harbour dated back to the time of Henry ...
. Hartland Point features a lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
and radar tower, and marks the western limit (on the English side) of the Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
with the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There is a winter helicopter service from Hartland Point to Lundy, which is visible from many points along the path between Welcombe and the Cornish border.
North Cornwall
The path crosses into Cornwall at Marsland Mouth
Marsland Valley is a nature reserve situated in two large valleys which straddle the northern end of the Devon-Cornwall border. It is a designated nature reserve jointly managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. The re ...
and continues south-westwards along this rocky coast, past Morwenstow
Morwenstow ( kw, Logmorwenna) is a civil parish in north Cornwall, UK. The parish abuts the west coast, about six miles (10 km) north of Bude and within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Morwenstow is the most norther ...
then Higher and Lower Sharpnose Points. Beyond Sandy Mouth, the walking becomes easier through Bude, a surfing resort, and along Widemouth Bay
Widemouth Bay ( kw, Porth an Men) is a bay, beach and small village on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, England, UK. It is about 3 miles (5 km) south of Bude. This stretch of coast is steeped in the smuggling history of times before, and ...
. Returning to the cliffs, the path continues past the spectacular folds at Millook
Millook is a deep coastal valley and hamlet in the parish of Poundstock, on the north coast of Cornwall, England.
In 2014 the cliffs at Millook Haven were voted by the Geological Society of London as one of Britain's top 10 geological sit ...
, then to Crackington Haven
Crackington Haven ( kw, Porthkragen, meaning "sandstone cove") is a coastal village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in the civil parish of St Gennys at at the head of a cove on the Atlantic coast. The village is seven miles (11& ...
, past Cambeak and further south (over "High Cliff", Southern Britain's highest sheer-drop cliff at ), and from there to Boscastle, the scene of flooding in 2004.
Tintagel and its castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
are associated with the conception of the legendary King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
and a 15th-century house that was later used as a post office. The path continues to Trebarwith Strand
Trebarwith Strand ( kw, Trebervedh Sian; locally sometimes shortened to ''The Strand'') is a section of coastline located near the coastal settlement of Trebarwith on the north coast of Cornwall, England, UK, south of Tintagel. It has 800m of san ...
, Tregardock, then to Port Gaverne
Port Gaverne is a hamlet on the north coast of Cornwall, England, UK, about east of Port Isaac and part of St Endellion parish.
Although it is a geographically discrete hamlet, some consider it as part of the larger village of Port Isaac locat ...
, Port Isaac, and Port Quin
Port Quin ( kw, Porth Gwynn, meaning ''white cove'') is a small cove and hamlet between Port Isaac and Polzeath in north Cornwall, England.
Geography
Facing the Atlantic Ocean, the narrow rocky inlet of Port Quin provides a naturally sheltered h ...
, three small harbours. Overlooking Port Quin is Doyden Castle, a 19th-century folly.
The scenery is now less wild, the cliffs less high. Rumps Point has Iron Age defences across its narrow neck but the path heads straight past to Pentire Head
Pentire Head ( kw, Penn Tir, meaning "headland") is a headland and peninsula on the Atlantic coast in North Cornwall, England, and is about one mile square. The headland projects north-west with Pentire Point at its north-west corner and The Rump ...
then swings eastwards again into Polzeath
Polzeath (; kw, Polsegh, meaning ''dry creek'') is a small seaside resort village in the civil parish of St Minver in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is approximately north west of Wadebridge on the Atlantic coast.Ordnance Survey: Land ...
. The estuary of the River Camel forces a detour away from the sea to Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and the Black Tor Ferry
The Black Tor Ferry, also known as the Padstow to Rock Ferry, is a passenger ferry which crosses the tidal River Camel in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The ferry carries pedestrians and cyclists only (not vehicles).
History
There has been a fe ...
that takes walkers into Padstow.
From Stepper Point
Stepper Point ( kw, Penn Stuppert) is a headland on the Atlantic coast in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is at . Stepper Point and Pentire Point stand at either side of the mouth of the River Camel; Stepper to the south-west, Penti ...
the path again runs along low sea cliffs to Trevone and Harlyn Bay then around Trevose Head. From here-—weather permitting-—the coast can be seen from Hartland in Devon to beyond St Ives in the west. The path runs southwards through Constantine Bay to Porthcothan then passes around Park Head to reach Mawgan Porth
Mawgan Porth (in kw, Porth Maugan, meaning "St. Mawgan's cove", or ''Porth Glyvyan'', meaning "cove of the Gluvian River") is a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England. It is north of Watergate Bay, approximately four miles (6&nbs ...
.
The long, sandy Watergate Bay
Watergate Bay ( kw, Porth Tregoryan, meaning ''cove at Coryan's farmstead/village'') is a long bay or beach flanked by cliffs centred two miles NNE of Newquay below the B3276 Newquay to Padstow road near the hamlet of Tregurrian in Cornwall, Uni ...
leads to St Columb Porth
Porth ( cy, Y Porth) is a town and a community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. Lying in the Rhondda Valley, it is regarded as the gateway connecting the Rhondda Fawr and Rh ...
and Newquay
Newquay ( ; kw, Tewynblustri) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, in the south west of England. It is a civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries, spaceport and a fishing port on the North Atlantic coast of ...
. A rail link with through trains to London and the North of England on summer weekends has helped the town prosper as a seaside resort which is visited by both surfers and clubbers. On the far side of the town, beyond Fistral Beach
Fistral Beach is in Fistral Bay ( kw, Porth an Vystel, meaning ''cove of the foul water'') on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated half-a-mile west of Newquay at .
Fistral Bay is bounded by two promontor ...
, lies the River Gannel. There are seasonal ferries to Crantock and a footbridge which is passable at low tide, otherwise there is a detour inland to use the road bridge.
The path now skirts Pentire Point West and then Kelsey Head
Kelsey Head is a coastal Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and headland in north Cornwall, England, UK, noted for its biological interest. The site contains an Iron Age hill fort.
Geography
The SSSI, notified in 1951, is located on t ...
to reach , another surfing beach. After passing round Penhale and crossing Penhale Sands the path enters Perranporth
Perranporth ( kw, Porthperan) is a seaside resort town on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 1 mile east of the St Agnes Heritage Coastline, and around 8 miles south-west of Newquay. Perranporth and its long beach f ...
, then climbs out the other side back onto a stretch of cliffs past Cligga Head to the village of St Agnes. Past St Agnes Head, a breeding ground for seabirds, lies the ruins of Tywarnhayle Mine and the inlet at Chapel Porth. Next are the ruins of Wheal Charlotte mine and then Porthtowan
Porthtowan ( kw, Porth Tewyn, meaning ''cove of sand dunes'') is a small village in Cornwall, England which is a popular summer tourist destination. Porthtowan is on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast about west of St Agnes, north of Redruth, w ...
village.
After passing Nancekuke firing ranges, the path drops into Portreath
Portreath ( kw, Porthtreth or ) is a civil parish, village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is about three miles (5 km) northwest of Redruth. The village extends along both sides of a str ...
, once a busy port serving inland tin mines around Redruth
Redruth ( , kw, Resrudh) is a town and civil parishes in Cornwall, civil parish in Cornwall, England. The population of Redruth was 14,018 at the 2011 census. In the same year the population of the Camborne-Redruth urban area, which also inc ...
. Beyond lies Carvannel Downs with Samphire Island just off the coast, and then the Reskajeage Downs better known locally as the North Cliffs. Beyond the cove at Hell's Mouth, the path runs northwards to pass around Navax Point and Godrevy Point, offshore from which lies Godrevy Island
Godrevy ( kw, Godrevi, meaning ''small farms'') ( ) is an area on the eastern side of St Ives Bay, west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, which faces the Atlantic Ocean. It is popular with both the surfing community and walkers. It is part ...
with its lighthouse.
West Cornwall
Turning into the wide sweep of St Ives Bay
St Ives Bay ( kw, Roda Ia, meaning "Ia's anchorage") is a bay on the Atlantic coast of north-west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in the form of a shallow crescent, some 4 miles or 6 km across, between St Ives in the west and Go ...
, where many walkers drop down onto the sands at low tide, the path follows the line of the sand dunes or Towans as they are known here. This area was used for explosives manufacture for many years,Earl, Bryan (1978). ''Cornish Explosives''. Penzance: The Trevithick Society
The Trevithick Society is a registered charity named for Richard Trevithick, a Cornish engineer who contributed to the use of high pressure steam engines for transportation and mining applications.
History
In 1935 the Cornish Engines Preservat ...
. . the sand being ideal for absorbing any accidental explosions. The Towans are interrupted by two rivers, the small Red River at the north end, and the larger River Hayle
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wa ...
and its estuary towards the south. Although narrow, the estuary is tidal and fast flowing due to the large expanse of mud flats and docks that lie behind the Towans, so the path turns away from St Ives Bay to go round via Hayle. The water is crossed using an old railway bridge and then the old Hayle Railway
The Hayle Railway was an early railway in West Cornwall, constructed to convey copper and tin ore from the Redruth and Camborne areas to sea ports at Hayle and Portreath. It was opened in 1837, and carried passengers on its main line from 1843.
...
is followed into the town centre then the A30 road to Griggs Quay where quieter roads bring the Path around to the west side of the tidal mud flats. Views of the birdlife can be had from Carnsew Pool at Hayle and from the area around Lelant Saltings railway station
Lelant Saltings railway station ( kw, Holanek Lannanta) was opened on 27 May 1978 to provide a park and ride facility for visitors to St Ives, Cornwall, England. It is situated on the A3074 road close to the junction with the A30 near the fo ...
, although the official path is slightly inland on the A3074 road
List of A roads in zone 3 in Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island ...
through Lelant village, regaining the coast by crossing golf links to reach the last of the Towans above Porth Kidney Sands.
Rising back onto low cliffs, the path rounds Carrack Gladden and enters Carbis Bay, it then follows alongside the St Ives Bay railway line into St Ives; a bustling town favoured by artists since the 19th century, which is home to the Tate St Ives art gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Museum
The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in St Ives, Cornwall preserves the 20th-century sculptor Barbara Hepworth's studio and garden much as they were when she lived and worked there. She purchased the site in 1949 and lived and work ...
. The path passes the east-facing Porthminster Beach and goes around "The Island", a headland, to the north-facing Porthmeor Beach.
The coast now shows the open and ancient landscape of the Penwith district along a series of wild headlands such as Clodgy Point, Hor Point, Pen Enys Point, and Carn Naun Point. The Carracks
The Carracks ( kw, Kerrek, meaning ''rocks'') and Little Carracks ( kw, Karrek an Ydhyn, meaning ''rock of the birds'') are a group of small rocky inshore islands off the Atlantic north coast of west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The name ...
lie just offshore, locally known as Seal Island (and seals can often be seen close to the shore opposite here), then there lies Zennor Head and Gurnard's Head as the Path leads into Morvah
Morvah is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and village on the Penwith, Penwith peninsula in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
Geography
The village is centred approximately eight miles (13 km) west-southwest of St Ives, Corn ...
, although the village proper lies inland. Portheras Cove is a relief from the many small rocky bays along this coast but the cliffs then continue beyond the iconic, disused Crowns Mine at Botallack.
From Cape Cornwall
Cape Cornwall ( kw, Kilgoodh Ust, meaning "goose back of St Just") is a small headland in West Cornwall, UK. It is four miles north of Land's End near the town of St Just.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' Until the first O ...
at St Just, the Path heads southwards to sandy Whitesand Bay
Whitesand Bay ( kw, Porth Senan, meaning ''cove at Sennen'') is a wide sandy bay near Land's End in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It stretches for one mile between the headlands of Pedn-mên-du and Aire Point. and contains the villa ...
and the village of Sennen. At the end of the sands the path turns westwards one last time to reach Land's End. This is the most westerly point of the English mainland.
After passing Land's End the path continues further south past Pordenack Point and Mill Bay before turning fully eastward at Gwennap Head. Beyond the tiny village of Porthgwarra lies St Levan. The next bay lies below Porthcurno. It is overlooked by the open-air Minack Theatre and is where the Eastern Cable Company's cable came ashore, the first telegraph link with India. Climbing out of the bay the path passes the precarious Logan Rock.
The next village is Penberth
Penberth ( kw, Benbryhi) is a valley, coastal village and cove on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England. It is approximately southwest of Penzance. Most of the village is within the parish of St Buryan and the boundary with St Levan foll ...
, then a series of bays are separated by the headlands of Merthen Point, Boscawen Point, and Tater Du with its lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
built in 1965. Lamorna Cove is a favourite with artists such as S. J. "Lamorna" Birch, who lived there in a small cottage. Then, after rounding Carn Du, the path turns northwards towards Mousehole and Penlee Point. This section of the path follows a road into Newlyn, but a diversion via Paul allows walkers to follow a quieter inland path. Newlyn has a busy fishing harbour and is again favoured by artists, known as the Newlyn School; it merges into Penzance
Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...
and the path now follows the promenade through the town, passing Penzance railway station and continuing past the railway engine shed along the shore of Mount's Bay with its views of St Michael's Mount
St Michael's Mount ( kw, Karrek Loos yn Koos, meaning " hoar rock in woodland") is a tidal island in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The island is a civil parish and is linked to the town of Marazion by a causeway of granite se ...
. This is an island at high tide but can be reached from Marazion by a causeway at low tide.
The path now turns south again, passing the village of Perranuthnoe (or Perran) and Perran Sands, then skirting inland across the neck of Cudden Point to Prussia Cove and Bessy's Cove. A larger sandy beach is Praa Sands after which the path climbs up onto a series of cliff tops such as Trewavas Head. This area shows many signs of Cornwall's mining history with abandoned engine houses such as Wheal Prosper
Wheal may refer to:
* Wheals, a type of skin lesion
* Brad Wheal (born 1996), British cricketer
* Donald James Wheal (1931–2008), British British television writer, novelist and non-fiction writer
* David John Wheal, Australian businessman
* "Th ...
and Wheal Trewavas
Wheal Trewavas was a copper mine in Cornwall, England, about west of Porthleven. The ruined engine houses remain, on sea cliffs overlooking Mount's Bay, just east of Trewavas Head. The site is a Scheduled Monument.
History
The mine was in ope ...
close to the path.
After passing through Porthleven the path crosses the shingle bank of Loe Bar with the freshwater Loe Pool
The Loe ( kw, An Logh), also known as Loe Pool, is the largest natural freshwater lake () in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The earliest recorded appearance of this simple name form was in 1337, when it was called "La Loo", but is mentioned as 'the ...
behind. At Gunwalloe
Gunwalloe ( kw, Pluw Wynnwalow) is a coastal civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Lizard Peninsula south of Helston and partly contains The Loe, the largest natural freshwater lake in Cornwall. The parish pop ...
more cliffs appear, leading to Poldhu
Poldhu is a small area in south Cornwall, England, UK, situated on the Lizard Peninsula; it comprises Poldhu Point and Poldhu Cove. Poldhu means "black pool" in Cornish. Poldhu lies on the coast of Mount's Bay and is in the northern part of th ...
Cove overlooked by the radio station on Poldhu Point, then Porth Mellin
Mullion Cove, or Porth Mellin, is a small community on the West Coast of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, England, and on the eastern side of Mount's Bay. The Cove forms part of the parish of Mullion, Cornwall, Mullion, and is accessible by ...
on Mullion Cove
Mullion Cove, or Porth Mellin, is a small community on the West Coast of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, England, and on the eastern side of Mount's Bay. The Cove forms part of the parish of Mullion, and is accessible by road from Mullion v ...
with Mullion Island offshore. Rounding Predannack Head, Vellan Head, and Rill Head (where the Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
was first sighted on 29 July 1588), the path leads to Kynance Cove
Kynance Cove ( kw, Porth Keynans, meaning ''ravine cove'') is a cove on the eastern side of Mount's Bay, Cornwall, England. It is situated on the Lizard peninsula approximately two miles (3 km) north of Lizard Point.Ordnance Survey,Explore ...
and Lizard Point, the lighthouse of which has been visible for some distance. Lizard Point is the most southerly point of the British mainland.
South Cornwall
After passing The Lizard the path turns northwards, continuing past Housel Bay and a building used by Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquis of Marconi (; 25 April 187420 July 1937) was an Italians, Italian inventor and electrical engineering, electrical engineer, known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based Wireless telegrap ...
for radio experiments, then Bass Point with its Coastguard Station. The Lizard lifeboat station is a sheltered position in Kilcobben Cove. Passing through Cadgwith and across Kennack Sands, the path heads towards Black Head then into Coverack
Coverack ( kw, Porthkovrek, meaning ''cove of the stream'') is a coastal village and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It lies in the parish of St Keverne, on the east side of the Lizard peninsula about south of Falmouth.
Coverack has seve ...
. Once around Lowland Point, The Manacles lie a mile offshore, a reef that has wrecked many ships. The path passes through Porthoustock
Porthoustock ( kw, Porthewstek) is a hamlet near St Keverne in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the east coast of The Lizard, Lizard Peninsula. Aggregates are quarried nearby and Porthoustock beach is dominated by a large concrete stone ...
and Porthallow
Porthallow ( kw, Porthalow) is a small fishing village on the east coast of The Lizard peninsula to the south of the Helford River, in Cornwall, England. It lies in St Keverne parish, north of St Keverne village. One road runs through the villag ...
, then around Nare Point lies Gillan Creek. This can be crossed at very low tide, but most walkers follow the lanes round the head of the creek to reach Dennis Head at the mouth of the Helford River
The Helford River ( kw, Dowr Mahonyer) is a ria (flooded river valley) in Cornwall, England, fed by small streams into its many creeks. There are seven creeks on the Helford; from west to east these are Ponsontuel Creek, Mawgan Creek, Polpenwit ...
. To cross this wider river means following it inland to Helford where there is a ferry across to Helford Passage
Helford Passage ( kw, Treth Heyl, meaning ''Estuary Beach'') is a village in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the north bank of the Helford River opposite Helford approximately five miles (8 km) south-southwest of ...
on the north bank. Some people take a short cut from Gillan Creek to Helford by a path through Manaccan.
After following the river back through Durgan
Durgan ( kw, Dowrgeun, meaning ''otters'') is a hamlet in the parish of Mawnan, south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is beside the Helford River four miles (6 km) south of Falmouth. The hamlet consists of seventeen properties, many ...
to the open waters beyond Toll Point, the path skirts Falmouth Bay along Maenporth
Maenporth ( kw, Meyn Borth, meaning ''stones cove'') is a cove and beach in west Cornwall, England. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) south-southwest of Falmouth on the estuary of the River Fal.
Maenporth cove faces east across ...
, Swanpool and Gyllyngvase
Gyllyngvase (; kw, An Gilen Vas, meaning ''the shallow inlet'') is one of the four beaches associated with Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom, west of Pendennis Castle.
It is to the south of Falmouth town centre, but was an essentially rural ...
beaches before passing around the headland beneath Pendennis Castle to enter bustling Falmouth. The castle was built, along with its twin at St Mawes
St Mawes ( kw, Lannvowsedh) is a village on the end of the Roseland Peninsula, in the eastern side of Falmouth harbour, on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village, formerly two separate hamlets, lies on the east bank of the ...
, to protect the deep water of Carrick Roads from attack. This natural haven is what made Falmouth such an important harbour, it being the last good shelter for ships heading westwards towards the Atlantic Ocean.
The path crosses the harbour on the St Mawes Ferry and the Place Ferry (see Fal River Links
Fal River Links is a consolidation of ferry and boat services serving the River Fal, the River Truro, and Carrick Roads in Cornwall, United Kingdom, providing links to many coastal towns and villages.
See also
* King Harry Ferry
The King Har ...
) and then passes St Anthony Head
St Anthony Head is a National Trust property situated at the southernmost tip of the Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, overlooking the entrance to one of the world's largest natural harbours: Carrick Roads and the estuary o ...
and Zone Point
Zone Point ( kw, Sawan Hir, meaning ''long chasm'') is the southernmost extremity of the Roseland peninsula extending into Falmouth Bay near St Mawes in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at .
Ordnance Survey ''One-inch Map of Great Britain; Tr ...
and northwards past the village of Portscatho and around Gerrans Bay. Beyond Nare Head
A nostril (or naris , plural ''nares'' ) is either of the two orifices of the nose. They enable the entry and exit of air and other gasses through the nasal cavities. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbi ...
is Portloe in Veryan Bay. The next big headland is Dodman Point
Dodman Point (Cornish: Penn Den Varow) near Mevagissey is the highest headland on the south Cornwall coast, measuring . It is also known by its earlier names of the Deadman and Deadman's Point. It hosts the remains of an Iron Age promontory f ...
after which the coast path resumes its northwards course through Gorran Haven and the fishing harbour at Mevagissey to Pentewan
Pentewan ( kw, Bentewyn, meaning ''foot of the radiant stream'') is a coastal village and former port in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at south of St Austell at the mouth of the St Austell River.
Pentewan is in ...
where the once busy dock has silted up with sand. The path then climbs up around Black Head
Black Head may refer to:
* Black head, a blocked sweat/sebaceous duct of the skin
Headlands Antarctica
* Black Head (Graham Land)
* Black Head (South Georgia)
Australia
* Black Head, New South Wales
Republic of Ireland
* Black Head, County C ...
to reach Porthpean and then Charlestown. This was the first harbour to serve the china clay industry around St Austell
St Austell (; kw, Sans Austel) is a town in Cornwall, England, south of Bodmin and west of the border with Devon.
St Austell is one of the largest towns in Cornwall; at the 2011 census it had a population of 19,958.
History
St Austell wa ...
and has featured in several films as it is home to a heritage fleet of sailing ships.
After passing Carlyon Bay
Carlyon Bay ( kw, Caryones, meaning ''forts'') is a bay and a set of three beaches (Crinnis, Shorthorn and Polgaver) near St Austell on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is located approximately east of the town centr ...
the path comes to the much busier china-clay exporting port of Par, where it goes inland of the dock site. After passing through the village the path regains the coast at Par Sands and links with the Saints' Way, a coast-to-coast path across Cornwall, at Polmear. It then follows the cliff tops through Polkerris
Polkerris ( kw, Pollkerys, meaning ''fortified pool'') is a small village on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It forms part of the civil parish of Fowey.
The village is part of the Rashleigh estate which is commemorated in the nam ...
and around Gribbin Head
Gribbin Head ( kw, an Gribyn) is a promontory on the south coast of Cornwall, England, UK, owned and managed by the National Trust. It separates St Austell Bay from the estuary of the River Fowey and is marked by a large tower used to aid navig ...
. From here to Polperro is designated as a heritage coast.
The path now passes Polridmouth (pronounced 'Pridmouth') and Readymoney Cove
Readymoney Cove ( kw, Porth Mundy, meaning ''mineral house cove'') is a sandy beach to the south of the harbour town of Fowey, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is sheltered by cliffs close to the mouth of the River Fowey estuary and bound ...
to enter Fowey
Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...
('Foy'), another busy harbour but this time the deep water quays are situated up river above the town. The River Fowey
The River Fowey ( ; kw, Fowi) is a river in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
It rises at Fowey Well (originally kw, Fenten Fowi, meaning ''spring of the river Fowey'') about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, not far from one of i ...
is crossed on the Polruan
Polruan ( kw, Porthruwan) is a coastal village in the parish of Lanteglos-by-Fowey in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is bounded on three sides by water: to the north by Pont Creek, to the west by the River Fowey and to the south by the ...
ferry, beyond which are some steep cliffs with extensive views. Beyond Lantic Bay
Lantic (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France.
Population
Inhabitants of Lantic are called ''lanticais'' in French.
See also
*Communes of the Côtes-d'Armor department
The following is a lis ...
lies Pencarrow Head then the larger Lantivet Bay with further cliffs and small coves leading to Polperro, a fishing village which bans cars during the summer.
Beyond Polperro lies Talland Bay
Talland ( kw, Tallan) is a hamlet and ecclesiastical parish between Looe and Polperro on the south coast of Cornwall (the parish includes the eastern part of the village of Polperro, where there is a chapel of ease and formerly also the town of W ...
and Portnadler Bay, with the bird reserve of Looe Island (also known as St George's island) off shore. The path now enters Looe, passing through Hannafore, West Looe then, after crossing the River Looe on a seven-span bridge. The path continues up onto the cliff then heads towards Millendreath
Millendreath is a hamlet in the parish of Looe, Cornwall, England, situated two miles east of the town of Looe.
A station was to be built at Millendreath as part of the proposed St Germans & Looe Railway
The St Germans & Looe Railway was ...
then along more cliffs, running past a 60-ft sevenfold labyrinth carved into the turf of the hillside to Seaton, Downderry
Downderry ( kw, Downderri) is a coastal village in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated west of Plymouth and one mile east of Seaton.
Downderry has a long beach of light shingle. There is road access down to the beach ...
, and Portwrinkle
Portwrinkle ( kw, Porthwykkel) is a small coastal village in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is at the western end of Whitsand Bay five miles (8 km) south-west of Saltash.
Portwinkle was traditionally a fishing village and ...
.
The long beach of Whitsand Bay has a fast-rising tide and is a military firing range so the path runs inland behind Tregantle Fort
Tregantle Fort in south east Cornwall is one of several forts surrounding Plymouth that were built as a result of a decision in Lord Palmerston's premiership to deter the French from attacking naval bases on the Channel coast.
History
The fort ...
to reach Freathy
Freathy ( kw, Frydhi) is a beach and coastal settlement on the Rame Peninsula in east Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and ...
and Rame Head. Beyond this lies Penlee Point and then the path turns northwards into Plymouth Sound, skirting Cawsand Bay and Mount Edgcumbe Country Park to reach the ferry at Cremyll
Cremyll (pronounced ) is a small coastal village in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Cremyll is on the Rame Peninsula facing Plymouth Sound. The village is about 9 miles by road or 0.5 miles by boat from Plymouth. It is in the civ ...
. Beyond here lies the Hamoaze, the combined estuary of the Tamar and other rivers.
South Devon
The Cremyll Ferry lands in Devon at Stonehouse, one of the Three Towns that make up the modern city of Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
. The path follows roads past Stonehouse Barracks and Millbay Docks to Plymouth Hoe with its views across Plymouth Sound. It then crosses Sutton Harbour
Sutton Harbour, formerly known as Sutton Pool, is the original port of Plymouth in Devon, England. It is still a busy fishing port and marina and is bounded on one side by the historic Barbican district. It is famous as the last departure po ...
by the Mayflower Steps then skirts the hill of Cattedown to cross the River Plym by the Laira Bridge to Plymstock. Passing round the edge of the tidal Hooe Lake, the path regains the countryside above Jennycliff Bay
Jennycliff Bay (often used interchangeably with Jennycliff) is a bay on the South West Coast Path in Plymouth, Devon, England. It is managed by Plymouth City Council and is both designated a County Wildlife Site (CWS) and part of the Site of S ...
, part of the Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs
Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) around the Plymouth Sound, a large area of water where the River Plym and Tamar meet. It stretches across the two ceremonial counties of Devon and Cornwall and the ...
Site of Special Scientific Interest, and follows the cliffs past Bovisand
Bovisand is a natural coastline on the east side of Plymouth Sound in Devon, England.
Despite the steep cliff paths and rocky surrounding, Bovisand features two beaches, a holiday park, privately owned bungalows and a diving centre at Fort Bovis ...
to Wembury, Wembury Marine Centre
{{coord, 50.318, -4.078, display=title, region:GB_scale:5000
Wembury Marine Centre is situated in the small village of Wembury, near Plymouth. Run by Devon Wildlife Trust, it holds rockpool rambles throughout the summer months, educating some 20, ...
.
From Wembury the path travels east into the South Hams
South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. Services divide between those provided by its own Council headquartered in Totnes, and those provided by Devon County Council headquartered in the city of Exete ...
district to the Warren Point Ferry, across the River Yealm
The Yealm is a river in Devon in England that rises above sea level on the Stall Moor mires of south Dartmoor and travels to the sea, passing through Cornwood, Lee Mill and Yealmpton, a mid-sized village with a population of c.2,000 which is ...
, near Newton Ferrers. The River Erme near Kingston
Kingston may refer to:
Places
* List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated:
** Kingston, Jamaica
** Kingston upon Hull, England
** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia
** Kingston, Ontario, Canada
** Kingston upon Thames, ...
must be forded at Erme Mouth
The Erme is a river in south Devon, England. From its source on Dartmoor it flows in a generally southerly direction past some of the best-preserved archaeological remains on the moor. It leaves the moor at the town of Ivybridge and continues so ...
within one hour of low tide. The path then goes past Hillsea Point Rock
Hillsea Point Rock is an area of the English Channel located 0.5 nm south-east of Hillsea Point, Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populou ...
. The view to the southwest is then over Bigbury Bay
Bigbury-on-Sea is a village in the South Hams district on the south coast of Devon, England. It is part of the civil parish of Bigbury which is centred on a small village of that name about a mile inland. Bigbury-on-Sea village is on the coast ...
past Burgh Island and Hope Cove
Hope Cove is a small seaside village within the civil parish of South Huish in South Hams District, Devon, England. It is located west of Salcombe and south west of Kingsbridge. It has two beaches, and is sheltered by the headland of Bolt Ta ...
to the promontory known as Bolt Tail. The next 6 miles (10 km) of cliff top paths from Bolberry Down
Bolberry Down is a clifftop area on the coast of Devon, England. The headland of Bolt Tail lies to the west and Bolt Head and the town of Salcombe to the east. It is one of the longest coastal areas owned by the National Trust and lies within ...
past Bolt Head and the tidal ria of Kingsbridge Estuary to Prawle Point
Prawle Point ( oe, Prǣwhyll, "lookout hill") is a coastal headland in south Devon, England. It is the southernmost point of Devon. Just to the west is Elender Cove, and further west are Gammons Head Beach, also known as Maceley Cove, and Gammo ...
, belong to the National Trust. The estuary is crossed using the Salcombe Ferry
Salcombe is a popular resort town in the South Hams district of Devon, south west England. The town is close to the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary, mostly built on the steep west side of the estuary. It lies within the South Devon Area of ...
, from Salcombe to East Portlemouth
East Portlemouth is a small Devon village situated at the southern end of the Kingsbridge Estuary, on the south Devon Coast. The population of this parish taken at the 2011 census was 162. The village is sited on a hill giving views to the north ...
, close to Salcombe Castle and within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The path passes through the Prawle Point and Start Point Site of Special Scientific Interest
The Prawle Point and Start Point Site of Special Scientific Interest ( to ) is a 341.2 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in southern Devon, notified in 1976.
It includes the coastal headlands of Prawle Poin ...
which is recognised as being an important site for solitary bees
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...
and wasps
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. T ...
, the rare cuckoo bee ''Nomada sexfasciata'', and the Cirl bunting
The cirl bunting ( ), (''Emberiza cirlus''), is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
It breeds across southern Europe, on the Mediterranean islands an ...
.
The path then continues around Lannacombe Bay to Start Point and its Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
and then through Start Bay along a 3-mile (5 km) shingle causeway between Slapton Sands and the Slapton Ley
Slapton Ley is a lake on the south coast of Devon, England, separated from Start Bay by a shingle beach, known as Slapton Sands.
Slapton Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in south-west England being long and has two sections; the Low ...
freshwater lake and nature reserve before entering the estuary of the River Dart and historic port of Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to:
Places
* Dartmouth, Devon, England
** Dartmouth Harbour
* Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States
* Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
* Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia
Institutions
* Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...
. From Dartmouth, the route uses either the Lower Ferry or Passenger Ferry to cross the river to Kingswear.
Kingswear is the terminus of the Dartmouth Steam Railway which follows the River Dart, but the coast path climbs out of the village in the opposite direction to reach Torbay, known as "The English Riviera". It passes the historic harbour of Brixham
Brixham is a coastal town and civil parish, the smallest and southernmost of the three main population centres (the others being Paignton and Torquay) on the coast of Torbay in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Commercial fish ...
and the seaside towns of Goodrington
Goodrington is a coastal village in Devon, England. It is situated in Tor Bay and lies between Torquay and Brixham, less than south of Paignton. Its beach is known as Goodrington Sands.
History
Goodrington is mentioned in the Domesday Book o ...
, Paignton, Torquay and Babbacombe
Babbacombe is a district of Torquay, Devon, England. It is notable for Babbacombe Model Village, the Babbacombe Theatre and its clifftop green, Babbacombe Downs, from which Oddicombe Beach is accessed via Babbacombe Cliff Railway. Frequent bu ...
. The coast path then passes along the wooded cliffs above Labrador Bay to reach Shaldon and the River Teign.
Crossing the river by ferry or the long Shaldon Bridge brings walkers to Teignmouth, beyond which the coast path follows the South Devon Railway sea wall to Hole Head where the Parson and Clerk rocks look out to sea. Passing beneath the railway, the path climbs up to the main road, which it follows for a few yards before turning back towards the cliff top (in stormy weather the sea wall is too dangerous and this road must be followed most of the way from Teignmouth). Entering Dawlish
Dawlish is an English seaside resort town and civil parish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon, from the county town of Exeter and from the larger resort of Torquay. Its 2011 population of 11,312 was estimated at 13,355 in 2019. It is t ...
along a now by-passed toll road, the coast path descends back to the level of the railway which it follows to Dawlish Warren, although a slightly more landward route is necessary at high tide.
Dawlish Warren is a sand spit and nature reserve that lies at the mouth of the River Exe. The route now turns away from the coast and follows the Exe estuary past Cockwood
Cockwood is a small village on the west side of the Exe Estuary in Dawlish civil parish, Teignbridge district, in the county of Devon, England. Lying between the villages of Dawlish Warren and Starcross, it is separated from the estuary by the ...
to Starcross where the seasonal Exmouth to Starcross Ferry
The Exmouth to Starcross Ferry is a passenger ferry which crosses the mouth of the River Exe in the English county of Devon. It links the town of Exmouth on the eastern side of the Exe estuary to the village of Starcross on the western side. The ...
crosses to Exmouth
Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter.
In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of town ...
. The Exe Valley Way continues beyond Starcross towards Exeter, but when the ferry is not running it is possible to catch a train from either Dawlish Warren or Starcross railway station
Starcross railway station is a small station on the Exeter to Plymouth line in the village of Starcross, Devon, England. It is down the line from and measured from via . The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who operate all train ...
s to Exmouth railway station
Exmouth railway station serves the town of Exmouth in Devon, England and is south east of . The station is the terminus of the Avocet Line from Exeter St Davids (which branches off from the West of England Main Line after ). The station is mana ...
.
On the eastern side of Exmouth, the coast path climbs up onto the High Land of Orcombe. This is the start of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. The next town is Budleigh Salterton, beyond which lies the River Otter. The path then skirts Chiselbury Bay
Chiselbury is the site of an Iron Age univallate hillfort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and ...
and Ladram Bay
Ladram Bay is a secluded bay with a pebble beach, on the south coast of Devon, England between the coastal towns of Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth. It is about southeast of Exeter, just under southwest of Sidmouth and about northeast of Budle ...
towards Sidmouth which sits at the mouth of the River Sid. Access to the beach is via a wooden staircase known as Jacob's ladder. Sidmouth is surrounded by the East Devon AONB
East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers over of the East Devon countryside (England).
This countryside includes eighteen miles (29 km) of Heritage coastline. The designated area covers: twenty-nine parishes and borders the c ...
. Erosion remains a serious concern east of the mouth of the River Sid. The cliffs have been heavily eroded, threatening cliff top homes and the footpath, which passes along the tops of the cliff, around Lyme Bay, avoiding Hooken Undercliff
The Undercliff is the name of several areas of landslip on the south coast of England. They include ones on the Isle of Wight; on the Dorset-Devon border near Lyme Regis; on cliffs near Branscombe in East Devon; and at White Nothe, Dorset. All aro ...
towards Branscombe. The path then follows Seaton Bay past Beer, with Beer Quarry Caves
Beer Quarry Caves is a man-made limestone underground complex located about a mile west of the village of Beer, Devon, and the main source in England for beer stone. The tunnels resulted from 2,000 years of quarrying beer stone, which was part ...
a man-made cave complex, resulting from the quarrying of Beer stone
Beer Quarry Caves is a man-made limestone underground complex located about a mile west of the village of Beer, Devon, and the main source in England for beer stone. The tunnels resulted from 2,000 years of quarrying beer stone, which was part ...
and Seaton before going through the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff
The Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs, also often referred to in the singular as the Undercliff, is a long landscape feature, National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest that connects Seaton and Axmouth with Lyme Regis on t ...
SSSI
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
and NNR and crossing the border into Dorset shortly before reaching Lyme Regis.
Dorset
Across the Dorset border, the Coast Path runs through the town of Lyme Regis where the Cobb breakwater was seen in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman and features on the film's poster. Further east, where it shares its route with the Monarch's Way, the path passes through Charmouth, up Golden Cap
Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated on the English Channel coast between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. At , it is arguably the highest point on the south coast of Great Britain (although the highest point is set back some 250m fr ...
(the highest point on the south coast), and on through West Bay (near Bridport), to Burton Bradstock
Burton Bradstock is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, approximately southeast of Bridport and inland from the English Channel at Chesil Beach. In the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 Census the parish had a population of 948. The v ...
at the start of Chesil Beach, an tombolo. At Abbotsbury, the path leaves Chesil beach to follow the shores of the Fleet lagoon, until it reaches the terminus of Chesil beach next to the villages of Fortuneswell
Fortuneswell is a village in Underhill, Dorset, Underhill on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, England. It lies on steeply sloping land on the northern edge of the island, known as Underhill, where Chesil Beach connects the island to the mainland. ...
and Chiswell on the Isle of Portland. The path circumnavigates the Isle of Portland, passing the lighthouses at Portland Bill
Portland Bill is a narrow promontory (or bill) at the southern end of the Isle of Portland, and the southernmost point of Dorset, England. One of Portland's most popular destinations is Portland Bill Lighthouse. Portland's coast has been notorio ...
and the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy
The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is a centre for the sport of sailing on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. The academy building is located in Osprey Quay on the northern tip of the island, and the wat ...
in Chiswell, and returns across Chesil beach to Wyke Regis (encompassing the Rodwell Trail
The Rodwell Trail is a short-distance footpath that runs from Wyke Regis to the town centre of Weymouth in Dorset – a distance of 3.5 kilometres. The trail, opened in 2000, travels along the former route of the Weymouth and Portland Railway. ...
) and along the shores of Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and rema ...
to the Nothe Fort
Nothe Fort is a fort in Weymouth, Dorset, England, situated at the end of the Nothe Peninsula, which juts eastwards from the town of Weymouth, and Weymouth Harbour, into the sea to the north of the ex-military Portland Harbour. The fort is l ...
in the resort of Weymouth.
In Weymouth the coast path runs along Weymouth Harbour and the Wey Estuary up to Radipole Lake
Radipole Lake is a lake on the River Wey, now in the English coastal town of Weymouth, Dorset, once in Radipole, the village and parish of the same name. Along the western shore of the lake, and between Radipole and the town centre of Weymouth, ...
, through the town centre to the Esplanade on the shore of Weymouth Bay, and on to Ringstead Bay, with White Nothe at its eastern end, near the village of Osmington Mills
Osmington Mills is a coastal hamlet in the English county of Dorset. It lies within the civil parish of Osmington northeast of Weymouth.
Geology
The coastline around Osmington Mills is part of Dorset's ''Jurassic Coast'', and fossils can be ...
. There is an alternative route around Weymouth and Portland along the South Dorset Downs
The Dorset Downs are an area of chalk downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The downs are the most western part of a larger chalk formation which also includes (from west to east) Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Ham ...
, which reduces the footpath distance by . Just the loop around the Isle of Portland can be omitted, reducing the journey by .
The coast path then heads towards the Isle of Purbeck, via Bat's Head
Bat's Head is a chalk headland on the Dorset coast in southern England, located between Swyre Head and Durdle Door to the east, and Chaldon Hill and White Nothe
White Nothe (meaning "White Nose") is a chalk headland on the English Channel c ...
, Swyre Head
Swyre Head is the highest point of the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The hill Swyre Head lies about southwest of the village Kingston, about south of Corfe Castle and west of Swanage.
Although not very high, it ...
, Durdle Door—a natural arch which has been described as "one of Dorset's most recognisable features"—and Lulworth Cove, "the most visited geological locality in Britain". Further east is the deserted village of Tyneham, beside Worbarrow Bay
Worbarrow Bay is a large broad and shallow bay just to the east of Lulworth Cove on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England.
Location
Worbarrow Bay is located about six kilometres south of Wareham and about 16 kilometres west of Swanage. At the e ...
, and Kimmeridge, next to Kimmeridge Bay, with its rocky shore and wave cut platform
A wave-cut platform, shore platform, coastal bench, or wave-cut cliff is the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by erosion. Wave-cut platforms are often most obvi ...
. Between Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge the path passes through the Lulworth Ranges, which are not always open to the public. When the ranges are in use a road detour is needed.
The coast path then reaches St Alban's Head
St Alban's Head (corruption of St Aldhelms Head) is a headland located southwest of Swanage, on the coast of Dorset, England. It is the most southerly part of the Isle of Purbeck, Purbeck peninsula, and comprises an outcrop of Portland Stone fr ...
, just to the south of the village of Worth Matravers. Between St Alban's Head and the resort of Swanage
Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
is Durlston Country Park nature reserve; from Worth Matravers to Swanage the coast path follows the route of the Priest's Way
The Priest's Way is the historical route taken by clergy from St Nicholas's, Worth Matravers to St Mary's Church, Swanage in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. The track arose as a result of St Mary's being a chapel of ease to St Nicholas's, an ...
. North of Swanage is the chalk Ballard Down, the eastern tip of which has been eroded to form Old Harry Rocks – a series of stack
Stack may refer to:
Places
* Stack Island, an island game reserve in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia, in Tasmania’s Hunter Island Group
* Blue Stack Mountains, in Co. Donegal, Ireland
People
* Stack (surname) (including a list of people ...
s, arches and caves jutting into the sea between Swanage Bay and Studland Bay. This headland marks the end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Behind Studland
Studland is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England. The village is located about north of the town of Swanage, over a steep chalk ridge, and south of the South East Dorset conurbation at Sandbanks, from which it is ...
beach, an extensive system of sand dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
s have formed a psammosere, stretching for miles across the Studland peninsula. The peninsula forms one shore of Poole Harbour, one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Part of Studland beach is the National Trust's only official naturist beach. The South West Coast Path ends at South Haven Point, where there is a commemorative marker. The Sandbanks Ferry links this to the Sandbanks area of Poole
Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...
on the eastern edge of the harbour.
Intersecting and connecting paths
From Plymouth to Poole the South West Coast Path forms part of the route of theE9 European Coastal Path
The E9 European long distance path, E9 path or European Coastal Path (French: ''Sentier Européen du Littoral'') is one of the European long-distance paths, running for from Tarifa, Spain to Narva-Jõesuu in Estonia. In 2019, the southern termi ...
which runs for 3,125 miles (5,000 km) from Cabo de São Vicente in Portugal to Narva-Jõesuu
Narva-Jõesuu (; russian: Усть-Нарва, ''Ust'-Narva'', Нарва-Йыэсуу, Усть-Нарова) is a town in Ida-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia.
Geography
It is located on the country's northern Baltic coast of the Gul ...
in Estonia. The route crosses by ferry from Roscoff to Plymouth, and beyond Poole the path follows the Bournemouth Coast Path to Milford on Sea, then the Solent Way (with an Isle of Wight option), South Downs Way, 1066 Country Walk
The 1066 Country Walk is a waymarked long-distance footpath or recreational walk in southern England, United Kingdom.
Length of the route
The 1066 Country Walk runs for .
The route
The route commemorates 1066, the year of the Battle of ...
and Saxon Shore Way to Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
, from where it returns to continental Europe. It is also part of the network of routes that form the International Appalachian Trail
The International Appalachian Trail (IAT; french: Sentier international des Appalaches, SIA) was originally a hiking trail which ran from Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in Maine, through New Brunswick, to the Gaspé Peninsula of Q ...
.
The South West Coast Path, covering such a wide area, inevitably intersects with other, more local, routes, and it connects with many other long-distance paths offering opportunities for even longer expeditions:
* Bournemouth Coast Path, from Sandbanks to Milford-on-Sea ( Dorset and Hampshire)
*Celtic Way
The Celtic Way is a long-distance walk from West Wales, through South Wales and into Wessex and the West of England in the United Kingdom. The route is and visits more than one hundred pre-historic sites through its route.
The route
The rout ...
— runs from the west of Wales to Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...
and then heads south-west to Cornwall, a total of
*Channel to Channel Path
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
, Seaton to Watchet, 80 kilometres (50 mi)
* Coast to Coast, Devon, Wembury to Lynmouth
*Coleridge Way
The Coleridge Way is a long-distance trail in Somerset and Devon, England.
It was opened in April 2005, and the route links several sites associated with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge starting from Coleridge Cottage at Nether Stowey. Origi ...
, from Nether Stowey
Nether Stowey is a large village in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, South West England. It sits in the foothills of the Quantock Hills (England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), just below Over Stowey. The parish of Nether Stowey ...
in the Quantocks
The Quantock Hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England, consist of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land. They were England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated in 1956.
Natural England have desi ...
across the Brendon Hills
The Brendon Hills are a range of hills in west Somerset, England. The hills merge level into the eastern side of Exmoor and are included within the Exmoor National Park. The highest point of the range is Lype Hill at above sea level with a secon ...
and the fringes of Exmoor National Park to the coast at Porlock.
* East Devon Way, Exmouth
Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter.
In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of town ...
to Lyme Regis
* Exe Valley Way, Devon – runs from the River Exe estuary to Exmoor
*Liberty Trail
The Liberty Trail is a 28-mile (45.1 km) trail between Ham Hill in Somerset and Lyme Regis in Dorset, England.
History
The route of the Liberty Trail route is based on information recorded by six rebels from various villages in Somerset ...
, Ham Hill to Lyme Regis ( Somerset, Dorset)
*The Macmillan Ways
The Macmillan Ways are a network of long-distance footpaths in England that link points on the Bristol Channel, English Channel and North Sea. They are promoted to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief, a charity.
The Macmillan Ways are:
...
:
** Macmillan Way from Abbotsbury in Dorset to Boston, Lincolnshire
**Macmillan Way West
The Macmillan Way West is a long-distance footpath in Somerset and Devon, England. It runs for from Castle Cary in Somerset to Barnstaple in Devon. It is one of the Macmillan Ways and connects with the main Macmillan Way at Castle Cary.
The ...
from Castle Cary
Castle Cary () is a market town and civil parish in south Somerset, England, north west of Wincanton and south of Shepton Mallet, at the foot of Lodge Hill and on the River Cary, a tributary of the Parrett.
History
The word Cary derives fr ...
in Somerset to Barnstaple
Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...
in Devon, (Boston to Barnstaple is
**the Macmillan Abbotsbury Langport Link
MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to:
People
* McMillan (surname)
* Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan
* Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician
* James MacMillan, Scottish composer
* William Duncan MacMilla ...
, which creates a short-cut for walkers from Abbotsbury to Barnstaple
Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...
, a total of .
* Saints' Way, Padstow — Fowey
Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...
( Cornwall)
*Samaritans Way South West
Samaritans Way South West is a Long-distance footpath in South West England. It was officially opened on 21 April 2004 by the Ramblers Vice Chairman, the Samaritans (charity) Chief Executive and a farmer from Gloucestershire who headed the Farm ...
, runs from Bristol to Lynton, but only the section from Bristol to Goathurst is waymarked
Trail blazing or way marking is the practice of marking paths in outdoor recreational areas with signs or markings that follow each other at certain, though not necessarily exactly defined, distances and mark the direction of the trail.
A blaz ...
* Tarka Trail. Between Ilfracombe and Bideford, the path mostly follows a coastal section of the Tarka Trail. For part of this route, the paths follow the course of disused railway lines: the Ilfracombe Branch Line, between Braunton and Barnstaple
Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...
, and the Bideford Branch Line, between Barnstaple and Bideford.
*Two Moors Way
The Two Moors Way is a long-distance trail mostly in Devon, UK, first established in 1976. It links Dartmoor and Exmoor and has been extended to become a Devon Coast-to-Coast trail.
History
The Two Moors Way was the brainchild of Joe Turner ...
, Devon — Ivybridge to Lynmouth
*Wessex Ridgeway
The Wessex Ridgeway is a long-distance footpath in southwest England. It runs from Marlborough in Wiltshire to Lyme Regis in Dorset, via the northern edge of Salisbury Plain and across Cranborne Chase AONB. The footpath was opened in 1994.
At ...
, from Lyme Regis to Marlborough
Marlborough may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
** Marlborough College, public school
* Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England
* The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England
Austral ...
, which combined with The Ridgeway National Trail, the Icknield Way and the Peddars Way National Trail forms the Greater Ridgeway
The Greater Ridgeway, also known as the Great Chalk Way, is a 362-mile (583 kilometre) long-distance footpath crossing England from Lyme Regis in Dorset to Hunstanton in Norfolk. It is a combined route which is made by joining four long-distanc ...
, , from Lyme Regis to Hunstanton
Hunstanton () is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, which had a population of 4,229 at the 2011 Census. It faces west across The Wash, making it one of the few places on the east coast of Great Britain where the sun sets over the sea. Hunstant ...
on The Wash
*West Devon Way
The West Devon Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in South West England in the United Kingdom. The West Devon Way runs for 58 km (36 mi).
Route
The route runs from the western fringes of Dartmoor National Park moorland countr ...
— Okehampton to Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
,
*West Somerset Coast Path
The West Somerset Coast Path is a long-distance footpath that links the northern end of the South West Coast Path to the River Parrett Trail in Somerset, England, UK.
In March 2016 a stretch of the England Coast Path from Brean Down to Min ...
— Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...
to Steart Peninsula
__NOTOC__
The Steart Peninsula () is a peninsula in Somerset, England. At its outermost tip is Fenning Island (now joined to the mainland), at the tip of which is Stert Point (sometimes spelt Steart Point) which is the eastern end of the West Some ...
(linking SWCP to the River Parrett Trail
The River Parrett Trail is a long-distance footpath that can be used for walking, jogging, or running, following the route of the River Parrett in Somerset, England. The trail, which is long, runs from Chedington in Dorset to the mouth of the ...
),
Public transport
There are regular train services from other parts of the UK to the south west, principal destination stations being Barnstaple
Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...
, Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, Newquay
Newquay ( ; kw, Tewynblustri) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, in the south west of England. It is a civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries, spaceport and a fishing port on the North Atlantic coast of ...
, Penzance
Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...
, Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
and Weymouth. From these places local trains or buses connect to many points of the path. Airports at Bournemouth
Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
, Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
and Newquay
Newquay ( ; kw, Tewynblustri) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, in the south west of England. It is a civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries, spaceport and a fishing port on the North Atlantic coast of ...
are served from a range of national and international destinations.
Using public transport for at least part of the journey means that walkers can plan walks that start and finish at different places, rather than having to circle back to their start point to collect their cars.
More than twenty railway stations give options either for short walks – such as Dawlish
Dawlish is an English seaside resort town and civil parish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon, from the county town of Exeter and from the larger resort of Torquay. Its 2011 population of 11,312 was estimated at 13,355 in 2019. It is t ...
to Paignton – or for longer walks over several days. The West Somerset Railway offers steam and diesel services from Taunton to Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...
at the Somerset end of the path (using a connecting bus from Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, west of London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, and is operated by Great Western Railway. The station is also served by CrossCountry ...
to ), the Swanage Railway
The Swanage Railway is a railway branch line from near Wareham, Dorset to Swanage, Dorset, England, opened in 1885 and now operated as a heritage railway.
The independent company which built it was amalgamated with the larger London and South ...
connects Swanage
Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
to Wareham, and the Dartmouth Steam Railway connects Kingswear and Paignton.
Long-distance bus services connect some coastal towns with railway stations:
* Bideford and Westward Ho! to Barnstaple railway station
Barnstaple railway station is the northern terminus of the Tarka Line and serves the town of Barnstaple, Devon. It is from at milepost 211.25 from . It is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates the train service.
It opened i ...
* Bridport to Axminster railway station
Axminster railway station serves the town of Axminster in Devon, England. It is operated by South Western Railway and is situated on the West of England Main Line. It is down the line from .
History
The station opened on 19 July 1860 by LSW ...
and Dorchester South railway station
Dorchester South railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Dorchester in Dorset, England, the other one being Dorchester West. The station is on the South West Main Line. It is down the line from Railways in the United Kingdom ...
* Bude to Exeter St Davids railway station
* Lyme Regis to Axminster railway station
Axminster railway station serves the town of Axminster in Devon, England. It is operated by South Western Railway and is situated on the West of England Main Line. It is down the line from .
History
The station opened on 19 July 1860 by LSW ...
* Seaton and Beer to Axminster railway station
Axminster railway station serves the town of Axminster in Devon, England. It is operated by South Western Railway and is situated on the West of England Main Line. It is down the line from .
History
The station opened on 19 July 1860 by LSW ...
* Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...
to Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, west of London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, and is operated by Great Western Railway. The station is also served by CrossCountry ...
* Padstow to Bodmin Parkway railway station
Bodmin Parkway railway station ( kw, Fordh Bosvena) is on the Cornish Main Line that serves the nearby town of Bodmin and other parts of mid-Cornwall, England. It is situated south-east of the town of Bodmin in the civil parish of St Winnow, f ...
* Sidmouth to Honiton railway station
Honiton railway station serves the town of Honiton in east Devon, England. It is operated by South Western Railway and is down the line from , on the West of England Line.
History
The station was opened by the LSWR on 19 July 1860, along with ...
* Swanage
Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
and Studland
Studland is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England. The village is located about north of the town of Swanage, over a steep chalk ridge, and south of the South East Dorset conurbation at Sandbanks, from which it is ...
to Bournemouth railway station
Bournemouth railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside town of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It was previously known as Bournemouth East (1885 to 1899) and then Bournemouth Central (1899 to 1967). It has long been treated ...
A boat service runs down the River Fal from Truro to Falmouth (see Fal River Links
Fal River Links is a consolidation of ferry and boat services serving the River Fal, the River Truro, and Carrick Roads in Cornwall, United Kingdom, providing links to many coastal towns and villages.
See also
* King Harry Ferry
The King Har ...
), and between Swanage
Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
seafront and Poole
Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...
Quay.
Charity fundraising
Many individuals or organisations use a walk on all or part of the path to raise money for charity.See also
* England Coast PathReferences
Further reading
Guidebooks and path descriptions
* * * * * * (new edition published in March every year; free to members) * (describes route from Poole to Minehead; available from the Association) * *Travel writing
* The author walks with his dog "Boogie", who features in several later books. * The author and her husband walk the path after financial disaster and a terminal health diagnosis * The poet follows his earlier "Walking Home" (a journey on the Pennine Way) with a walk giving poetry readings along the SWCP.External links
Official site of the South West Coast Path National Trail
nbsp;— News, guidance for walkers, publications (maps and guides)
South West Coast Path on National Trails website
* {{Authority control Coastal paths in England Footpaths in Cornwall Footpaths in Devon Footpaths in Somerset Jurassic Coast Long-distance footpaths in Dorset South West England Cornish coast