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THE SOUTH-WEST COASTAL
PATH
The South West
Coastal Path is one of the longest footpaths in Britain 515 miles long.
The West
Peninsular Coast Path follows the coastline from
Minehead
in Somerset through Devon, Cornwall to the mouth of
Poole
Harbour in Dorset. It consists of four linked routes, the Somerset and North
Devon Coast path, the Cornish coastal path, the South Devon coast path and
the Dorset Coast path. Running parallel to the sea the path keeps as close
as possible to hill ridges and the cliff edge.
Starting from
Minehead
The path climbs
from
Minehead
Quay along the cliffs that line the Bristol Channel.
Lynton and Baggy
Point produce a impressive cliff backdrop to wonderful scenery.
Woolacombe
and
Croyde
Bay have wonderful expanses of sand.
Beyond Braunton
Burrows lays the Torridge Estuary from here you could detour inland via
Barnstaple
across the Instow /
Appledore
ferry picking the path up
at Westward Ho! beyond the stony foreshore the picturesque village of
Clovelly
is found with steep narrow pedestrian cobbled streets meandering down to the
harbour. From here the coast path runs west along a remote stretch of cliff
tops.
The Atlantic
with its huge rolling waves can be seen for the first time on reaching
Hartland Point. Here magnificent arches and pinnacles formed from the
eroding rocks may be seen along with rock formed reef lines running into the
sea.
Marsh Mouth lays
on the boundary of Devon and Cornwall here it meets the sea. Between Marsh
Mouth and
Bude
the flat topped cliffs lay in isolation with few access points. At low tide
Bude can be reached by following the beach from Coombe Valley. The path
ascends again to lonely cliffs stretching past Widemouth Bay to Crackington
Haven and the headland of Cambeak, onto the pretty harbour of
Bostcastle.
Four miles beyond the ruins of the 12th century castle of
Tintagel
can be seen on a small almost detached headland jutting out to sea. The 7
miles between Trebarwith Strand and Port Gaverne is seclude. Next comes the
pretty 14th century fishing village of Port Isaac along to
Pentire Point,
here the river camel meet the sea. Stepper Point is in view over the sandy
estuary. The estuary is now crossed from Rock to
Padstow
by ferry.
South West Coast
Path Trevose Head to Prawle Point
Turning south at
Treverse Head you come to the most popular coast used for holidays
stretching to
Newquay
and beyond. South of Newquay lie
Penhale Sands under which a Saxon Church is buried, its site marked with a
cross.
Reskajeage Downs
provide one of Cornwalls splendid cliff lines this is found between
Portreath and Gwithian.
St.Ives
one of Cornwalls most famous resorts may be reached by a short detour
inland. Originally a fishing port it became a haven for artists at the end
of the 19th century. Continue along the cliff to
St.Just and Cape Cornwall,
an alternative inland route passes through Zennor and Morvah.
Lands End
has a wonderful atmosphere with its huge granite cliffs pounded relentlessly
by the Atlantic sea. From here on turning east you past by the Minack
Open Air Theatre to
Treen.
Next come the pretty fishing villages of Lamorna Cove and
Mousehole.
St. Micheals Mount Island
with its castle dominates the town of
Penzance.
Praa Sands and Looe bar are a mile long shingle bank holding back the
largest natural lake in the West Country.
From here we
past several impressive coves, Mullion, Kynanc and past
Lizard
Point Cadgwith are the most well known.
After crossing
the river Helford by ferry you come to the harbour of
Falmouth
crossed by yet another ferry here you come to the secluded Roseland
peninsula here you can visit
St.Just-in-Roseland's
pretty church, then onto craggy Nare Head. Eight miles further you come to
Dodman Point on a massive 400ft promontory.
The south coast
of Cornwall with more built up areas is not as savage as the North Coast but
it does have some remote stretches around Black Head north of the pretty
fishing harbour of
Mevagissey.
This popular
coast has many places to visit with lovely beaches, old worlde fishing
villages with narrow winding streets,
Mevagissey,
Fowey,
Polruan, Polperro,
West and East Looe,
and Cornwalls forgotten
Corner
Kingsand and Cawsand
from here make your way to
Cremyll,
the path then crosses into Devon over the river Tamar via the Cremyll Ferry
which has been in use since the 13th century into the city of
Plymouth.
The path follows the foreshore giving views of historic military
establishments, The Ferry Port, The Hoe and the Barbican leaving Plymouth
via Turnchaple and Hooe heading towards Wembury.
Now head for the
extensive sands of
Bigbury -on-Sea
a short walk across the beach brings you to
Burgh Island
Agatha Christie used this location for one of her books, if the tides in
there is a large tractor like vehicle that is used to transport visitors
back and forth, then onto Thurlestone
you could detour inland to
Kingsbridge
otherwise carry on past a number of fine headlands including Bolt Tail and
Bolt Head. Salcombe
is a pretty yachting community with its red sands and pretty town its well
worth a stop here. Beyond the sandy coves east of Prawle Point the coast
path reaches Start Point, with its lighthouse where the coast turns north
towards the shingle bank at Slapton. For a short stretch the A379 road comes
away from the cliff. Then comes the historic pretty town of
Dartmouth
on its lovely estuary.
Follow the
coastal path through Kingswear ,
Dartmouth
to Crabrock Point, on to Goodrington and Hopes Nose in the built-up Torbay
resort area, between Teignmouth and Dawlish, and from Dawlish Warren to
Starcross, from which the ferry crosses the Exe Estuary to Exmouth. There
are high cliffs in formations all the way to Beer Head (400ft).
From here to
Lyme Regis
and beyond the coast has been subject to landslides. At Dowlands Heads
Cliffs, near
Axmouth,
20 acres of cliff subsided in 1839 taking cottages and fields with them and
leaving a rock face 2000ft high above a boulder-strewn ridge three-quarters
of a mile long. Half a mile west of
Lyme Regis
the path crosses into
Dorset.
Immediately beyond the town with its coloured cliffs, fossils you
continue past Black Ven, Golden Cap to West Bay and Burton Bradstock.
Abbotsbury is worth a stop its well known for its swannery. Here the great
shingle ridge of chisel beach begins following this you can reach the Isle
of Port Land. Head through the
Weymouth
resort to pretty
Lulworth Cove, beyond
comes a break in the path due to the Tyneham military firing ranges. The
coast from here to Kimmeridge Bay is sometimes shut off. An inland road is
also closed during firing, when a 14 mile detour through
Wareham
is necessary.
Beyond
Kimmeridge the Limestone cliffs continue to
Swanage,
on the other side chalk reappears at The Foreland and Old Harry Rocks. Going
northwards from here leads you by
Studland
Heath to end the walk at South Haven Point, at the mouth of
Poole
Harbour.
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