South West Coast Path

Coordinates: 51°12′40″N 3°28′25″W / 51.2110471°N 3.47351705°W / 51.2110471; -3.47351705
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

51°12′40″N 3°28′25″W / 51.2110471°N 3.47351705°W / 51.2110471; -3.47351705

South West Coast Path
Heritage Coast

World Heritage Sites: Jurassic Coast and Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
HazardsCliff paths, river crossings (ferries with limited availability), closure of Lulworth Ranges
National Trails
Acorn_Britain_National_Trails_Symbol-black
Acorn symbol used to guide the route of National Trails
England
Wales
Cross-border

The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked

National Trail. It stretches for 630 miles (1,014 km), running from Minehead 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.[1] It has been voted 'Britain's Best Walking route'[2] twice in a row by readers of The Ramblers' Walk magazine, and regularly features in lists of the world's best walks.[3]

The final section of the path was designated as a National Trail in 1978.

national park 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,[5] and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape in 2007.[6]

In the 1990s it was thought that the path brought £150 million into the area each year,[7] but new research in 2003 indicated that it generated around £300 million a year in total, which could support more than 7,500 jobs.[4] 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.[8] 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.[9]

History of the path

The path originated as a route for 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.[4] It is maintained by a dedicated South West Coast Path Team.

The South West Coast Path Association, 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

Map of the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path, stone sign near Studland

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 from [1]. 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.[11] 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.[12] A team of six Royal Marines, taking turns in pairs to run two-hour sections, completed the path in six days in 2004.[13] In 2012 Mal Law ran the entire path in 16 days, 9 hours and 57 minutes.[14] 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[15] 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.[16][17] On 24 May 2016, Damian Hall set a new fastest known time of 10 days, 15 hours and 18 minutes.[18][19] The current record is 10 days, 12 hours and 6 minutes, set by Kristian Morgan in September 2020.[20]

Somerset

Sculpture at the start of the path in Minehead

The South West Coast Path starts from the western side of

Bossington it follows the beach to Porlock Weir and connects with the Coleridge Way
.

The scenery of rocky headlands, ravines, waterfalls and towering cliffs gained the Exmoor coast recognition as a

Heritage Coast in 1991.[23] The Exmoor Coastal Heaths have been recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the diversity of species present.[24] The path passes the smallest parish church in England, Culbone Church, in Culbone.[25] 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 is

goats,[26] then Duty Point and Lee Bay, then Crock Point and Woody Bay. After Highveer Rocks the path crosses the small River Heddon then skirts Trentishoe Down and Holdstone Down and climbs Great Hangman
. At 1,043 feet (318 m) this is the highest point on the path.[27] With a cliff face of 800 feet (244 m), it is described as the highest cliff on mainland Britain.[28] 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 (3.2 km)).[29]

The South West Coast Path passes along the cliffs (seen in the distance) at Ilfracombe, North Devon. The highest point in this view is Hillsborough (447 feet, 136 metres). Part of Ilfracombe is seen on the right.

After rounding

harbour, surrounded by cliffs. A seasonal foot passenger ferry service runs from the harbour to Lundy Island, and the Balmoral, the Waverley and pleasure boats ply to Porthcawl near Swansea. From Ilfracombe to Bideford the Tarka Trail
coincides with the South West Coast Path.

Saunton Sands

The path leaves Ilfracombe through

Biodiversity Action Plans.[32]

From Braunton Burrows the South West Coast Path turns inland following the

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 and the Taw-Torridge Estuary (SSSI). The ferry which used to operate at Instow ceased on the retirement of the ferryman in 2007,[33] 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 and terminus of the North Devon Railway
.

The path continues north beside the Torridge Estuary, in places following the route of the

Hartland Quay. Hartland Point features a lighthouse and radar tower, and marks the western limit (on the English side) of the Bristol Channel 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 Haven, the Atlantic Ocean and the beach at Bude

The path crosses into

flooding
in 2004.

Tregardock, then to Port Gaverne, Port Isaac, and Port Quin
, three small harbours. Overlooking Port Quin is Doyden Castle, a 19th-century folly.

The Rumps

The scenery is now less wild, the cliffs less high.

Pentire Point then swings south-eastwards again into Polzeath. The estuary of the River Camel forces a detour away from the sea to Rock and the Black Tor Ferry that takes walkers into Padstow
.

From Stepper Point 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.

An easterly view over Newquay Harbour with some of the surfing beaches in the background

The long, sandy Watergate Bay leads to St Columb Porth and Newquay. 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.[39] On the far side of the town, beyond Fistral Beach, lies the River Gannel. There is a seasonal ferry to Crantock, plus three tidal footbridges along the river which are passable at various states of the tide, otherwise at the highest tide it may be necessary to detour inland to use the road bridge.

The path now skirts Pentire Point West and then Kelsey Head to reach Holywell Bay, another surfing beach. After passing round Penhale and crossing Penhale Sands the path enters Perranporth, 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,[40] lies the ruins of Tywarnhayle Mine and the inlet at Chapel Porth. Next are the ruins of Wheal Charlotte mine and then Porthtowan village.

After passing Nancekuke firing ranges, the path drops into Portreath, once a busy port serving inland tin mines around Redruth. Beyond lies Carvannel Downs with Samphire Island just off the coast, and then the Reskajeage Downs better known locally as North Cliffs.[41] 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 with its lighthouse.

West Cornwall

The SWCP near Lelant looking towards Hayle Towans and Godrevy island

Turning into the wide sweep of

A3074 road 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

favoured by artists since the 19th century, which is home to the Tate St Ives art gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Museum
. The path passes the east-facing Porthminster Beach and goes around "The Island", a headland, to the north-facing Porthmeor Beach.

From Mussel Point over Wicca Pool and Porthzennor Cove to Zennor Head and Gurnard's Head beyond

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 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, 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.[45]

Near Land's End, the most westerly point in mainland England

From

most westerly point
of the English mainland.

After passing Land's End the path continues further south past Pordenack Point and

telegraph link with India.[46][47] Climbing out of the bay the path passes the precarious Logan Rock
.

The next village is Penberth, then a series of bays are separated by the headlands of Merthen Point, Boscawen Point, and Tater Du with its lighthouse built in 1965.[48] 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;[49] it merges into Penzance 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. This is an island at high tide but can be reached from Marazion by a causeway at low tide.

Wheal Prosper

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 and Wheal Trewavas close to the path.

After passing through

most southerly point
of the British mainland.

South Cornwall

Falmouth Harbour, National Maritime Museum Cornwall and Pendennis Castle

After passing The Lizard the path turns northwards, continuing past Housel Bay and a building used by

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. Once around Lowland Point, The Manacles lie a mile offshore, a reef that has wrecked many ships.[52] The path passes through Porthoustock and Porthallow, 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. To cross this wider river means following it inland to Helford where there is a ferry across to Helford Passage 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

Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches before passing around the headland beneath Pendennis Castle to enter bustling Falmouth. The castle was built, along with its twin at St Mawes, 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.[53]

The path crosses the harbour on the St Mawes Ferry and the Place Ferry (see

china clay industry around St Austell and has featured in several films as it is home to a heritage fleet of sailing ships.[55]

After passing

Gribbin Head. From here to Polperro is designated as a heritage coast.[56]

Withnoe (Main) Beach portion of Whitsand Bay

The path now passes Polridmouth (pronounced 'Pridmouth') and Readymoney Cove to enter Fowey ('Foy'), another busy harbour but this time the deep water quays are situated up river above the town. The River Fowey is crossed on the Polruan ferry, beyond which are some steep cliffs with extensive views. Beyond Lantic Bay 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 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 then along more cliffs, running past a 60-ft sevenfold labyrinth carved into the turf of the hillside[57] to Seaton, Downderry, and Portwrinkle.

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 to reach Freathy 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. Beyond here lies the Hamoaze, the combined estuary of the Tamar and other rivers.

South Devon

Plymouth Hoe from Mount Batten

The Cremyll Ferry lands in Devon at Stonehouse, one of the Three Towns that make up the modern city of 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 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, part of the Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest, and follows the cliffs past Bovisand to Wembury, Wembury Marine Centre.

From Wembury the path travels east into the

wasps, the rare cuckoo bee Nomada sexfasciata, and the Cirl bunting.[58]

Direction sign at Bigbury-on-Sea with Burgh Island in the background

The path then continues around Lannacombe Bay to

Slapton Sands and the Slapton Ley freshwater lake and nature reserve before entering the estuary of the River Dart and historic port of Dartmouth. 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".[59] It passes the historic harbour of Brixham and the seaside towns of Goodrington, Paignton, Torquay and Babbacombe. The coast path then passes along the wooded cliffs above Labrador Bay to reach Shaldon and the River Teign.

Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton

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 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

Exmouth. 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 stations to Exmouth railway station
.

South West Coast Path in Torquay

On the eastern side of Exmouth, the coast path climbs up onto the High Land of Orcombe. This is the start of the

Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff SSSI and NNR[62] and crossing the border into Dorset shortly before reaching Lyme Regis
.

Dorset

Chesil Beach and Fortuneswell, looking north from the Isle of Portland

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.[63] Further east, where it shares its route with the Monarch's Way, the path passes through Charmouth, up Golden Cap (the highest point on the south coast),[64] and on through West Bay (near Bridport), to Burton Bradstock at the start of Chesil Beach, an 18-mile-long (29 km) 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 and Chiswell on the Isle of Portland. The path circumnavigates the Isle of Portland, passing the lighthouses at Portland Bill and the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Chiswell, and returns across Chesil beach to Wyke Regis (encompassing the Rodwell Trail) and along the shores of Portland Harbour to the Nothe Fort in the resort of Weymouth.

Sculpture at South Haven Point, Studland, at the anticlockwise end of the path

In Weymouth the coast path runs along Weymouth Harbour and the Wey Estuary up to Radipole Lake, 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. There is an alternative route around Weymouth and Portland along the South Dorset Downs, which reduces the footpath distance by 19.25 miles (31 km). Just the loop around the Isle of Portland can be omitted, reducing the journey by 13.2 miles (21.2 km).[65]

The coast path then heads towards the

wave cut platform. Between Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge the path passes through the Lulworth Ranges, which are not always open to the public.[68][69]
When the ranges are in use a 12-mile (19 km) road detour is needed.

The coast path then reaches

naturist beach.[71][72] 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
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 the

Cabo de São Vicente in Portugal to Narva-Jõesuu 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 and Saxon Shore Way to Dover, from where it returns to continental Europe.[73] It is also part of the network of routes that form the International Appalachian Trail
.

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:

Public transport

The coast path shares the South Devon Railway sea wall between Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren with long distance and Riviera Line trains

There are regular train services from other parts of the UK to the south west, principal destination stations being Barnstaple, Exeter, Newquay, Penzance, Plymouth and Weymouth. From these places local trains or buses connect to many points of the path. Airports at Bournemouth, Exeter and Newquay 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 to Paignton – or for longer walks over several days. The West Somerset Railway offers steam and diesel services from Taunton to Minehead at the Somerset end of the path (using a connecting bus from Taunton railway station to Bishops Lydeard), the Swanage Railway connects Swanage to Wareham, and the Dartmouth Steam Railway connects Kingswear and Paignton.

Long-distance bus services connect some coastal towns with railway stations:

A boat service runs down the River Fal from Truro to Falmouth (see Fal River Links), and between Swanage seafront and Poole Quay.

Charity fundraising

Many individuals or organisations use a walk on all or part of the path to raise money for charity.[76][77][78]

See also

  • England Coast Path

References

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  61. ^ "East Devon District: Proposed Rock Revetment Designed to Reduce Erosion of the Cliff Face at Pennington Point, Sidmouth" (PDF). Devon County Council Development Control Committee. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
  62. ^ Natural England. "Axmouth-Lyme Regis Undercliffs (SSSI and NNR)". Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  63. ^ Welcome to Lyme Regis. "The French Lieutenant's Woman". Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  64. National Trust. "Coastal walk" (PDF). Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  65. ^ SWCPA. "Distance Calculator". Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  66. ^ BBC Dorset. "Coast: Durdle Door". Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  67. ^ West, Ian. "Lulworth Cove, Dorset". Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  68. ^ Lulworth Estate. "Army Ranges: opening times". Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  69. ^ "MOD defence/about defence: Lulworth ranges". Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  70. ^ "South West Coast Path: Walk – Swanage Coastal Park – Priests Way". Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  71. National Trust. "Studland Beach & Nature Reserve". Archived
    from the original on 10 December 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2007. The Trust's only designated naturist beach at Knoll Beach
  72. ^ British Naturism. "Studland Bay – official beach". Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  73. ^ Ramblers Association. "E9 European Coastal Path / Sentier Européen du Littoral". Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  74. ^ "28: Taunton - Minehead (Buses Of Somerset)". First Bus. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  75. ^ "Plymouth to Padstow, via Saltash, Landrake, Tideford, Liskeard, Dobwalls, Bodmin and Wadebridge". Go Cornwall Bus. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  76. ^ SWCPA. "Walks for charities". Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  77. ^ Water Aid. "Coast along: Thank you". Archived from the original on 11 December 2007.
  78. ^ "CoastPathRun". google.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013.

Further reading

Guidebooks and path descriptions

Travel writing

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South West Coast Path.
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