Easy Walks North Devon
Baggy Point Easy Access Walk - 2.7 miles (4.3 km)
Baggy Point Car Park - EX33 1PA Baggy Point Car Park
A short, easy and gently sloping walk out to the tip of Baggy Point and back again, taking in spectacular views of the coastline towards Bideford Bay and Hartland. Children will love the whalebones and the old wreck post, as well as the rocks and cliffs. A good walk in spring, when seabirds nest on the cliff among the clumps of pink thrift and spotted white sea Campion and the gorse bushes are ablaze. In autumn the migrant birds gathering ready for their journey south sometimes attract the attention of a predatory merlin or peregrine, sometimes even a hen harrier. A good walk for dogs too. Alternative route back includes a short steep climb. The first section, on the lower path out to the tip of Baggy Point, is suitable for people with impaired mobility or with a pushchair, and can be followed in reverse for the return journey.
Heddon's Mouth - 2.1 miles (3.4 km)
Hunter's Inn - EX31 4PY Hunter's Inn
Relatively level terrain with woodland, riverside paths and a pebbly beach. A 'Tramper' all terrain mobility scooter can be hired (book in advance) from the National Trust at Heddon Valley and this can be used to explore many of the paths in this area. For more details see the Countryside mobility website. A gentle stroll through ancient woodland bright with fresh leaves and wildflowers in the springtime, along a babbling stream to a tiny secluded shingle beach strewn with boulders and shadowed by steep, scree-clad hillsides, with dramatic cliffs of geological importance and tales of smugglers and U-boats. Children of all ages will love the rugged terrain, as well as the beach and the ruined limekiln. A stunning walk in autumn, when the trees start to turn and birds and small mammals rummage in the fallen leaves for winter provisions.
Hunter's Inn is dog friendly.
Lynton and the Valley of Rocks - 2.7 miles (4.3 km)
Lynton Cliff Railway Station - EX35 6HU Lynton Cliff Railway Station
The Coast Path from Lynton to the famous Valley of Rocks is relatively level and has been surfaced with tarmac to make it easier for everyone to use. Whilst the path description is based on starting at Lynton the walk can be shortened, starting in one of the car parks in the Valley of Rocks, and just doing the loop. It is likely to be suitable for people with impaired mobility or with a pushchair, although due to the lack of passing places it is not recommended for wheelchair use. A classic easy walk along a relatively level section of high cliffs between Lynton and the spectacular Valley of Rocks. Children will love the stories associated with the spectacular rock formations, and the herd of friendly feral goats. A good walk in autumn, when the crisp rust-coloured bracken of the heathland is punctuated with banks of purple heather and vivid gorse.
It is also a good walk for dogs.
Moderate Walks North Devon
Porlock Woodland Walk - 4.1 miles (6.6 km)
Porlock Fire Station Car Park - TA24 8ND Porlock Fire Station car park
Tracks, footpaths, pavements, some ascent and descent A delightful stroll around the western side of Porlock Bay, through the woodland cloaking the hills above Porlock Weir, along the clattering pebbles of Porlock Beach and back around the edge of marshy pastures.
Porlock Beach and Weir is dog friendly.
Wester Wood - 3.3 miles (5.3 km)
Layby on inland side of A39 Countisbury Hill - EX35 6ND Layby on inland side of A39 Countisbury Hill
Footpaths, quiet lanes, woodland paths, some ascent and descent. In places the path is narrow and the drop to the sea can look daunting, so you will need a head for heights. Iron Age hill forts, Saxon-Danish battles, a Domesday manor and a twentieth-century tragedy, all in a spectacular setting, first along a path high above the dark sea at Lynmouth and then through idyllic woodland with bubbling waterfalls and a quietly chuckling river. A lovely walk in spring, when swathes of bluebells and wild garlic are dotted with celandines and the air rings with birdsong. A good route for children, too, who will love the adventurous flavour of the terrain and its tempestuous history.
This walk is also good for dogs as it passes a beach and pubs where dogs are welcome.
Morte Point - 4.6 miles (7.5 km)
Mortehoe Village - EX34 7DT Mortehoe Village
There are a number of stretches of steep ascent and descent, including steps, but there are many shortcuts back across the heath. An inspiring walk through an area of rare coastal heathland, where the wealth of wildflowers beneath the gorse and heather provides the perfect feeding and breeding ground for many moths and butterflies. Look out for seals and even dolphins. The deadly 'devil's teeth' rocks along the spine of Morte Point continue underwater and have been responsible for many shipwrecks over the centuries. A good walk for older children with plenty of energy, they will love the rugged romance of the area and the fascinating rocks. Visit in spring, when birds call from bushes laden with blossom and the maritime grasslands are full of wildflowers and early insects; or in autumn, when the small flocks of migrant seabirds passing by offshore can sometimes include rare breeds among the terns and kittiwakes.
This walk is particularly good for dogs as it passes a beach and pubs where dogs are welcome.
Abbotsham and Westward Ho! - 5.3 miles (8.5 km)
Kipling Tors Car Park, Westward Ho! - EX39 1SY Kipling Tors Car Park, Westward Ho!
Quiet country lanes, public footpath, green lane and coast path. Fairly even going underfoot with a few wet or muddy patches in damp weather. Follow in the footsteps of authors Charles Kingsley and Rudyard Kipling and take in the spectacular views of the Westward Ho! coastline.
Buck's Mills & Peppercombe Castle - 5.1 miles (8.3 km)
Bucks Mills Car Park - EX39 5DY Bucks Mills Car Park
Coastal and inland paths, tracks and quiet roads. Some of the paths are rocky and may be slippery, and there is a lot of ascent and descent, some of it steep, with steps and stiles. A high coastal walk through ancient woodland teeming with wildlife, with glimpses of stunning sea views through the trees and optional steep descents to two remote sand-and-shingle beaches. The village of Buck's Mills dates back to Saxon times, and it has a colourful history; while at Peppercombe the prehistoric cliff fort was superseded by a Victorian castle that was later abandoned when it looked as though it might fall into the sea. Detour halfway around to visit the thatched thirteenth-century Hoops Inn, one of three coaching inns where horses were changed en route from North Devon into Cornwall.
Dogs are welcome at The Hoops Inn.
Challenging Walks North Devon
Caffyns Heanton Wood - 5.9 miles (9.5 km)
Lee Abbey Car Park (above Lee Bay) - EX35 6JN Lee Abbey Car Park (above Lee Bay)
Tracks, footpaths, quiet lanes, a lot of ascent and descent A tiny cove, a woodland walk, and a gentle climb into the hills above Lee Abbey with breath taking views out over the coast and across to the dun hills of Exmoor. The woods are particularly delightful in spring and early summer, when they are carpeted with bluebells.
Lee Bay is dog friendly.
Watersmeet - 8.2 miles (13.3 km)
Lynmouth seafront car park - EX35 6EN Lynmouth Seafront
Paths, tracks and quiet lanes, with a substantial amount of ascent and descent, some of it steep and exposed. Breath taking woodland walks along the East Lyn and Hoar Oak rivers, with a coastal stretch high above the dark waters of Lynmouth Bay and dramatic views from a tree-clad hill flanking the village. Stunning all year round, it is at its best in autumn as the trees are turning and the woodland rings with the sound of the birds feasting on its wild harvest.
Lynmouth is dog friendly with plenty of pubs and cafes.
All information provided by https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/top-dog/#
May 2018