Easy Walks South Devon
Noss Mayo and Revelstoke Drive - 4.2 miles (6.7 km)
Warren Car Park - PL8 1EW Warren Car Park
Wide and even Coast Path; surfaced roads; tracks and optional woodland footpaths. The many faces of maritime South Devon in one walk; the wild open sea and rugged coast, a sheltered estuary, wooded riverbanks, and the waterfront villages of Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers with their chocolate box charm. Parts of this walk can be accessed by tramper, wheelchairs and pushchairs. See the detailed description at phototrails.org for info about the terrain and gates. To improve the accessibility of this walk in 2017, funds raised by the SW Coast Path Association enabled us to buy new oak gates that were installed along the whole of this route by the National Trust.
This is a dog-friendly walk.
Bolberry Down - 1.7 miles (2.7 km)
Bolberry Down - TQ7 3DY Bolberry Down
This section of coast is relatively flat and the National Trust has undertaken work to ensure that people in wheelchairs, or with buggies can use a network of paths. Bolberry Down has a network of paths running along high cliff tops with great views, providing a choice of walks of varying lengths. It is a great place in springtime, when rare Cirl Buntings and Dartford Warblers call from the bushes, and the coastal heathland is full of wildflowers. In autumn the heathland is vivid with gorse and heather, and the migrant birds gather ready to leave. Soar Mill Cove is dog friendly
Roundham Head - 0.9 miles (1.4 km)
North Quay, Paignton Harbour - TQ4 6DH North Quay, Paignton Harbour
Surfaced paths and pavements with the option of beach section and steps. Main route accessible to wheelchair users. A wheelchair-friendly walk around Paignton's Roundham Head, the hub of the town's sixteenth-century fishing industry. The headland's rocky red layered cliffs are topped with pines and sycamores, and there are extensive views, across Tor Bay to Torquay to the north and over Goodrington Sands to Brixham in the south. On a good day you can even see across Lyme Bay to Portland; but this is an equally captivating walk in poor weather, when the waves are dashed against the rocks and send plumes of surf high over the colourful line of beach huts at the foot of the cliff.
This is a dog friendly walk.
Hive Beach - 1.9 miles (3.0 km)
Burton Hive Beach Car Park - DT6 4RF Burton Hive Beach Car Park
Narrow paths, almost level throughout, with just a few steps upwards (some steep) and very gentle descent. An easy stroll on almost flat ground, visiting the world-famous towering golden cliffs on Hive Beach, where Hitler was planning to land his troops in 1940, and where Allied troops subsequently practised climbing for the D-Day landings. Much older history can be found in fossils embedded in limestone boulders on the beach. This walk is particularly good for dogs as it passes beaches and a pub where dogs are welcome. East Beach is only walkable in the summer season. Use the walk (or part of it) to visit the hidden beaches at either Hive Beach or Cogden Beach.
Moderate walks South Devon
Cremyll Ferry to Kingsand & Cawsand - 3.4 miles (5.5 km)
Cremyll Ferry Landing Stage - PL10 1HX Cawsand
Fairly level but with one steep uphill section about halfway along. The sections around Cremyll, Mount Edgcumbe House and Gardens and the old carriageway at the Kingsand end are suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs. A walk along a very unusual section of the Coast Path, passing mainly through parkland with stunning views across Plymouth Sound and a wealth of historical interest. Children will love to ramble through the grounds of Mount Edgcumbe, with its many fascinating features, and will enjoy the beach at Kingsand. An especially inspiring walk in early spring, when the National Camellia Collection is in full bloom, and in autumn, when the leaves in the woodland start to turn. This walk is particularly good for dogs as it passes a beach and pubs where dogs are welcome.
Bantham to Thurlestone - 3.8 miles (6.2 km)
Bantham Beach Car Park - TQ7 3AJ Bantham Beach Car Park
Fairly even Coast Path, surfaced road, fields and footpath. With its sandy beach and clean surf, as well as its delightful views across the water to Burgh Island, Bantham is a popular hideaway holiday spot for the rich and famous. Some of the thatched cottages in the picturesque villages en route date from the sixteenth century, and there are tales of Vikings and smugglers, but archaeologists have found that the settlements here go right back to the Stone Age. A good walk in spring, when the bright air is full of the song of newly arrived migrants such as stonechats and wheatears, and colonies of fulmars nest above the shoreline. In autumn look out for the arrival of the winter residents, such as plovers, and unusual gulls, especially on a windy day. It is a delightful walk for children, who will love the beach and the dunes.
Thurlestone is a dog friendly beach.
East Portlemouth & Gara Rock - 3.9 miles (6.3 km)
East Portlemouth car park - TQ8 8PD East Portlemouth
The coastal path, which is uneven and rocky in places; a surfaced road, a green lane and a field footpath. An open stroll above the western shoreline of Salcombe Harbour, passing the romantic ruins of Fort Charles, which withstood a five-month siege during the English Civil War. Throughout the centuries the estuary has been a lively place for trade as well as shipbuilding, and the shipwrecks in its waters include one from the Bronze Age, 4000 years ago.
This walk is particularly good for dogs as it passes beaches where dogs are welcome.
Beesands and Hallsands - 3.5 miles (5.7 km)
Seafront Car Park, Beesands - TQ7 2EL Seafront Car Park, Beesands
Coast path with one long flight of steps, roads, tracks and green lanes, footpath through fields. May be muddy or wet in places. The green lanes can be overgrown at certain times of the year. As you stroll past the 'Village that Fell into the Sea', it is easy to understand the massive power of the ocean on a windy day here. The waves crash on the rocks, dashing spray high in the air, and there is the muted roar of the shingle being dragged back and forth on the seabed. 'Hallsands looks as if it properly belonged to the sea,' wrote James Fairweather in his 1884 Guide to Salcombe, 'and had only been borrowed from it for a time.' Within 30 years the sea had claimed the village back again – with some help from local dredgers. A lovely walk in spring, when the ley (lake) is still home to migrants such as grebes, coots and warblers. Good in autumn, too, when they start to arrive. Look out for a hobby or a sparrow hawk circling above the flocks of swallows getting ready to leave.
Beesands is a dog friendly beach.
Slapton Ley - 3.3 miles (5.3 km)
Torcross - TQ7 2TQ Torcross
A fairly undemanding stroll along the shores of Slapton Ley, a National Nature Reserve with an abundance of wildlife, including many species of visiting birds. The freshwater lake is the largest natural lake in the south west and is divided from the sea by a long shingle beach which in 1944 was host to the tragic D-Day exercise, resulting in the loss of nearly a thousand Allied servicemen. A wonderful walk in the spring, when wildflowers carpet the woodland and adorn the hedges, and warblers sing in the rred beds. Look out for birds of prey such as hobbies and marsh harriers hunting spring and autumn migrants like swifts and starlings. Children will enjoy the walk, especially the lake and the beach, although they may need to be supervised along the short stretch of roadside path at the beginning.
Slapton and Torcross are dog friendly beaches.
Woodhuish and Mansands - 3.5 miles (5.6 km)
Scabbacombe Lane Car Park - TQ6 0EF Scabbacombe Lane Car Park
Moderate - Fairly level Coast Path, with some steep climbs either side of Mansands. Inland the lanes can be muddy.
A short but steep circuit over high cliffs with spectacular views, dropping to the tiny shingle beach at Man Sands where the sea is being allowed to flood the reclaimed pastureland, creating a brackish lagoon where grass snakes are sometimes seen swimming with their heads out of the water, and many different birds come in to feed and to roost. The inland route follows ancient green lanes once used by farmers, fishermen and smugglers, and older children able to manage the steep hills will love the sense of adventure this walk brings. Wear good footwear, because the paths can be very wet and muddy.
Scabbacombe is dog friendly all year.
Sharkham Point & Berry Head - 5.8 miles (9.3 km)
Brixham - William of Orange Statue - TQ5 8AZ Brixham - William of Orange Statue
Some steps and stiles, with several stretches of ascent and descent, but they are not steep or prolonged. A circuit linking Brixham's two headlands, giving fine views over Tor Bay. The Royal Navy's western fleet sheltered in the bay from the southwesterlies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, bringing a need for extensive fortifications on the coast during the Napoleonic Wars. On a good day there are panoramic vistas right across Lyme Bay towards Portland. The rare limestone grasslands provide a good habitat for many unusual plants. In the summer the cliffs are home to thousands of 'Brixham Penguins', whose rowdy activities can be watched on CCTV in the visitor centre on Berry Head. In the autumn it is a great place for watching migrant birds, including skuas, terns, and even petrels. Look out for bottlenose dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks in the water below.
St Mary's Bay to the East of Sharkham Point is dog friendly all year.
Fishcombe Point - 3.5 miles (5.7 km)
Car Park, Broadsands Beach - TQ4 6HX Car Park Broadsands Beach.
Coast Path, a country lane and a track. A gentle stroll around the Domesday estate of Churston Ferrers, passing the twelfth century manor and its associated coaching inn, said to be haunted by one of the Benedictine monks attached to the abbey. The route follows an ancient green lane, as well as a coffin way and a modern walking trail, and celebrities visiting the area over the centuries included explorers, a villain and a Dame of the Realm!
Churston Cove, Elberry Cove and Fishcombe Cove are all dog friendly beaches.
Dawlish and Dawlish Warren - 5.6 miles (9.1 km)
Dawlish Warren Railway Station - EX7 0NF Dawlish Warren Railway Station
Easy walking along Coast Path during low tide, through fields, tracks and roads in Dawlish. During high tide and bad weather, take inland route the other side of the rail tracks. This is an easy walk on level roads and paths, starting in Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve and taking in some wonderful views along the coast before passing some interesting buildings in this fascinating Regency resort. As part of the route travels along the sea wall; but if the weather is bad or the tide high, take the inland route on the other side of the railway line. Children sensible enough to be trusted along the sea wall will love the adventure of walking along it, as well as the nature reserve and the beach, and there is a shortcut included with them in mind. A wonderful walk in the springtime, when the Reserve's many winter birds are joined by spring migrants, while in the dunes the flowering plants include the rare Warren crocus.
It is also good for dogs as it passes beaches and pubs where dogs are welcome.
Salcombe Hill - 4.7 miles (7.6 km)
Salcombe Hill National Trust Car Park - EX10 0NY Salcombe Hill Car Park
Footpaths through woods and fields, tarmac paths, quiet roads. Some steep ascent and descent. From Salcombe Hill, high above Sidmouth, you drop through woodland to the path running along beside the River Sid to the seafront, where a shingle ridge provides a buffer zone between the sea and the town. The Alma Bridge, with its nineteenth century origins, leads to the cliff-path zigzagging up the hill, above the towering red cliffs, to bring you up to a viewpoint with breathtaking views out over Lyme Bay and the famous cliffs of the Jurassic Coast.
This is a dog friendly walk with a shingle beach, woodland and open fields.
Hooken Cliffs - 4.1 miles (6.7 km)
Fore Street, Beer - EX12 3ET Fore Street
There are steep ascents and descents including a long flight of steps down. The path travels close so the cliff edge so take great care. A ramble through the Hooken Undercliff, where a dramatic landslip in 1790 left a tumbled landscape where thick vegetation is speared through by spectacular white cliffs and pinnacles, provides a haven for wildlife. Returning along the cliff tops above, where there are spectacular views in either direction of red cliffs soaring beyond the white, the walk links the villages of Beer and Branscombe with tales of smugglers, Romans and lace makers. Part of this walk takes in the Mason's Trail.
East Beach, Beer is a dog friendly beach. At Branscombe dogs are allowed on part of the beach all year. Dogs are not allowed 150m East and West of the pole in front of the café.
Challenging Walks South Devon
Westcombe & Wonwell - 5.7 miles (9.2 km)
Parish Church of St James, Kingston - TG7 4QE Parish Church of St James, Kingston
Coastal path, footpaths and bridleways, can be muddy. Quiet roads inland. Some steep ups and downs. A walk along high cliff tops, above a rocky coastline where the surf washes around stacks and islets and runs in channels between the seaweed-clad rocks on the small sandy beaches. Ravens wheel overhead and oystercatchers pipe as they patrol the tideline. The cliff top grasslands are full of butterflies in summer, and in the woodlands above the Erme estuary the trees are festooned with lichen. A good walk in springtime when the woods are carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic, as well as primroses and celandines.
This walk is particularly good for dogs as it passes a beach and pub where dogs are welcome.
Ringmore and Bigbury - 6.4 miles (10.4 km)
Bigbury-on-Sea Car Park - TQ7 4AZ Bigbury-on Sea Car Park
Field and coastal footpaths, green lanes, surfaced roads, with some short climbs and descents. Following the Avon Estuary Way inland, this walk visits the picturesque thatched village of Ringmore before returning along open clifftops where the breeze is laced with the smell of the sea. The peaceful chocolate-box village has a colourful history, including a vicar who hid in the church tower for three months after firing on Cromwell's Roundheads, and smugglers who hid their booty in a secret chamber in the village inn. Use the walk (or part of it) to visit the sandy beaches at Bigbury, Challaborough or Ayrmer Cove.
The Journey's End Inn is a dog friendly pub, and Bigbury is a dog friendly beach.
Salcombe & Soar Mill Cove - 6.7 miles (10.8 km)
Salcombe's North Sands car park - TQ8 8JT North Sands
Several stretches of ascent and descent, some of them steep or prolonged, with steps, stiles and paths that are rocky in places. There is a short section of narrow road with steep hedge banks: it is generally quiet, but listen out for traffic. A loop through the woods and picturesque thatched villages behind Sharp Tor, returning along a stretch of high heathland seamed with ancient stone walls, where there are panoramic views from Dodman Point in the west to Prawle Point in the east. Ravens and buzzards circle the dramatic craggy cliffs above an estuary that is a haven for wildlife but a menace to shipping. Look out for dolphins, seals and basking sharks. In spring the hedges in the narrow lanes are alight with wildflowers such as primroses and violets, and the woods are carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic. Look out for early purple orchids too, and pink-headed thrift around the cliffs. It is a good place for birdwatching in the autumn, and is the only place in Devon where sometimes an American migrant bird can be spotted, such as a blackpoll warbler. This is a dog friendly walk. Use this walk (or part of it) to visit the hidden beach at Soar Mill Cove which is a dog friendly beach.
Scabbacombe and Mill Bay - 5.8 miles (9.4 km)
Car Park to the north of Coleton Fishacre - TQ6 0EQ Car Park to the north of Coleton Fishacre
This is a fairly strenuous section of the Coast Path, with a lot of ascent and descent, and in places the path is narrow and steep. A challenging but very rewarding walk, with stunning views along the coast and a fascinating journey through the remnants of a Second World War battery en route, as well as a nature reserve and the National Trust property at Coleton Fishacre.
This is a dog friendly walk.
Kingswear and Brownstone Battery - 4.7 miles (7.5 km)
Marina Car Park, Kingswear - TQ6 0AL Marina Car Park, Kingswear
Coastal and woodland footpaths with some uneven sections and long flights of steps, metalled roads and tracks, and a lot of steep ascent and descent. A walk travelling high around the mouth of the Dart Estuary, giving fine views over the castles that protected this important waterway for more than 600 years. Passing through woodland dedicated to the memory of a local hero and returning via the Daymark tower, erected to show sailors the way into the harbour, the route visits the extensive remains of the Brownstone Battery, built during the Second World War to prevent enemy landings on the beaches to the east. Skylarks trill overhead and seals can sometimes be seen on the rocks below.
All information provided by https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/top-dog/#
May 2018