SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

The 'South West Coast Path' is Britain's longest national trail. It stretches for 630 miles (1014 km), running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more challenging trails.
The path has been a complete National Trail since 1978.

Contents

History of the Path

Coast Along

Special landscapes

Places of interest

Somerset and North Devon

North Cornwall

South Cornwall

South Devon

Dorset

Towns and villages

Somerset and North Devon

North Cornwall

South Cornwall

South Devon

Dorset

Intersecting paths

Public transport

References

External links

History of the Path

The path originated as a route for the Coastguard to walk from lighthouse to lighthouse patrolling for smugglers. As a result, the path closely hugs the coast providing excellent views but rarely the most direct path between two points. Britain has unique right-of-way laws that keep historic foot paths open to the public even when they pass through private property. 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 recreation walkers. Sections of the path are maintained by the National Trust.

Coast Along

In 2005 Water Aid used the whole length of the South West Coast Path for a charity walk. A repeat Coast Along event will be held on 15 September 2007.

Special landscapes

Many of the landscapes which the South West Coast Path crosses have special status, either as a National Park or one of the Heritage Coasts:

★ Somerset & North Devon

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★ Exmoor Heritage Coast and Exmoor National Park.

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★ North Devon Heritage Coast

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★ Braunton Burrows — UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

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★ Taw and Torridge Estuary

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★ Hartland Heritage Coast


★ North Cornwall

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★ Pentire Point — Widemouth Heritage Coast

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★ Trevose Head Heritage Coast

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★ Godrevy — Portreath Heritage Coast

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★ Penwith Heritage Coast

★ South Cornwall

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★ Lizard Heritage Coast

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★ Roseland Heritage Coast

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★ Gribbin Head — Polperro Heritage Coast

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★ Rame Head Heritage Coast

★ South Devon and Dorset

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★ South Devon Heritage Coast

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★ East Devon Heritage Coast

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★ The Jurassic Coast, a 95 mile (155km) long World Heritage Site

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★ Dorset Heritage Coast

Places of interest

In order from Minehead to Poole Harbour

Somerset and North Devon

★ St Culbone's Church, Culbone – Smallest parish church in England ★ Exmoor National Park ★ Valley of the Rocks near Lynton ★ River Heddon ★ Woody Bay ★ Lee Bay ★ Braunton Burrows

★ Ilfracombe Branch Line – now a path ★ Royal Marines Base Chivenor ★ Bideford Extension Railway – now a path ★ Bideford and Instow Railway ★ Westward Ho! pebble ridge ★ Hartland Point

North Cornwall

From Bude to Land's End

★ Widemouth Bay ★ Crackington Haven ★ Tintagel – legendary birth place of King Arthur ★ Trevose Head ★ Watergate Bay ★ Pentire Point ★ St Agnes Head

★ Godrevy Island and lighthouse ★ Hayle Towans – extensive sand dunes ★ Carbis Bay ★ Botallack Mine – disused tin mine ★ Cape Cornwall ★ Whitesand Bay ★ Land's End

South Cornwall

★ Minack Theatre — an open air theatre ★ St Michael's Mount ★ Loe Bar and Loe Pool ★ Mullion Cove ★ Lizard Point ★ Cadgwith ★ Helford River ★ Gweek Seal Sanctuary ★ Carrick Roads, St Mawes and Pendennis Castles

★ St Anthony Head ★ Zone Point ★ Dodman Point ★ Pentewan – silted up dock ★ Black Head ★ Gribbin Head ★ Estuary of the River Fowey ★ Rame Head ★ Hamoaze – the combined estuary of the Tamar and other rivers

South Devon

★ Plymouth Sound and The Hoe ★ Start Point lighthouse ★ Bolt Tail ★ Salcombe Castle ★ Kingsbridge Estuary ★ Slapton Ley ★ South Devon Railway sea wall ★ Dawlish Warren – sand spit and estuary of the

★ River Exe ★ River Otter ★ Ladram Bay ★ Jacob's Ladder at Sidmouth ★ Beer Caves ★ The Undercliff

Dorset

★ The Cobb breakwater and fossils at Lyme Regis ★ Golden Cap ★ Chesil Beach and The Fleet – a tombolo and lagoon ★ Portland Bill ★ Isle of Portland and Portland Harbour ★ Nothe Fort ★ Wey Estuary ★ Ringstead Bay ★ White Nothe ★ Bat's Head ★ Swyre Head

★ Durdle Door — a natural arch ★ Lulworth Cove ★ Tyneham — a ghost village ★ Kimmeridge – a wave cut platform and rocky shore ★ St Albans Head ★ Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks ★ Durlston Country Park ★ Studland Bay, Beach and psammosere ★ Poole Harbour ★ The Undercliff

Towns and villages

In order from Minehead to Poole Harbour

Somerset and North Devon

★ Minehead ★ Porlock Weir ★ Lynmouth ★ Lynton ★ Combe Martin ★ Ilfracombe ★ Lee Bay ★ Mortehoe

★ Woolacombe ★ Croyde ★ Saunton ★ Braunton ★ Barnstaple ★ Fremington ★ Instow

★ Bideford ★ Appledore ★ Northam, Devon ★ Westward Ho! ★ Clovelly ★ Hartland ★ Welcombe

North Cornwall

★ Morwenstow ★ Bude ★ Boscastle ★ Port Isaac ★ Polzeath

★ Padstow ★ Newquay ★ Perranporth ★ St Agnes ★ Portreath

★ Hayle ★ St Ives ★ St Just ★ Sennen

South Cornwall

★ Mousehole ★ Newlyn ★ Penzance ★ Marazion ★ Porthleven

★ Falmouth ★ St Mawes ★ Mevagissey ★ St Austell ★ Charlestown

★ Par ★ Fowey ★ Polperro ★ Looe

South Devon

★ Plymouth ★ Wembury ★ Salcombe ★ Dartmouth ★ Kingswear ★ Brixham

★ Paignton ★ Torquay ★ Teignmouth ★ Dawlish ★ Exmouth ★ Budleigh Salterton

★ Sidmouth ★ Branscombe ★ Beer ★ Seaton

Dorset

★ Lyme Regis ★ Charmouth ★ Bridport ★ Burton Bradstock

★ Abbotsbury ★ Fortuneswell ★ Weymouth ★ Osmington Mills

★ Worth Matravers ★ Swanage ★ Studland ★ Poole

Intersecting paths

A route covering such a wide area inevitably intersects with other, more local, routes.

★ '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, and the Bideford Branch Line, between Barnstaple and Bideford.

Public transport

Using public transport for at least part of their journey means that walkers can plan walks which start and finish at different places, rather than have to circle back to their start point to collect their cars.
give options for both short walks — such as Dawlish to Paignton — or for longer walks over several days.
Most towns and villages along the South West Coast Path have bus services, although some of these may not be very frequent.
Long distance bus services connect some coastal towns with railway stations:

★ Bude to Exeter St Davids railway station

★ Ilfracombe to Taunton railway station

★ Minehead to Taunton railway station

★ Padstow to Bodmin Parkway railway station

★ Westward Ho! and Bideford to Barnstaple railway station

References

★ National Trail Guide: South West Coast Path, Minehead to Padstow, , Roland, Tarr, Aurum Press, , ISBN 9-85410-097-1

★ National Trail Guide: South West Coast Path, Padstow to Falmouth, , Roland, Tarr, Aurum Press, ,

★ National Trail Guide: South West Coast Path, Falmouth to Exmouth, , Roland, Tarr, Aurum Press, ,

★ National Trail Guide: South West Coast Path, Exmouth to Poole, , Roland, Tarr, Aurum Press, ,

External links

★ Official site

★ South West Coast Path Association (SWCPA) – News, guidance for walkers, publications (maps and guides)

★ SWCPA – Photo Tour

★ Ramblers Association – SWCP Walking Info

★ Walk the Cornwall Coast

★ Photos and Information

★ Coast Along for WaterAid

★ UK UNESCO World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves