The Southwest Coast Path
Somerset - Devon - Cornwall - Dorset

The S.W.C.P. begins on the sea front at Minehead, climbing up onto rugged Exmoor with its purple terrain and high coastal cliffs, passing the tiny Culbone Church, with spectacular cliff and coastal scenery all the way to the highest point at Lynton, then descending to softer terrain from Combe Martin with Sandy Bays tiny coves and rocky headlands, the long sandy beaches at Woolacombe and Braunton. Round The Taw/Torridge Estuary skirting the Market Town of Barnstaple and the port of Bideford. The old shipbuilding town of Appledore with its narrow streets and the long sandy beach at Westward Ho! The path rounds Bideford Bay on the edge of fields and scrub oak woods littered with wild flowers, to the old fishing village of Bucks Mills and Clovelly with its 17th century harbour and steep cobbled street. On through wooded cliff tops round Hartland Point to Hartland Quay.

The lush green landscape of North Devon is replaced by rugged headlands exposing amazing distorted rock strata and secret sandy coves on Cornwall's Atlantic Coast. The trees found here are usually in sheltered valleys protected from the winter westerly winds between the cliff top headlands. Delightful fishing villages, Boscastle with its tiny harbour, Port Issac and Padstow. The mysterious legend of Port Quin. Rocky inlets at Crackington Haven and Trebarwith Strand. Tintagel, with its castle and the legend of King Arthur. Coves with evocative names like 'Hell's Mouth' 'Porth Joke' and 'Deadmans Cove.'

St Ives a haven for artist's, attributed to the quality of it's light, is the gateway to the Lands End Peninsula with its unspoilt heather covered moors, rugged granite cliffs and the winding houses and chimneys, relic's left from a bygone age of tin mining. Stunning views from headlands at Zennor, Pendeen, Cape Cornwall, Land's End, Gwennap, Tater-Due and Carn-Du.

Magical Coves at Sennen and Lamorna. The Minack open air Theatre perched high on the cliff edge at Porthcurno. Mousehole is a very picturesque little fishing village. St Michaels Mount reached by boat, from Marazion at high water and by causeway at low water.

The Lizard coast is littered with coves such as Kynance and Church Cove, where the church is actually on the beach! Thatched cottages set around coves at Mullion and Cadgwith.

The Helford River creeks reach inland to Gweek and Constantine. The interesting sea port of Falmouth.

From the historic sea port of Falmouth strategically placed on the mouth of Carrick Roads and guarded by the 16th century Penndennis Castle on one side and St Mawes Castle on the other. Crossing to St Antony Head, the coast is gentler footpath continues around serene headlands affording spectacular views over bays sheltering Pretty Villages such as Portloe, Mevagissey, Polperro and Cawsand. Also on route is Charlestown Harbour with its collection of old square-rigged sailing ships and shipwreck centre. Fowey a delightful Town with narrow streets was an important Town in the Crusades. St Catherine Castle was built in the 14th century to protect the port from the French.

Rich, lush rolling countryside, red sandstone cliffs, sculptured by the sea. wooded river valleys and chocolate box cottages this is South Devon's coast line. The naval port of Plymouth is the start of this section, passing Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo set in a deep Oak-wooded valley in the Yelm estuary. Salcombe beautifully set in a wooded valley with a pretty harbour Dartmouth, a charming Town with the ruins of its Castle still guarding the estuary mouth. One of the most beautiful estuaries is the Teign with Shaldon and Teignmouth on either side of the mouth. High red sandstone cliffs affording good viewing points interspersed with the small coastal towns of Dawlish, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth and Seaton to the Dorset border.

Dorset's coast ranges from sweeping valleys, high cliffs, with sea sculptured pillars, arches and coves, to the shingled Chesil Beach and sandy beaches at Weymouth, Swanage and Studland Bay, from Lyme Regis, with its famous Cob, the pretty villages of Charmouth with its thatched cottages and Burton Bradstock.

Thatched yellow stone cottages and the famous medieval swannery at Abbotsbury. Nature's spectacular sculptures at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.